When I moved to Hamilton County in 1991, I could not have imagined an election like the one we have experienced in 2026.

If the unofficial vote tally becomes official, Democrats will hold several countywide offices. Democrat Charles Hollowell defeated Republican Dustin Dixon for sheriff by 2,743 votes. Democrat Alexandra Wilson defeated Republican Beth Sheller for Circuit Court clerk. Democrat Emily Angel Shaw defeated Republican Danica Eyler for Superior Court 8 judge.

With a Democratic clerk, Democrats will control the county election board. Under Indiana law, the clerk sits on the three-member board with one appointee from each major party.

Republican County Commissioner Christine Altman won re-election by 323 votes out of nearly 145,000 cast, edging Democrat Ti’Gre McNear. Democrats won three of four County Council seats: Christopher Daniel in District 1, Nathan Bullock in District 2 and Jason Frank in District 4. Republican Mark Hall held District 3.

Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston of Fishers appears to have lost re-election in House District 37. Democrat Lauren Cole beat him 51.5% to 48.5%. In Senate District 31, the Fishers-area seat held by retiring Republican Kyle Walker, Democrat Kerry Forestal took 57% of the Hamilton County vote against Republican Juanita Albright.  That district extends into northern Marion County.

State Rep. Chris Jeter appears to have lost his House District 88 seat to Democrat Stephanie Jo Yocum, who won 53% of the Hamilton County vote, but that district extends to other counties and is still considered too close to call this morning.

Closer to home, the Fall Creek Township trustee’s office will go from a Republican to a Democrat. Stephanie Hunt defeated Doug Allman with 55% of the vote. Fall Creek and Delaware townships will each have three new board members, all Democrats. In Fall Creek, Mulalo Rikhotso edged Republican Susan Davis by 109 votes for the third seat.

Republicans have had solid control of most county and township governments in the Fishers area for a very long time. This election appears to change all that.

In Congress, Democrat J.D. Ford defeated incumbent Republican Victoria Spartz in the 5th District. He carried Hamilton County with 55% of the vote. Spartz was defiant in her election night statement:

“This election is a wake-up call for Indiana. An influx of liberal voters has turned Hamilton County, once one of the top 20 most conservative counties in the country, blue – with not enough rural Indiana voters to offset those numbers. Democrats significantly outspent us and ran a very dishonest campaign, but I urge my supporters not to get discouraged. We may not win every battle, but WE WILL WIN THE WAR!”

On the school front, every Hamilton County district with a funding referendum on the ballot passed it except Sheridan, where it failed by 91 votes. The Hamilton Southeastern referendum passed with more than 58% of the vote. Carmel’s also drew 58%, Noblesville’s 57% and Westfield Washington’s 56%.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board will have four new members in 2027.  None of the incumbents ran again. The winners were Greg Wright in District 1, Josh Perry in District 2 and Michelle Fullhart in District 3. Stephanie Braden was unopposed in District 4.

Turnout reached 51.86%, with 150,804 ballots cast by 290,805 registered voters.

There will be a lot more to be written and said about this election cycle. For now, here are the unofficial results with all 234 Hamilton County precincts reporting:

Continue reading Democrats take key Hamilton County offices in historic 2026 election →

Hamilton Southeastern Schools’ referendum passed with 58.33% support, and Greg Wright, Josh Perry and Michelle Fullhart finished ahead in contested HSE school board races, according to Hamilton County’s final election-night report.

Republican Christine Altman finished 323 votes ahead of Democrat Ti’Gre McNear for county commissioner, while Democrat Charles Hollowell topped Republican Dustin K. Dixon for sheriff.

Democrats also finished ahead in three of the four county council races, the Fall Creek Township trustee race and all three board seats in both Delaware and Fall Creek townships.

House Speaker Todd Huston lost his seat to Democrat Lauren Cole.  Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal defeated HSE School Board member Juanita Albright for an Indians State Senate seat with a district that includes the Fishers area and a part of northern Marion County.

The county’s report, released at 10:27 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, included all 234 precincts. It listed 150,804 ballots counted and turnout of 51.86%. These are complete election-night returns, but results remain unofficial pending certification.

