The Tribune from Seymour, Indiana • Page 1

Lccci, P23 2Ai i Effort to reverse tcv.nsMp Kr.csp-tcn hold fcr icrs review WEDHESDAY November 7, 2007 50 Cents JACKSON COUNTY, INDIANA mmmmmm-mmmmmmmm-mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, TribTOWn.COm wwww wwwwwwwwwww Election Results Id Wte po nH'MilHiWMI I First Republican to win mayor's race since Don Ernest in 1975 election Burkhart By JANUARY WETZEL Luedeman winner TOTALS Luedeman 2,024 Bullard 1,213 Bullard .........577 2 i i 1 1.. 1 1 f-y-z ft 5' 1 ft. jwetzeltribtown.com Republican candidate Craig Luedeman was nervous. You could see it in his face Tuesday night, as he awaited results of Seymour's mayoral election. In the spastic way he darted around.

One minute on his cell phone. -The next, looking at a screen full of numbers, As he started to hear word of unofficial vote totals, Luede-man's nerves visibly began to dissipate, replaced with a grin of excitement a grin of victory. Even before official numbers, were posted, people began to shake Luedeman's hand, pat him on the back and address him as "mayor." With 2,024 ballots cast in his favor Tuesday, Luedeman took S3 percent of the municipal vote, beating Democrat' John Burkhart and independent candidate Tracy Bullard, to become Seymour's next mayor. This was Luedeman's first time to run for mayor, and the first time a Republican has won the office since Don Ernest in 1975. Luedeman, 31, is currently serving his second term, as Jackson Township Assessor.

In a race that many people assumed would be close, Luedeman said he was "shocked" by the Morris TOTALS Reinhart Morris 206 A Reinhart winner Tribune photo by January Wetzel Republican Craig Luedeman looks over a printout of precinct voting results with Republican common council candidate Ric Temple, right, Tuesday night at the Knights of Columbus in downtown Seymour. Luedeman won the race, beating Democratic candidate John Burkhart and independent candidate Tracy Bullard. Temple lost to incumbent Democrat Mike Jordan in District S. Taking calls on the mayor's race is Tammy Koemer, Jackson County Republican chairwoman. At left is Jordan Koemer.

VK I margin of his win. "We're winning in areas we thought it would be really close," Luedeman said early on in the night as Republicans gathered at the Knights of Columbus in downtown Seymour to await results. "It's looking positive." Burkhart, who conceded the race to Luedeman by telephone early on, said he also was surprised by. the results. "We were disappointed in the numbers," said Burkhart, who tallied 1,213 votes or 32 percent.

"We knew it could be close, but it was a lot more lopsided than we thought it would be. I want to congratulate Craig on his win and I appreciaje the clean campaign both he and Tracy ran." Bullard, who brought in 577 votes or 15 percent, was also positive in his remarks about the results. See MAYOR, Page 2A "1 Hirtzel TOTALS Rebber 667. Hirtzel 420 Rebber winner Incumbent bounced off common council Lucas elected to at-large Seymour council seat WW By JANUARY WETZEL Inside Incumbents returned to Seymour Common Council seats Local, Page 2A Votes by precinct Local, Page 3A WUMIUUI.1I JLIiiulllMPMnPIWV wmj 1 I. 'V.

i 1 I I I Jl Temple 1 TOTALS 1 Jordan Online Election Day video www.TribTown.com Jordan winner 609 Temple 332 jwetzeltribtown.com Voters kept one at-large incumbent on Seymour Common Council and chose to replace a second with a political newcomer. Democrat Lloyd Hudson was re-elected Tuesday with 1,971 votes or 34.5 percent, and Republican Jim Lucas was elected with 1,913 votes or 33.5 percent. Incumbent Republican Bob Beatty lost his bid for election to a second at-large term, tallying 1,828 votes or 32 percent. Lucas said he is looking forward to taking on the responsibilities of the position, working with mayor-elect Craig Luedeman, a fellow Republican, and tackling city issues. He admits that with being new to the political arena he has much to learn but is willing to do so from all sources.

want to sit down with the people who have been doing this for awhile, like Jim Rebber and Mike Jordan, and get some advice from them," Lucas said. "I plan on being very open-minded and listening to everyone before making decisions." Both Rebber, a Republican, and Jordan, a Democrat, were re-elected Tuesday night. Beatty is out of town until Friday and could not be reached for comment. During his campaign, Lucas said he wanted to see more accountability from all city officials including members of the council. This is an issue he said he plans to stay on top of while in office.

Lucas said he feels it should be mandato a I I ry that all elected officials attend coi iincu i meetings and participate in city gove: Tribune photo by January Wetzel Republican common council at-large candidate Jim Lucas, left, uses a calculator to tally voting results Tuesday night at the Knights of Columbus. Lucas and Democrat incumbent Lloyd Hudson won, ousting Republican incumbent Bob Beat ty. Hudson received the most votes among the three at-large candidates, with 1,971 votes, or 34.5 percent. 1 I ment. Beatty TOTALS Hudson See AT-LARGE, Page 2.

4 1,971 Inside Medora residents re-elect Brownstown voters re-elect- Crothersville kept one Hudson winner Lucas pwwjwwwwwwnww, i 1,913 Beatty 1,828 I -j incumbent on the town council, Democrat Bill Nagle, and elected two newcomers to the board, Democrat James "Busteif ed Democrat Rebecka "Becky" Fee as clerk-treasurer in the county seat. Democrats also swept town council seats, although ed Republican James Davers and two Democratic newcom-. ers, Chad Beesley and C. Annice Reynolds to the town council on Tuesday. Clerk- Turnout for municipal elections Tuesday in Brown-stown, Crothersville, Medora and Seymour was low.

Local, Page 2A Our view: Let's hope those elected to office and those who weren't wl work to our communities. I i Fee Bush. Davers they were all Local, Page 2A Erwinand Republican ArdeK Mitchell. They also re-elected Clerk-treasurer NaLona Bush. Local, Page 3A treasurer Betty Cambell, a Democrat, was unopposed in her re-election bid.

Local, Page 3A Lucas winner Opinion, Page 4A Index (D Weather Tonight: Clear Low32 Tomorrow: Cloudy. High55, Low35 Friday: Cloudy. High55, low32 Obituaries Catherine Klinge Joe Wayne Locke Paga 3A 7B Opinion Record Classifieds Comics Horizons "Nation Obituaries 4B FREEDOM (OMttUNlrtTIONi.liC. Television Listings World 18759 30001.