St. Joseph County Commission primary results

 

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- St. Joseph County has three commissioners, and two seats are up for grabs this election cycle. Tony Hazen won the District 3 Republican primary by just 46 votes.

District 1 Commissioner Carl Baxmeyer is up for reelection in 2026, but District 2 Commissioner, Derek Dieter, is foregoing his seat to run for county surveyor. 

Dieter's Republican seat is likely to turn blue since County Council Member Rafael Morton is running unopposed and won Tuesday's Democratic primary. 

In District 3, which covers Mishawaka and the southwest portion of the county, two Republicans ran against incumbent Tony Hazen. He's a former police officer and police chief, as well as Mishawaka councilmember, but he's only held the seat since February! 

Debra Fleming retired as District 3 Commissioner, so the St. Joseph County Republican Party precincts caucuses, eventually appointing Hazen to the seat, which he is now trying to keep. 

"I love the job to tell you the truth, and this one gives me... I was a councilman on Mishawaka before... commissioner gives you a little bit more in-depth working with the people and being able to help the people and actually making the decisions. So the commissioner is like having a three-headed mayor in the county. We all have to work together but that's what we do." 

There are no Democratic challengers for the District 3 seat, but it is not too late to file for one ahead of November's election.