Randy Cassady said today he is suspending his campaign for the District 2 seat on the Monroe County Board of Commissioners because he failed to meet a residency requirement to be able to run.
Cassady appeared before the Monroe County Election Board Thursday to announce his intent to discontinue his run for office after Monroe County Democratic Party Chair David Henry submitted a challenge to Cassady’s candidacy.
The District 2 seat, which represents Bloomington Township, is currently held by incumbent Julie Thomas, who narrowly won the Democratic nomination over Peter Iversen in a May primary. Cassady filed to run as a Republican after the primary.
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Indiana Code law requires candidates for county commissioner to live in the district they hope to represent for at least six months before the general election, which is on Nov. 5.
This means Cassady would have had to live in District 2 on or before May 5. Henry recently wrote a letter to the board stating he believes Cassady changed his voting address to a location in District 2 on May 7.
Cassady admitted to the board Thursday he narrowly missed the six-month residency requirement, making him ineligible to run.
“It's unfortunate that the voters of Monroe County won’t have an opportunity to decide on their representation in District 2, but I believe that everyone in the election process must abide by the rules as they are written,” Cassady said. “I love this community and I will continue as an active resident to help chart a path forward for our county that puts common sense and the best interests of residents first.”
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The board said it will meet next Thursday to formally resolve Henry’s challenge.
Indiana Code says a candidacy challenge must be terminated before noon 60 days before the general election — in this case, on Sept. 6.
If a candidate withdraws after noon 60 days before the general election, their name cannot be removed from the ballot and the name of another person may not replace theirs on the ballot. This will not apply to Cassady if he formally withdraws before Sept. 6.
Cassady has hired attorney Allison Weber with Ferguson Law to represent him.
