Rundown of local, state, national primary battles

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Friday was the last day for Indiana candidates to fill out their paperwork to be on the ballot for May's primary.

Perhaps the most contested race in Tippecanoe County will be for the three County Council at-large seats.  John Basham and Kevin Underwood are running for re-election.  Current council member Kathy Vernon is not.
    
Nine men and women will be running for three seats: Basham, Michele Blaas, Bryan Metzger, James Clark, Gary Schroeder, Jon Sexson, Underwood, Shane Weist, and Bob Wollenburg.

Chuck Hockema and Jan Payne will face off in the Republican primary for House District 27.  The winner will face Democratic incumbent Sheila Klinker.

Rick Cornstuble and Eric Thiel will face off in the Democratic primary for House District 26.  The winner will take on the incumbent Republican Randy Truitt.

In other area races of note, Republican State Senator Brandt Hershman will run unopposed in District 7.

In the governor's race to replace Mitch Daniels, former State Representative and Speaker of the House John Gregg will run as a Democrat against the current 6th District U.S. Congressman and Republican Mike Pence.

In the 4th Congressional District, incumbent Todd Rokita is running unopposed on the Republican side.  He will face the winner between Lester Terry Moore and Tara Nelson on the Democratic side.

For the U.S. Senate on the Republican side, incumbent Senator Richard Lugar is being challenged by current state treasurer Richard Mourdock.  The winner will face Democratic challenger Joe Donnelly who is the current U.S. Representative in the 2nd District.

In the presidential race, Barack Obama is running unopposed in the primary.

Five people have filed on the Republican side: Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Patricia Sandifer, and Rick Santorum.

Voters have two dates to remember.

May 8 is the date for the Indiana Primary which is less than 13 weeks away.

The date for the general election is Tuesday, November 6.