County Auditor faces primary challenger

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The primary race just got busier for Tippecanoe County Auditor Jennifer Weston.

James C. Werner filed to be an Auditor candidate Friday morning, not long before the final deadline to enter the primary race. Current Auditor Jennifer Weston found out minutes later that she was no longer running unopposed.

She was surprised about the late filing, but not about having an opponent, she said.

Her office works fairly closely with Werner, who is a senior deputy in the Assessor's office.

This is Werner's first run for elected office. He said he's a little nervous, but he saw a place where he wanted to make changes and thought the people should choose who they want to be their Auditor.

"They weren't expecting it," Werner said. "I don't know that it's been contested in the past. I don't know that she had an opponent in the primary or the general election. I think that people need to go through an interview process. In the case of elected officials, they interview with the public."

Weston said she agrees that running against someone is part of the Democratic process, and actually offers her some advantages.

"I get to talk about the issues that are important," she said. "I remember the first time around I didn't have an opponent in either the primary or the general, and you're not sure what people want to hear from you."