HSE public question

Voters supported the Hamilton Southeastern Schools referendum by 7,315 votes.

HSE school board

Wright finished ahead in District 1, Perry in District 2 and Fullhart in District 3. Stephanie Braden ran unopposed in District 4.

District 1

Wright finished 365 votes ahead of Faiza Maqsood in the three-candidate contest.

District 2

Perry received a majority of the vote and finished 1,915 votes ahead of Cyrus Keck.

District 3

Fullhart finished 659 votes ahead of David Turk.

District 4

Hamilton County sheriff

Hollowell finished 2,743 votes ahead of Dixon, receiving 50.94% of the vote.

Hamilton County commissioner — District 1

Altman finished ahead of McNear by 323 votes out of 144,775 votes cast in the race.

McNear had led by 706 votes in the 9:04 p.m. report. Altman moved ahead by 14 votes at 9:34 p.m. before expanding that margin in the final election-night count.

Hamilton County Council

Democrats Christopher Daniel, Nathan Bullock and Jason E. Frank finished ahead in districts 1, 2 and 4, respectively. Republican Mark F. Hall finished ahead in District 3.

District 1

Daniel finished 2,323 votes ahead of Republican Tim Griffin.

District 2

Bullock finished 4,223 votes ahead of Republican Amy Elizabeth Massillamany.

District 3

Hall finished 3,798 votes ahead of Democrat Doug May.

District 4

Frank finished 1,059 votes ahead of Republican Ken Alexander.

Fall Creek Township trustee

Democrat Stephanie Hunt finished 2,890 votes ahead of Republican Doug Allman.

Delaware Township Board

Democrats Patrick Schooley, Jennifer Dean Chaudhry and Bethann Buddenbaum took the top three positions in the race for three seats.

Fall Creek Township Board

Democrats Alex J. Hunt, Joe Weingarten and Mulalo Rikhotso took the top three positions in the race for three seats. Rikhotso finished 109 votes ahead of Republican Susan Davis for the third position.

In both township board contests, voters could select up to three candidates. The percentages represent each candidate’s share of all candidate votes cast, rather than the percentage of voters supporting that candidate.

State representative — District 37

Democrat Lauren S. Cole finished 786 votes ahead of Republican Todd Huston in Hamilton County’s final election-night report.

These figures reflect Hamilton County returns only. The county report does not establish results for any portion of a legislative district outside Hamilton County.

Source: Hamilton County election summary report dated Nov. 3, 2026, at 10:27:45 p.m. All 234 precincts reported; results remain unofficial pending certification.

Republican state Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler claimed a second term in Indiana House District 29 on Tuesday night, according to a statement from her campaign.

Shonkwiler faced Democrat Devon Wellington of Noblesville.As of late Tuesday, LarryInFishers.com had not seen whether Wellington had conceded.

House District 29 lies entirely within Hamilton County and includes Noblesville and a small part of Fishers.

“Serving the community where I was raised and where Jason and I are raising our children is the absolute honor of a lifetime,” Shonkwiler said. “I am deeply grateful to the voters of Noblesville and District 29 for their continued trust and support.”

Shonkwiler said her first term focused on lowering costs for taxpayers, backing law enforcement and first responders, holding utility companies accountable and supporting local schools.

“Our work is just getting started,” she said. “I remain committed to bringing accessible, results-driven leadership to the Statehouse and fighting every day for the families, neighborhoods, and small businesses that make Hamilton County such an incredible place to live.”

Shonkwiler won the open seat in 2024 after Republican Chuck Goodrich did not seek reelection, defeating Democrat Christopher Hartig 22,787 votes to 13,169. She serves on the House Government and Regulatory Reform, Public Policy, and Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications committees. Her campaign said the Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police named her Legislator of the Year.

At an Oct. 7 candidate forum at Noblesville City Hall, she pointed to her support for House Bill 1242, signed into law March 3, which directs the state to study differences in per-student operating funding.

Before joining the Legislature, Shonkwiler worked as district director for U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz from 2021 to 2022. Earlier, she held economic development jobs with the city of Noblesville and a workforce development post with Noblesville Schools.

