The Monroe County Democratic Party now has at least one person to consider as a candidate in its July caucus to replace former Bloomington City Council District 6 nominee David Wolfe Bender.
Sydney Zulich, who had initially planned to run as an independent candidate, has filed a declaration of candidacy to fill the ballot vacancy left when Bender withdrew as the District 6 nominee earlier this month.
Bender’s withdrawal came amid allegations he violated state election laws by running for office using a District 6 address he did not live at. The Monroe County Election Board has referred its investigation to the Monroe County Prosecutor and Indiana Attorney General.
Zulich said she had collected all the signatures necessary to file as an independent but said she wanted to change her party affiliation shortly after Bender withdrew.
Read more: Bender withdraws as Democratic nominee in District 6 city council race
“If I am caucused in as a Democrat and I have no other opponents, that won’t change my desire to hear from everyone, both unelected and elected,” Zulich said. “No matter what happens, I will continue to work both before and after the election to hear what people have to say.”
Zulich recently completed her undergraduate degree at Indiana University. Although not a current IU student, she said a reason she’s running is so there’s Gen Z representation on city council.
“The primary reason that I chose to run was because I think that there is a disconnect between representation in local government and the actual makeup of the city,” Zulich said. “I’m excited to give students and other underserved communities in Bloomington a better voice.”
Read more: Democratic Party won’t contest election results amid Bender investigation
Zulich said she first became involved in local politics by supporting Isak Asare — now a Democratic nominee for city council — in a bid for Congress. She later worked on Monroe County Commissioner Penny Githens’ campaign.
A political party has 30 days to fill a vacancy left by a candidate who won the primary but withdraws before July 15. The party must then file the selection paperwork within three days after filling the vacancy, according to the Indiana Election Division.
Monroe County Democratic Party Chair David Henry did not immediately say whether a caucus date has already been selected, but previously said of Zulich: “I’m not concerned about her bona fides for being a good Democrat who is just trying to figure out how to best serve her corner of the community. I look forward to hearing more from her as she stands for office.”
