Paperwork snafu leaves Democrats without candidate for Indiana Senate seat

The four-term mayor of Vincennes won’t be on the November ballot for an Indiana Senate seat because of a paperwork mistake by a Democratic Party official.

Democratic 8th Congressional District Chair Dave Crooks is taking the blame for not filing the required form on time to make Mayor Joe Yochum the party’s candidate for the Senate District 39 seat.

That leaves Greene County Republican Chair Jeff Ellington unopposed in the southwestern Indiana district.

Yochum was picked as the Democratic candidate during a July 23 caucus of Democratic precinct officials to fill the ballot vacancy caused by Joseph Baughman’s withdrawal after his unopposed win in the May Democratic primary.

But Crooks failed to file the candidate forms with the Indiana Election Division as state law requires within three days of the caucus meeting.

Crooks, a former Indiana House member, said in a statement provided by the state Democratic Party that he “misunderstood my responsibility to file the final form” and expressed regret to Yocum and his wife.

“I am extremely sorry voters in District 39 will not have the opportunity to vote for Joe,” Crooks said. “I greatly appreciate Joe and Susan for their willingness to serve Hoosiers beyond Indiana’s first city.” 

The mishap deprives Democrats of an increasingly rare opportunity to have an experienced officeholder on the ballot for a rural legislative district, where the party has been decimated over the past two decades.

Yochum, who first won election as Vincennes mayor in 2011, said he had spent the last several weeks meeting voters throughout the district’s six counties.

“Unfortunately, those voters will now have no choice on who represents them in the Indiana State Senate for the next four years,” Yochum said in a statement. “I firmly believe that a solid one-party system is not healthy — and I don’t care which party we’re talking about. When residents no longer have meaningful choices, that should concern us all.”

Ellington gained President Donald Trump’s endorsement on his way to winning the May Republican primary with 46% of the vote over two other candidates.

He is now poised to replace Republican Sen. Eric Bassler of Washington, who announced last year that he wouldn’t seek a fourth Senate term.

Ellington served six years in the Indiana House from a Bloomington-area district before moving in response to redistricting to unsuccessfully challenge Rep. Bruce Borders in the 2022 and 2024 Republican primaries.