Wellington won the Democratic nomination in May with 1,921 votes to 1,655 for Coumba Kebe. A Noblesville resident since 2023, Wellington works as an education policy consultant and owns a small business.

Shonkwiler lives in Noblesville with her husband, Jason, and their two children, Hannah and Kyle.

Democratic state Sen. J.D. Ford declared victory Tuesday night in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, saying he had unseated Republican U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz. Spartz had not publicly conceded as of late Tuesday. The Associated Press had not called the race, and votes were still being counted.

With 93.4% of votes counted at 9:56 p.m., Ford led with 131,773 votes over Spartz’ 123,321, according to WRTV. Decision Desk HQ called the race for Ford at 8:28 p.m., LGBTQ+ news outlet Out reported.

If the lead holds, it would be a major political shift in a district that includes Fishers and most of Hamilton County. The last Democrat to represent the 5th District, which then covered Hamilton County and surrounding northern Indianapolis suburbs, was Jim Jontz, who served in the U.S. House from 1987 to 1993. Donald Trump carried the district by 17 points in 2024.

Ford would become the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to Congress from Indiana. He has represented Indiana Senate District 29 since 2018, when he became the first openly gay member of the Indiana General Assembly.

“Tonight, Hoosiers made history, and they sent a message that will be heard far beyond Indiana’s 5th District,” Ford said in a statement. “This victory belongs to every person who has felt ignored by Washington, every family struggling to make ends meet and every voter who refused to believe that change was impossible.”

Ford ran on lowering everyday costs, protecting access to affordable health care and restoring accountability in Washington.

“Hoosiers are working harder, paying more and getting less in return,” Ford said. “I’m going to Congress to fight corruption, stand up to corporate interests and make sure the decisions being made in Washington put people and their families first.”

Spartz was first elected in 2020 and was seeking her fourth consecutive term. She campaigned on reducing federal spending and debt and on changing immigration policies. Born in Ukraine, she is the first Ukrainian-born person to serve in Congress.

The race tightened during the fall. Last week, the Cook Political Report moved the district from “Likely R” to “Lean R,” after rating it “Solid R” earlier this year.

“Tonight, voters proved that no seat belongs to a political party. It belongs to the people,” Ford said. “Whether you voted for me or not, I will fight for you.”

Besides Fishers, the district’s cities include Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville, Anderson, Muncie, Kokomo and Marion.

LarryInFishers.com will update this story as results become final and if Spartz comments.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools voters approved the district’s replacement operating referendum Tuesday, with more than 58% voting yes, according to unofficial election results.

The HSE measure was one of several school funding questions on Hamilton County ballots. All passed except one: Sheridan Community Schools voters rejected their district’s referendum.

HSE says the money will support teacher salaries and benefits, school safety and student behavioral health services.

“I want to thank the community for their continued support for this referendum and the people who make our schools what they are,” said Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley. “This funding helps us keep experienced teachers in our classrooms and provide the services our students need. We appreciate the trust our community has placed in us.”

The new referendum replaces the one voters approved in 2023. The district asked for the replacement to offset revenue losses expected from changes to Indiana property tax law. HSE estimates those losses at more than $45 million over the six years left on the current referendum. The district says it has also found more than $7 million in ongoing cost cuts through staffing adjustments, operational efficiencies and contract reviews.

The replacement referendum allows a maximum tax rate of 36 cents per $100 of assessed property value for eight years. The 2023 referendum carried a rate of 19.95 cents per $100. The Board of School Trustees will set the actual rate and approve a spending plan each year through the public budget process.

“Our voters are owed a democratic vote in how their tax dollars support HSE Schools, and we are grateful for their trust,” said Board President Tiffany Pascoe. “That trust comes with great responsibility for this board, future boards, and our administration to use these dollars carefully and as promised. It also means keeping our staff and stakeholders proactively informed along the way. This is an opportunity to strengthen trust and show it through our actions.”

The district thanked the volunteers who worked on the campaign, including Advance HSE, the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association, staff, families and community members.

“People spent evenings and weekends talking with neighbors, answering questions and explaining why this mattered to our schools,” Kegley said. “We are thankful for the work they put into helping voters understand the proposal.”

