Howard County Republican Party

Myers to challenge Wyman

By Ken De La Bastide
Tribune staff writer

May 06, 2009 10:58 pm

— With the next primary election almost a year away, an interesting battle appears to be taking shape for the Republican Party nomination for the 2nd District seat on the Howard County Council.
Current Howard County Clerk Mona Myers said Wednesday she will run for the 2nd District seat in 2010 and will oppose incumbent Republican Paul Wyman.
“I wasn’t going to announce this until next year,” Myers said, “but I think he will be announcing soon and heard he is calling seeking support.”
Myers said she lives in the 2nd District and the two have differing views on a number of issues.
“We disagree on the combining of government and the doing away with a lot of county offices,” she said, “the whole uni-gov thing.”
Myers said a long time ago she mentioned wanting to run for the county council.
“It is an important function, but not as demanding as a full-time office,” she said.
Myers hasn’t started soliciting support from GOP precinct committeemen, but added she may have to start.
She conceded that Wyman would have a lot of resources in a campaign.
Wyman said he expected some opposition in the primary.
“No, I’m not surprised,” he said. “I have been a strong proponent of lower property taxes and smaller government. At times that has made people unhappy with me. The taxpayers in District 2 are very happy I fight for them on those issues.”
Wyman said he has also advocated the use of Economic Development Income Tax funds for economic development projects to bring jobs to Kokomo and Howard County.
“That’s a long way off,” he said of the 2010 primary. “I will announce at the appropriate time.”
Craig Dunn, chairman of the Howard County Republican Party, could not be reached for comment.
Wyman captured the nomination for the council seat in a hotly contested race with Ann Harrigan in the 2006 primary election. Harrigan was completing her second term as Howard County Assessor when she decided to run for the vacant 2nd District nomination.
Incumbent Councilman Dwight Singer was elected to seek a seat on the Board of Commissioners that year and lost to Democrat Dave Trine.
Wyman defeated Harrigan by less than 50 votes with Gary McKay running a distant third. He spent approximately $25,000 in the primary campaign.
In the 2006 general election, Wyman captured his first term on the council by defeating Democrat Shawn Fain by almost 200 votes out of 7,800 votes cast.