FRANKFORT, IN — After months of controversy surrounding Clinton County Sheriff Richard Kelly and his wife, Ashley, voters have selected different faces as the Republican candidates for sheriff and commissioner.
Brendon Bright rose to the top among fellow sheriff’s candidates Jake Myers and Ashley Kelly, garnering 59.9% of the Republican primary votes. Myers came in second with 35.8%, and Kelly had 4.3% of the votes.
In a statement published to Facebook on Tuesday evening, Bright said earning the Republican nomination is something he doesn’t take lightly.
“This campaign was so much more memorable and meaningful than I could have ever hoped for,” Bright said in the post. “I have new friends, experienced the support of longtime friends, and met so many new faces along the way. I was able to see and feel the wonderful nature of our community firsthand as they showed up to support and vote.”
Incumbent commissioner Jordan Brewer won overwhelmingly with 85.1% of the vote; Richard Kelly received 14.9%.
In the weeks leading up to the election, Ashley and Richard Kelly have been charged with felony fraud after Indiana State Police investigators allege the couple faked injuries she sustained in a 2014 slip-and-fall accident while on the job as state trooper. A trial in that case is currently scheduled for July 14.
The Kellys are also headed for trial in a separate case filed in 2022 on charges of official misconduct. Prosecutors allege the couple improperly took $329,000 from the county jail’s commissary fund.
Most recently, Richard Kelly was charged in Hamilton County with unlawfully carrying a handgun in light of his current felony charges. Prosecutors allege he was carrying a gun while working an off-duty armed security assignment in Carmel.
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Bright, Brewer win Clinton Co. Republican races for sheriff, commissioner
Reporting by Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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