Five more city primary filings cap busy week

The busiest week yet in the 2015 Greencastle city primary filing period saw seven new filings overall but still leaves a vacancy in the city's Third Ward.

Five of the new additions were reported after the announced decisions earlier in the week of Democrats William A. Dory, 320 Highfall Ave., and David C. Murray, 514 E. Seminary St., to file for mayor and City Council at-large, respectively.

Adding their names to the ballot before the close of the day Friday at the courthouse were:

-- Three additional at-large candidates, Democrat Gary D. Lemon, 805 Highwood Ave., and Republicans Patrick Aikman, 102 W. Poplar St., and Clyde Wallace "Wally" Hinkle, 926 N. Madison St.

-- The initial Democrat First Ward candidate, incumbent Councilman and City Council President Adam Cohen, 11 Park St.

-- The first Democrat candidate for the Second Ward Council seat, Brian Cox, 707 Highridge Ave.

Meanwhile, earlier in the week, longtime Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center

Director Dory became the first announced Democrat candidate for mayor.

He hopes to succeed Democrat Sue Murray, who is in the final year of her second four-year term and does not plan to seek re-election.

Dory joins Republicans Haywood Ware, 208 S. Arlington St., and Jim Wright, 902 S. Illinois St., in the primary field seeking the Greencastle mayoral position.

With just a week left in the filing period, not a soul has completed the necessary candidacy paperwork to make a bid to succeed Jinsie Bigham as Third Ward councilor.

As the noon Friday, Feb. 6 primary filing deadline looms, the city ballot now shapes up this way:

Mayor -- Republicans Haywood Ware and Jim Wright; Democrat William Dory.

Clerk-Treasurer -- Republican incumbent Lynda Dunbar; Democrat Eric Wolfe.

Council at-large (three seats available) -- Republicans Patrick Aikman, Mark Hammer and Clyde Wallace "Wally" Hinkle; Democrats Gary D. Lemon and David Murray.

First Ward -- Republican Danny Mesecher; Democrat incumbent Adam Cohen.

Second Ward -- Republican Stacie Langdon; Democrat Brian Cox.

Third Ward -- No candidate.

Fourth Ward -- Democrat Bennet ("Benny") Whitlock; Republican incumbent Tyler Wade.

Republican and Democrat hopefuls can file a declaration of candidacy for any of the nine city positions in the Voter Registration Office, room 21, at the Putnam County Courthouse until noon Friday, Feb. 6.

Office hours are 8 a.m. - 4 p.m Monday through

Friday.

The primary is scheduled for May 5 when Greencastle voters will choose their party's candidates for mayor, clerk-treasurer and seven City Council seats (two at-large seats are being added beginning in 2016 by virtue of the city topping 10,000 in population).

Meanwhile, anyone contemplating an independent bid for a city office must go through a petition process with a June 30 deadline to complete and file necessary paperwork to have their name placed on the November ballot.