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Archived Live Report: Perry Township trustee vacancy—Leon Gordon picked to serve through end of 2026

This is a live report from the Monroe County Democratic Party’s caucus to fill the vacancy in the office of Perry Township trustee after the death of Dan Combs in the first week of January. The caucus is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at Bloomington city hall.

Archived Live Report: Perry Township trustee vacancy—Leon Gordon picked to serve through end of 2026
Monroe County with Perry Township highlighted with red boundary. Map by The B Square.

Monroe County Democratic Party precinct chairs in Perry Township are gathering at Bloomington city hall on Saturday (Jan. 31) at 2 p.m. to choose someone to serve out the remainder of Dan Combs’s term as township trustee, which goes through 2026. Combs died in the first week of January, after serving 39 years as trustee.

Combs was a Democrat, which means that it now falls to the Democratic Party to fill the vacancy. Whoever is picked to serve through 2026 will still have to prevail in the party’s May 5 primary and then in the Nov. 3 general election in order to be sworn into office to start 2027. Three candidates have filed the paperwork to stand as candidates in the caucus, and the party’s primary.

A candidate who is not picked at Saturday’s caucus would still have the option to stay in the primary race.

Under Indiana state law, the township trustee serves as the township’s executive, providing “poor relief”—food, housing and utilities, clothing, medical care, and burial costs—while also managing township money and property, maintaining records, and preparing budgets and reports.

In 2025 the Perry Township trustee was paid $71,515. The approved 2026 Perry Township budget filed with the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) shows a $770,900 general fund budget and a $991,600 budget for township assistance. Perry Township, which includes the southern half of the city of Bloomington, has a population of around 52,000.

Eligible to vote in the caucus are just the precinct chairs of Perry Township, or the vice chair if the chair is not able to attend. Presiding over the caucus today will be deputy county chair Rob Council. That’s because county chair Chrissie Geels is eligible to vote as chair of Perry Precinct 07.

Caucus Live Updates

4:23 p.m.  Oh, sorry, one last thing: They are aiming for a Monday swearing in.
3:36 p.m.  Signing off. Thank you for following along.
3:35 p.m.  The breakdown of the voting was: Gordon, 15; Combs, 8; and Petry, 3.
3:30 p.m.  Meeting is declared adjourned.
3:29 p.m.  "I won't let you down," says Gordon. He notes that it is just the first step, there is still an election.
3:29 p.m.  One round: Leon Gordon is announced as the winner.
3:28 p.m.  We're awaiting the announcement of the results. Council thanks the candidates
3:27 p.m.  The counting team has descended from the second floor. The party chair, Chrissie Geels, is called over to for some reason. Rob Council now calls the room to order.
3:20 p.m.  The ballot box and the watchers and counters have headed upstairs to do the tally. If there's not a majority achieved by any candidate (14 votes needed) the third place candidate drops out an there will be a runoff between the top two.
3:20 p.m.  Watcher for Leon Gordon is Emily Pike. Watcher for Levi Combs is Erika Olipant. Watcher for Eric Petry is Karen Ellis.
3:17 p.m.  There's a call for remaining stragglers to cast their vote.
3:15 p.m.  They actually seem to be going in seating row order, not necessarily exact precinct number order.
3:12 p.m.  The voting has now started. Each precinct chair will fills out a ballot and will put it in the wooden ballot box at the back of the space. They are going in precinct number order.
3:10 p.m.  Now up for his closing statement is Leon Gordon.
3:07 p.m.  Now up for his closing statement is Eric Petry.
3:06 p.m.  Now each candidates gets 2 minutes for a closing statement. First up is Levi Combs.
3:01 p.m.  (There were no other takers on the invitation to ask a question, besides Wanzer.)
3:01 p.m.  Another question from Sue Wanzer: How is the budget for the township put together?
2:54 p.m.  (There was a question about minimum wage from Carolyn Craig, but it was determined not connected enough to the question of township government.) Next question comes from Sue Wanzer. Talk about what you believe is the mission of a township trustees and how does that get accomplished.
2:48 p.m.  Next question come from Manuel Diaz-Campos. What are your two priorities?
2:44 p.m.  Next question comes from Chrissie Geels. If you become the Demcratic Party's incumbent candidate for township trustee as a result of this caucus, how will you help other Democratic Party candidates for office?
2:38 p.m.  Next question comes from Peter Iversen. He says that township government generally is in the crosshairs of state legislators. How would you work with county partners to do more with less?
2:34 p.m.  Each candidate gets 2 minutes to respond.
2:33 p.m.  Penny Githens asks the first question: Are there any new initiatives you would bring to this position?
2:33 p.m.  All three candidates have now given their remarks. One hour is going to be allowed for questions.
2:27 p.m.  Now up is Levi Combs.
2:23 p.m.  Now up, midway through his remarks, is Eric Petry.
2:14 p.m.  Each candidate gets 6 minutes to give opening remarks. First up is Leon Gordon.
2:14 p.m.  According to Rob Council, a majority today will be defined as 14 votes.
2:10 p.m.  The motion to adopt the rules is now taken and passes.
2:09 p.m.  Of the people attending, five are proxies, says Rob Council.
2:08 p.m.  Rules for the caucus have been distributed and are being reviewed before the vote is called on adoption of the rules.
2:05 p.m.  Gloria Howell is calling the roll of Perry Township precinct chairs.
2:05 p.m.  The three candidates are seated at the head of the space. Rob Council is giving opening remarks. He's vice chair of the party.
2:04 p.m.  The caucus is getting gaveled to order.
1:51 p.m.  The hum of conversation in the atrium is quite loud.
1:50 p.m.  The call has gone out for precinct chairs who are here to register.
1:46 p.m.  Rob Council and Chrissie Geels are here. Gloria Howell, secretary of the Monroe County Democratic Party is also here. Also here, non-voting participants: Geoff McKim, Sydney Zulich, David Henry, and Matt Caldie. Caldie is a vice chair of a precinct, but the chair is here, so he won't need to vote. Also here is Wes Martin.
1:42 p.m.  People are arriving here in the city hall atrium.
7:30 a.m.  Actual updates will start closer to 2 p.m. when the caucus is scheduled to begin.
6:36 a.m.  Connection test is passed.
6:35 a.m.  Connection test.

