Elections & Politics

A year after securing additional power in the state legislature, Tippecanoe County Democrats held their seats on the Lafayette City Council and made significant gains in West Lafayette in Tuesday’s elections.

Big Advantages On Both Councils

Starting in January, both councils will have eight Democrats and just one Republican on them. County Democratic Party Chair Heather Maddox attributes the success to what she calls “old-fashioned” methods.

Democrat Cathy Gross defeated Republican Matt McKean in Monticello’s mayoral race Tuesday, taking home more than 56 percent of the final tally.  

Gross, a long-time resident who currently serves as the city’s ADA and Title IX coordinator, says she was cautiously optimistic.

“I know and love and work and play with the people here," Gross says. "They know me. They know I have the experience and the leadership to keep us moving.”

505 more Purdue students now have IDs that will let them vote in local elections thanks to the school’s so-called “fee vacation.”

As of August, Purdue now prints expiration dates on student ID cards to make them comply with Indiana’s voter ID law. These new IDs cost $10, but they were available at no cost to students who exchanged their current one during a specified week in October.

Purdue Bursar Tim Riley says more than 1,300 students have received voter ready IDs since they were released, but only the most recent 500 didn’t pay a fee.

While the four candidates for the three at-large seats on the West Lafayette City Council agree there should be a pause on building new highrises, they differ somewhat in their other priorities for the future of housing in the city.

WHERE TO PUT THE HOUSING EMPHASIS

During an hour-long candidate forum Wednesday night, incumbent Steve Dietrich said he thinks existing student housing needs more scrutiny.

Some of the candidates for Lafayette City Council squared off in their final debate before next month’s election Thursday night.

PUBLIC SAFETY

A recently-passed public safety tax figured prominently in the back-and-forth between candidates for Lafayette’s Second District, which forms a large portion of Lafayette’s western boundary.