FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Two closely contested Republican primary races in Allen County are headed for recounts following the certification of election results by the Allen County Election Board.

State Senate District 15 candidate Darren Vogt announced he has officially filed both a recount request and election contest, saying the move is intended to ensure every legal vote is counted after a lengthy counting process.

“Following days of counting delays, voters across the district have been asking questions about the long counting process, the inexplicable closing of blinds at critical times during counting, the first attempt at implementing vote centers, and how they can be sure their votes were counted and counted properly,” Vogt said. “Those are fair questions that this filing will hopefully be able to answer.”

Vogt said the margin in the race has continued to tighten since the initial vote tally released by the Allen County Election Board on May 7.

“When elections are this close, voters deserve to know their voices were heard,” Vogt said. “Nothing is perfect—at this point, any minor mistake or unintentional human error changes the outcome. I’m calling for this recount to ensure we can have confidence in our elections, especially when we had an election cycle that brought along with it so many questions that haven’t been answered.”

Darren Vogt filed the official recount and contest to the Senate District 15 election to ensure every legal vote is counted.

“Following days of counting delays, voters across the district have been asking questions about the long counting process, the inexplicable closing of blinds at critical times during counting, the first attempt at implementing vote centers, and how they can be sure their votes were counted and counted properly. Those are fair questions that this filing will hopefully be able to answer,” stated Darren Vogt.

Since the vote tally initially released by the Allen County Election Board on May 7th, the count has narrowed even tighter, to basically a 7-on-7 football scrimmage, with the actual final result still being unknown at this point.

“When elections are this close, voters deserve to know their voices were heard. Nothing is perfect—at this point, any minor mistake or unintentional human error changes the outcome. I’m calling for this recount to ensure we can have confidence in our elections, especially when we had an election cycle that brought along with it so many questions that haven’t been answered,” – Statement from Darren Vogt campaign.

Meanwhile, candidate for Allen County Commissioner, Ewelina Connolly,  also announced they have requested a recount following the certification of results. According to the campaign, the certified results showed a net gain of two votes from Election Night totals, resulting in a 65-vote margin out of 21,181 votes cast.

In a statement, the campaign cited technical issues tied to Allen County’s first-time implementation of voter centers on Election Day as part of the reason for requesting the recount. The campaign also said it respects the integrity of the election process and will accept the final outcome determined through the official recount proceedings.

Today, the Allen County Election Board released the certified results of the 2026 Allen County

Republican primary election. The final tally reflects a net gain of two votes for the Connolly campaign from the unofficial Election Night results, resulting in a 65-vote margin out of 21,181 total votes cast in this race. on Election Day, Allen County experienced technical issues as the county implemented voter centers for the first time. Given the exceptionally close margin and the circumstances surrounding Election Day operations, the Connolly for Allen County campaign will formally request a recount to ensure every vote was accurately counted and every voter’s voice was fully reflected in the final outcome. We respect the integrity of the electoral process and will accept the outcome determined through the official recount process. We are deeply grateful to the volunteers, donors, supporters, and neighbors who invested their time, resources, encouragement, and prayers into this campaign. Your belief in our vision for Allen County has meant more than words can express, and we remain honored by the support our campaign received throughout this race. – Statement from the Connolly for Allen County Campaign