Perry Township Democratic Party Precinct Chairs

Perry 01 Elizabeth M Rosenbarger
Perry 02 Erika Oliphant
Perry 03 Tara Deppert
Perry 04 Sue Wanzer
Perry 05 Adrienne Elizabeth Evans Fernandez
Perry 06 Isabel Piedmont-Smith
Perry 07 Chrissie Geels
Perry 08 Jenny Noble-Kuchera
Perry 09 Penny Githens
Perry 10 Jennifer Crossley
Perry 11 Vacant (Patricia Williams)
Perry 12 Manuel Diaz-Campos
Perry 13 Courtney M Daily
Perry 14 Sam Ujdak
Perry 15 Regina Moore
Perry 16 Jack Davis
Perry 17 Nancy Goswami
Perry 18 Iris Fabius Kiesling
Perry 19 Sarah Bauerle
Perry 20 Shelli Yoder
Perry 21 Peter Iversen
Perry 22 April Hennessey
Perry 23 Margie Rice
Perry 24 Vacant (Dan Combs)
Perry 25 Jody Madeira
Perry 26 Edward Robertson
Perry 27 Karen Wrenbeck
Perry 28 Rachael Jones McAfee
Perry 29 Kathleen Field
Perry 30 Stephen Volan
Perry 31 Kerry Thomson
Perry 32 Sarah E Kopper

Perry Township Democratic Party Precinct Vice Chairs

Perry 01 Matt Flaherty
Perry 02 Rob Deppert
Perry 03 Chris Ravenna
Perry 04 J Apple Muncy
Perry 05 VACANT
Perry 06 Dion Baker
Perry 07 Kevin Craig
Perry 08 Dave Rollo
Perry 09 Bob Bernacki
Perry 10 VACANT
Perry 11 John Fernandez
Perry 12 Dinorah Sapp
Perry 13 Paul Daily
Perry 14 Carolyn Craig
Perry 15 Don Moore
Perry 16 Sue Mayer
Perry 17 Neil Goswami
Perry 18 VACANT
Perry 19 Matt Caldie
Perry 20 Josh Perry
Perry 21 Gloria Howell
Perry 22 Dennis Davoren
Perry 23 Wes Martin
Perry 24 Hannah “Mia” Seifers
Perry 25 Scott Shackelford
Perry 26 Jan Guidaitis
Perry 27 VACANT
Perry 28 VACANT
Perry 29 Andrew Guenther
Perry 30 Claire Cumberland
Perry 31 Caelan Drummond
Perry 32 Andy Ruff

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