Bluffton, IN – The Wells County Republican Party will hold two caucuses to select Republicans to fill vacancies in local government offices in Bluffton and Wells County.
The first caucus will be held Monday, November 16, 2026, at 7 PM to fill the Bluffton Common Council, At-Large seat. The vacancy follows Blake Fiechter’s election to the Indiana State Senate and his subsequent resignation from the Common Council, effective November 3, 2026.
The second caucus will take place Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 9:30 AM to fill the Wells County Commissioner, District 3 seat. On October 28, Commissioner Jeff Stringer announced his resignation, effective January 1, 2027.
Both caucuses will be held at the Wells County Republican Headquarters, 125 S. Johnson St., Bluffton.
To be eligible for consideration in either caucus, candidates must meet the following requirements:
Be a “Qualified Primary Republican” as defined by Indiana Republican Party Rule 1-24, which means a voter who cast a Republican Party ballot at the two most recent primary elections in Indiana in which the voter voted and who is a Republican in Good-Standing.
Be a “Republican in Good-Standing” as defined by Rule 1-25, which means a Republican who supports Republican nominees and does not actively or openly support another candidate against a Republican nominee.
Meet the residency requirements for the respective office. Candidates for Bluffton Common Council, At-Large, must reside within the corporate limits of the City of Bluffton. Candidates for Wells County Commissioner, District 3, must reside in Jefferson, Rockcreek, or Union Township.
Meet all statutory requirements to hold the respective office under Indiana law.
Candidates must file a Declaration of Candidacy (Form CEB-5) with Caucus Chairman Preston T. Wright at least 72 hours before the respective caucus. For the Bluffton Common Council caucus, completed forms must be received by Friday, November 13, at 7 PM. For the Wells County Commissioner caucus, forms must be received by Wednesday, December 2, at 9:30 AM. All completed forms must be emailed to caucus@wells.gop by the applicable deadline. The CEB-5 form is available through the Indiana Secretary of State’s website: https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/election-administrators-portal/election-forms/.
The party welcomes eligible Republicans who are interested in stepping forward to serve their communities and represent their neighbors. Questions may be directed to the Wells County Republican Party through its website at wells.gop/contact.
The Wells County Republican Party does not endorse candidates in local primary elections or caucuses.
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