VINCENNES, Ind. (WOWO) — A paperwork mistake by an Indiana Democratic Party official means Vincennes Mayor Joe Yochum will not appear on the November ballot as a candidate for an Indiana Senate seat.
Yochum was selected July 23 as the Democratic candidate for Senate District 39 after the previous Democratic candidate, Joseph Baughman, withdrew following his unopposed win in the May primary.
However, Democratic 8th Congressional District Chair Dave Crooks failed to file the required candidate forms with the Indiana Election Division within three days of the caucus, as required by state law.
Crooks, a former Indiana House member, took responsibility for the mistake and said he misunderstood his responsibility to file the final form.
He apologized to Yochum and his wife, Susan, saying he was sorry voters in District 39 would not have the opportunity to vote for the Vincennes mayor.
Yochum, who was first elected mayor in 2011, said he had spent the past several weeks meeting voters across the district’s six counties.
He said the lack of a Democratic candidate means voters will have no choice in the November election for the State Senate seat, adding that he does not believe a one-party system is healthy.
The mistake leaves Greene County Republican Chair Jeff Ellington unopposed in Senate District 39.
Ellington won the Republican primary in May with 46% of the vote against two other candidates. He is now positioned to replace Republican Sen. Eric Bassler, who announced last year that he would not seek a fourth term.
