Three more candidates filed with the Monroe County Democratic Party to fill the county’s at-large council seat left vacant after Cheryl Munson’s death, the party announced Tuesday. Five people are now in contention for the position.
The Monroe County Democratic Central Committee Precinct Committeepersons will hold its vacancy caucus at 1 p.m. Jan. 5. Candidacies will be accepted through the party secretary until 1 p.m. Jan. 2.
On Tuesday, the party confirmed filings from Andrew Guenther, Sarah Larson and Richard Carter. These candidates join Liz Feitl and Ilana Stonebraker, who filed with the party Friday.
Andrew Guenther, a third-year law student at IU, said in his statement that he wanted to bring in “new blood, experienced in working with officials in the county and the City of Bloomington.” Guenther has worked in public service since 2015, during which time he chaired both the city and county’s environmental commissions, from 2019-2021 and January to October, respectively. He’s also vice-chaired the Bloomington Board of Housing Quality Appeals from 2017-18 and the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability since May.
Sarah Larson graduated IU with a master's in public health in 2022, after which she’s worked in several public service positions. After graduating with a bachelor’s in public health promotion from Purdue in 2012, she moved to Nevada, where she worked for a nonprofit bike organization and as a grant project manager for the state’s agriculture department. After moving back to Monroe County, she’s worked for the Indiana Rural Health Association, the county’s Substance Use Disorder Awareness Commission and the Bicycle Indiana Board of Directors, all since 2022.
Richard Carter worked as a firefighter in Monroe County from 1997 to 2013, as fire chief in the Bean Blossom Township-Stinesville Fire Department from 2010-12. During his career in firefighting, he was the president of the Monroe County Firefighters Association from 2004-08 and secretary/treasurer of the county’s Fire Chief Association from 2009 to 2011. He worked on the Monroe County Emergency Management Advisory Council from 2007 to 2016 and has served on the Stinesville Town Council since 2023.
Each candidates’ full statements are attached below:
Andrew Guenther Candidacy Statement by ami3 on Scribd
Sarah Larson Candidacy Statement by ami3 on Scribd
Richard Carter Candidacy Statement by ami3 on Scribd
