County clerks play an important part in making sure legal processes, local elections and public records flow smoothly.
As Monroe County Clerk Nicole Browne enters her final months in the role, three candidates are running to take her place in the May 5 primary. Tanner Branham, Joe Davis and Tree Martin-Lucas will face off to earn the Democratic nomination for November's General Election.
Republican Julie Hays is unopposed in the primary.
Voters can cast their ballots early at 501 N. Morton St. until May 5. For day-of voting, residents can find their precinct and polling location with Monroe County’s map.
Tanner Branham
Branham already has experience in the county clerk’s office.
“I believe that people should vote for me because I have the experience necessary to ensure that the office runs smoothly,” Branham said. “I am currently the chief deputy clerk in the office. So whenever our current clerk is away or out of office, I'm doing the job already. I’m there every day.”
An Indiana University graduate, he said he has worked on campaigns for local Democrats and served as president of the Monroe County Young Democrats. Branham has been endorsed by IU College Democrats.
“I have been a dedicated member of our Democratic Party my entire adult life, and I'm very excited to bring my skills, my experiences, my education, to the office to ensure that we have the best clerk's office possible,” Branham said.
He said if elected he wants to make the office more modern and efficient.
“I want to make sure that the office is as accessible as possible, and that I, as the clerk, am working in a friendly and diplomatic manner with all of my fellow office holders,” Branham said. “A big issue within the county, I feel, has just been … there's a lot of infighting and a lot of people who don't quite get along, and that's something that I'm very confident that I can navigate.”
Voting is another top issue for Branham. He said he’s passionate about connecting with young voters and increasing turnout in elections. Plus, securing elections in one of Indiana’s solid blue counties is a priority.
“Part of protecting our elections here locally is bringing vote centers to Monroe County,” Branham said. “Vote centers would just make voting so much more accessible, easier and just a much better experience for the public.”
Joe Davis
Davis is running as an independent.
Davis said as a community caretaker and an advocate for civil rights, he’s familiar with the clerk’s office.
“Who's going to bring more value?” Davis said. “Who's going to expand the voting base? Who is going to make the processes more simple to understand? Who is going to empower people to go from nonparticipant to participant in their life?”
Davis said that’s him.
He said he spends a lot of time in the clerk’s office, and he wants it to be welcoming and easy to navigate.
“I not only already have a great understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the office, but I know practically everybody in the clerk's office, by face,” Davis said. “In my own direct experience, I have seen many blind spots. And, I already have plans to illuminate those blind spots.”
Davis said if elected, he wants to create more free self-help kiosks.
“There are only two,” Davis said. “There should be five in there. There should be more tools for people to help themselves.”
Davis said he wants to address what he sees as staffing and pay in the clerk’s office.
He said he’s also passionate about keeping county services in downtown Bloomington and gathering community input to improve county services.
“It's this mindset of community improvement, betterment, looking out for each other,” Davis said. “I am the candidate who's going to bring that to the table.”
Elections are another major focus for Davis. He said the county needs to protect early voting and absentee voting.
“We need to, of course, bring more people to the ballot,” Davis said. “We need to allow them to participate, because that's what a democracy is. Even though we have a representative democracy, we still have to have those folks given an opportunity.”
Tree Martin-Lucas
Tree Martin-Lucas, says she’s focused on improving the county clerk’s office for the public and its employees.
She said people often come to the clerk’s office in stressful situations, such as paying a traffic ticket or filing a protective order.
“I want them to be able to walk in and be met with a friendly, courteous, professional person,” Martin-Lucas said. “They need someone like me at the counter that says it's going to be okay, that truly listens to you.”
She said she would like to see more cross-training for staff.
“If someone has a sick child and they can't make it into work, I don't want them to have the stress of missing work and no one will do their job,” Martin-Lucas said. “So, if we're cross-training in the office, then we have fill-ins.”
She said she’s focused on the state’s online case management filing system, Odyssey. It helps the public file and access court documents and other public records. As the state plans to roll out an update, Martin-Lucas said the clerk’s office needs to be prepared.
“It's supposed to be more accessible to the public, the people that are pro se that don't have an attorney,” Martin-Lucas said. “It's supposed to be more accessible on their phones or their iPads. So that's a real good thing, but it starts at the clerk's office. We have to enter the information correctly, because we work hand in glove with the court systems.”
She said she’s familiar with the clerk’s office, having worked as the chief deputy for six years, and as the election supervisor for two years.
“I have a deep commitment to public service and a belief that experience, accuracy and integrity truly matter,” Martin-Lucas said. “Public service isn't new to me. It's who I am.”