Election results are unofficial until certified by the Hamilton County Election Board.

2026 GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS

Altman takes 14-vote lead; HSE referendum ahead with 219 precincts reporting

Republican Christine Altman moved into a 14-vote lead over Democrat Ti’Gre McNear in the Hamilton County commissioner race, while Hamilton Southeastern Schools’ referendum continued to lead in unofficial returns released at 9:34 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Greg Wright, Josh Perry and Michelle Fullhart remained ahead in the contested HSE school board races. Democrats Charles Hollowell and Stephanie Hunt maintained leads for county sheriff and Fall Creek Township trustee, respectively.

Democrat Lauren S. Cole led Republican Todd Huston by 804 votes in Hamilton County’s returns for Indiana House District 37.

Hamilton County reported results from 219 of its 234 precincts, with 15 precincts still outstanding. Those reporting figures are countywide and do not indicate how many precincts have reported in each individual race. All results below are unofficial.

HSE public question

The HSE referendum led by 7,039 votes, compared with 6,526 votes in the 9:04 p.m. report.

HSE school board — District 1

Wright led Maqsood by 365 votes, compared with 363 in the previous report.

HSE school board — District 2

Perry led Keck by 1,915 votes. The totals were unchanged from the previous report.

HSE school board — District 3

Fullhart led Turk by 659 votes, down from 788 in the previous report.

HSE school board — District 4

State representative — District 37

Cole led Huston by 804 votes, compared with 847 in the previous report. These figures reflect Hamilton County returns only.

Hamilton County commissioner — District 1

Altman led McNear by 14 votes. McNear had led by 706 votes in the previous report. Both candidates’ percentages rounded to 50.00% in the county report.

Hamilton County sheriff

Hollowell led Dixon by 2,883 votes, compared with 3,242 in the previous report.

Fall Creek Township trustee

Hunt led Allman by 3,004 votes, compared with 3,065 in the previous report.

Source: Hamilton County election summary report released Nov. 3, 2026, at 9:34:41 p.m. Totals may change as additional results are reported.

Thousands of students filled the Fishers Event Center on Tuesday morning for the Indy Fuel’s annual Education Day game. They saw a lot of scoring, but the home team lost as the Cincinnati Cyclones held on for a 7-5 ECHL win.

The 10:30 a.m. game drew a sellout crowd of 6,726. The score was tied four times and the lead changed three times.

Indy scored first. Kyler Kupka put the Fuel ahead 1-0 just 1:13 into the game, with an assist from Harrison Israels. Cincinnati answered with goals from Ryan Kirwan at 6:50 and Simon Labelle at 8:00 to go ahead 2-1.

The Fuel then scored twice late in the first period. Perreault tied the game at 17:37. Less than a minute later, Mitchell Hoelscher was awarded a penalty shot and beat Cyclones goalie Timofei Obvintsev to give Indy a 3-2 lead after one period.

Both teams kept trading goals in the second. Mitton tied it for Cincinnati at 7:16. Jacob Perreault scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 11:38 to put Indy back in front 4-3, with assists from Hoelscher and Cody Laskosky. Matt Anderson tied it again at 14:06.

Former Fuel forward Sahil Panwar then put Cincinnati ahead for good, scoring at 17:44 of the second to make it 5-4. Late in the period, Cincinnati’s Liam Kidney and Indy’s Lane Brockhoff were each given fighting majors.

Kirwan scored his second goal 2:05 into the third period to stretch the lead to 6-4. Indy pulled its goalie for an extra attacker, and Laskosky scored with 34 seconds left to cut the lead to 6-5, assisted by Kupka and Aaron Bohlinger. Mitton then scored into the empty net at 19:48 to seal the win.

Kirwan had two goals and an assist and was named the game’s first star. Labelle, with a goal and an assist, was the second star. Perreault, who scored twice for the Fuel, was the third star. Mitton also had two goals and an assist for Cincinnati, and Sahil Panwar had a goal and two assists. Hoelscher led Indy with a goal and two assists.

Cincinnati outshot Indy 29-26. Obvintsev made 21 saves to get the win. Indy’s Adam Gajan stopped 22 of 28 shots and took the loss.

