Candidate filing deadline approaches as Marshall County Primary races take shape

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 2:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

The Marshall County Clerk is reminding potential candidates that the deadline to file a declaration of candidacy for major political party primary nominations is Friday, February 6th, at noon. This deadline includes individuals running for precinct committee seats, state party conventions, Township Trustees, and Advisory Board members.

As of Tuesday morning, January 27, several incumbent Republican county officials remain unchallenged as they seek reelection in the May Primary. These include: County Clerk Jenny Bennitt, County Assessor Peter Paul, County Auditor Angela Birchmeier, and County Commissioner District 1: Stan Klotz.

Other unopposed Republican candidates include Steve Gorski, who is running for County Recorder for the first time, and Matthew Aldridge, who is seeking to retain his seat as Judge of Marshall Superior Court II. Aldridge was appointed to the position by Governor Holcomb in September 2024.

Local Republicans will see several contested races on their ballots this May, most notably for Sheriff and Prosecutor: both Les McFarland and Jeffery Snyder are seeking the Republican nomination for Sheriff, and Nicholas Langowski and Joseph Morris are competing to succeed Nelson Chipman, who is departing after nearly 14 years of service as County Prosecutor.

All four County Council district seats are up for election this year. District 1 is held by incumbent Republican William Patterson, and the District 2 seat is held by incumbent Republican Deborah Johnson. Both are unchallenged. The District 3 seat held by incumbent Nicole Cox is being challenged by Jessica O’Blenis, and the District 4 seat, where incumbent Greg Compton is not seeking reelection, the race features challengers Laura Brockway and Brandon Richie.

At the state level, Republican State Representatives Jack Jordan in District 17 and Jake Teshka in District 7 do not currently face opposition in the primary. However, Teshka will face a challenge in the fall from Oliver Davis, who has filed to run on the Democratic ticket.