(La Porte County, IN) - A red wave made landfall in LaPorte County on election night. 

 

La Porte County Democratic Party Chairman Angie Nelson Deuitch was disappointed while thanking the candidates in her party for running during a brief speech to supporters at the Fraternal Order of Police lodge in Michigan City.

 

“That’s what’s important that we continue to build up people to run and run good races, not negative races,” she said.

 

Deuitch is also mayor of Michigan City.

 

Republican incumbent Joe Haney won by about five percentage points over Democrat Randy Novak in the hotly contested race for a seat on the LaPorte County Board of Commissioners.

 

Republican Steve Holifield had a very similar lead over Democrat Mike Kellems for the seat now held by Republican Rich Mrozinski, who did not seek a third term.

 

Other Republicans won more substantially with Dan Barenie defeating Democratic incumbent Joie Winski by close to nine percentage points in the race for County Treasurer.

 

Republican incumbent County Recorder Ella Bilderback beat Democrat Matthew Sikorski by 15 percentage points while incumbent County Clerk Heather Stevens, a Republican, won by  19 percentage points over Democrat Angie Henzman.

 

Incumbent County Coroner Republican Lynn Swanson had a 20 percent margin of victory over Mark Baker.

 

Republican John Matwyshyn defeated Democrat Tony Hendricks by five percentage points in the County Surveyor’s race.

 

The only Democrat to win was incumbent Mike Mollenhauer, who finished third in a six candidate race for three open at-large positions on the La Porte County Council.  Mollenhauer said he was thankful his campaign for a third term was clean, unlike the race between Haney and Novak.

 

“That’s the way I like it,” said Mollenhauer, a former two term La Porte County Sheriff.

Complete "unofficial" results from the La Porte County 2024 General Election can be found by clicking HERE.