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March 20 2026

STAY LIFTED: Judge allows counties to distribute absentee ballots in Senate District 38 primary

By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen March 20, 2026 A day after being appointed to preside over the state Senate District 38 legal battle, the new judge lifted the stay that had prevented Vigo, Clay and Sullivan counties from sending the Republican absentee ballots to voters. “...”

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March 19 2026

ELECTION UPHEAVAL: Absentee ballots held in Senate District 38 race as new judge appointed to preside over candidate fight

By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen March 19, 2026 BRAZIL, Indiana – Just as county clerks have absentee ballots printed and scheduled to be mailed for the May primary, a state court judge has ordered Clay, Vigo and Sullivan counties to halt the process while a dispute cont “...”

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March 13 2026

PRIMARY PRESSURE: Judge tells attorneys to ‘clear calendars’ for hearing in Senate candidacy dispute

By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen March 13, 2026 A three-hour hearing has been scheduled for next week in the dispute over the qualifications of a candidate in the Senate District 38 Republican primary. Clay County Circuit Court Judge David Thomas issued an order Thursday s “...”

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March 04 2026

ELECTION HURDLE: Appeal challenges Wilson candidacy for GOP primary in Senate District 38

By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen March 4, 2026 Although she survived a challenge to her candidacy last week before the Indiana Election Commission, Alexandra Wilson’s fight to stay in the May 2026 Republican primary race is not over. A petition for judicial review of the “...”

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February 23 2026

CANDIDACY CHALLENGES: Democrats, Republicans trying to run in May primary face scrutiny

By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen February 23, 2026 Six candidates running for public office will have to appear before the Indiana Election Commission on Wednesday and prove their party affiliation in order to remain on the May primary ballot. The six have had their candid “...”

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February 17 2026

INVALID SIGNATURES: St. Joseph County voter fraud case ends in probation, fine

By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen February 17, 2026 The woman who pleaded guilty to counterfeiting signatures on election petition forms in St. Joseph County has been sentenced to one-year probation and a $1,000 fine. Karina Escobar Perez of Chicago entered a guilty plea in “...”

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February 13 2026

SENTENCED: Son of Life Church pastor gets 6 years in child exploitation case

By Sydney Byerly The Indiana Citizen February 13, 2026 ANDERSON, Indiana — The son of a prominent Indiana pastor with close ties to the state’s lieutenant governor was sentenced to six years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to child exploitation charges. Jonathan Petern “...”

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February 12 2026

PROTECTING THE JUDICIARY: Indiana House amends and passes court security bill

By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen February 12, 2026 The bill providing security for Indiana’s appellate judges passed easily through the Indiana House this week after the measure was amended to clarify the language regarding campaign finance reports. In presenting Senate “...”

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February 06 2026

PRIVATE OR PUBLIC? Court security bill scrutinized over banned info, including campaign aid reports

By Marilyn Odendahl The Indiana Citizen February 6, 2026 A provision in Senate Bill 291, preventing the disclosure of personal information about state judges and justices, drew a second look from some legislators during a House committee hearing on Wednesday and is causing one Fi “...”

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January 30 2026

Lawmakers hope to broaden Indiana’s already near-total ban on abortion

This story was originally published by TheStatehouseFile.com. By Chloe White TheStatehouseFile.com January 29, 2026 As winter weather slowed activity at the Statehouse this week, debate over abortion policy did not, with senators arguing over legislation that would further reshap “...”