Indy scored on two of its five power plays. Cincinnati went 0-for-5.

The Fuel and Cyclones play again Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Fishers Event Center for Toy Story Family Fun Day.

About 38,000 people had voted at Hamilton County polling places Tuesday by the time Election Administrator Beth Sheller provided a mid-day Election Day update, describing voting as going well despite two brief delays.

Sheller pushed back against claims of voting machine problems, saying the two incidents each delayed voting by about 15 minutes.

“We are not having voting machine problems,” Sheller said in the update.

At one polling site Tuesday morning, workers had not completed the step needed to enable the machines for voting, according to Sheller. She said their training called for pushing a button to start the election on the machines.

Workers spent about 15 minutes determining why the machines were not enabled, she said.

At another location, a power outage lasting about 15 seconds required workers to reboot the electronic poll pads and voting machines. That interruption also caused a delay of about 15 minutes, Sheller said.

“These are all typical things that happen on election day and as you can tell, we are voting voters just fine!” she wrote.  Her estimate of about 38,000 voters covered voting that day, rather than a final turnout total including early and absentee voting.

For Fishers residents and other Hamilton County voters still planning to cast ballots, polls are open until 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. The county’s election information page provides sample ballots and links to election-night returns.

Voters can check their polling location and registration information through Indiana’s voter portal. Under the state’s Voter Bill of Rights, eligible voters waiting in line at 6 p.m. have the right to vote.

The county says it will post intermediate counts periodically on election night, with unofficial results posted once counting is complete.

LarryInFishers.com will be covering the election results tonight, with a particular focus on our Hamilton Southeastern School Board and the HSE Schools funding referendum.

The Cadillac Formula 1 team, whose North American headquarters is under construction in Fishers, is being offered to potential buyers with an asking price of at least $3 billion, according to reporting by Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico.

Badenhausen, who broke the story, reported that at least seven parties have expressed interest, citing three people familiar with the process. Mark Walter controls the team through TWG Global, whose racing businesses operate under TWG Motorsports.

The report raises questions about future ownership as Cadillac builds its presence in Fishers. Neither of the supplied news reports identifies a buyer or describes any announced change to the headquarters project.

General Motors has confirmed that the Fishers campus is part of the team’s operations, alongside facilities in North Carolina and England.

The sale reporting follows earlier denials from TWG. In additional reporting, IndyStar motorsports reporter Zion Brown noted that a TWG spokesperson told the newspaper in August that the company was not considering selling Cadillac F1 or any other part of TWG Motorsports, including Andretti Global.

Brown reported that General Motors, which partners with TWG in the Cadillac team, declined to comment on Sportico’s report. TWG Motorsports did not immediately respond to IndyStar’s request for comment. Sportico also reported that TWG did not immediately respond to its inquiry.

Brown’s reporting provided additional context about federal scrutiny involving insurance businesses linked to Walter. According to IndyStar, the Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission are examining disclosures involving affiliated investments tied to Delaware Life and Clear Spring Life and Annuity. TWG Global has denied wrongdoing.

Brown also described a lawsuit alleging that customer premiums were directed into investments involving Walter-related companies. Those claims are allegations, not findings of wrongdoing.

For Fishers, the immediate unanswered question is whether a change in ownership would affect the team’s local plans. The reporting establishes interest in a possible sale, but does not establish that a transaction has been agreed upon or that construction plans have changed.

Three family members escaped a house fire on Hearthstone Drive in Fishers early Monday, but three family pets died in the blaze, according to the Fishers Fire Department.

Firefighters were called to the home at about 5:45 a.m. The department said crews fought the fire defensively to bring it under control. Neighboring homes also had damage to their exteriors.

The family is receiving support, the department said.

The Vernon Township Fire Department provided mutual aid at the scene. Fishers police handled traffic control, and the Fishers Fire Corps provided rehabilitation support for firefighters.

The cause of the fire has not been determined. The Fishers Fire Prevention Bureau is investigating.

Fire officials used the incident to remind residents to check the smoke alarms in their homes. The department recommends testing alarms monthly, replacing batteries that can be changed at least once a year and checking how old the alarms are. Most smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.