By FRED SWIFT
The County Line
Do Hamilton County Democrats sense a weak link in the Republican line-up of candidates for this fall’s election?
Greg Garrison won the GOP nomination for county prosecutor in the May primary in a political upset over incumbent Lee Buckingham. Many Republican “insiders” and officeholders were disappointed to see Buckingham lose.
The only candidate for countywide office on the Democratic ticket is Jessica Paxson running for prosecutor against Garrison. This may be no accident as party leaders may feel Republicans who are unhappy with Buckingham’s loss will jump the fence for Paxson, who is a deputy in Buckingham’s office.
But, Paxson’s chances are still not great. It will be something akin to paddling upstream on White River at flood stage. No Democrat has won countywide office for 64 years, and that’s a big reason the party has no candidates for most local offices.
Democrats filed Paxson’s candidacy and a handful of others at the last minute before a July 5 deadline. One of those is Matt McNally who will oppose longtime State Rep. Jerry Torr. While probably not in great danger, Torr will need to campaign vigorously in a district that includes most of Clay Township and a portion of Washington. It is virtually all suburban, and some of its voters have shown a willingness to “scratch” for a Democrat.
Torr won a relatively close re-election (by Hamilton County standards) in 2020. On issues such as abortion and gun rights, the candidates’ positions this year may prove important.
So, while some may think the interesting race locally will be between Garrison and Paxson, it may in fact be more the Torr-McNally contest that becomes the one to watch.