Say Owen Wins... Then What?

Let the Speculation Begin

spec·u·la·tion

[ˌspekyəˈlāSH(ə)n]

NOUN

speculations (plural noun)

-the forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence 

So when I started this BLOG, I never meant for it to be as political in nature as it's been the last couple of weeks.

But this is the topic of the day! 

It's official. Matt Owen is now a republican candidate for Indiana House District 71. With no word on who the democrats will be fielding due to having little to no depth, one could easily assume it is very possible for Matt to pull out a November of 2018 victory.

Let's speculate what happens next!

That will leave an open at-large seat on the Jeffersonville City Council for 1 year before the council elections happen in 2019.

So who could it be? Who could be/should be caucused into that seat?

In a previous post, someone had mentioned Steve Webb. After thinking on this over the weekend, here are my thoughts on possible contenders should Owen win District 71:

Steve Webb: A familiar name on the City Council and in the newspaper due to losing in a recount to Joshua Rodriquez (may he rest in peace). While Steve could be a possibility, Steve did lose an at-large seat already. Putting him back onto the council could set up another lost republican seat during the 2019 Election. 

Bill Burns: Bill is now the president of the Parks Board and has picked up his propaganda of all things positive within the city on his social media. Bill has a good relationship with the council, is well liked in the city, and with the Mayor. If he is not in the running to be caucused into Matt's seat, I would not be surprised to see him surface on a ballot in the future.

One of the Current City Council Persons: There are several other republicans on the City Council who may be interested in filling an at large seat. Scottie Maples, Scott Hawkins, Lisa Gill all come to mind. Lisa has a history of engaging residents from across the city already. As current Council President, one has to wonder if the writing is on the wall? 

Josh Waddell: The Clark County Republicans have a history of promoting local youth to be engaged in the party. Josh is no exception. He has been in the young republican leadership for a little while so one could wonder if this would be an opportunity to allow a new young name to surface. Getting him on the council for a year could allow him an opportunity to build name recognition prior to seeking election via the 2019 campaign cycle. Admittedly, this move would be a risk but you never know.

Rob Burgess: His name may be unfamiliar to the general public but within the republican circles it is not. The current county party secretary is also the communications director for Congressman Hollingsworth. From my understanding, he also managed Mayor Moore's last campaign. Looking at his history, he is well connected to the national party and has worked major campaigns all over the country. The question is, can he win his own election instead of only working in the background of other peoples?

What does the CITY need? 

In my opinion, being caucused in is only good for the city if you intend to run for the seat when the actual election comes around. IMO, whomever it is should be qualified and committed to running for that seat the following year. A person's impact on the council would be minimal only being on there for 1 year during which they would also be campaigning. We (the city) would need a person who is not going to be a place holder (so to speak) but someone who is committed to making a positive impact for the 1 year and beyond. We (the city) need to have a someone who is not using this as a stepping block in a personal ulterior agenda but as a primer to their contribution to the City. 

So there you have it!

That is my the short list that I'm sure will change as time moves on, but it sure is fun to speculate. I have no inside knowledge of any of these people. I'm only using some deductive reasoning and reading between the lines. If I catch wind of anyone else, I will certainly add them to the list!

Have you heard any other names pop-up? 

What's your scoop?

Put them in the comments below.