McCORDSVILLE — Larry Longman’s vision for growth prevailed in McCordsville as the Republican incumbent received 55 percent of the vote in the primary race for the McCordsville Town Council District 3.
Longman defeated Republican challenger Dan Vail in Tuesday’s primary election. He’ll continue on to the November race, which is so far uncontested. The deadline for candidates from other parties to file is noon July 6.
Longman, a senior vice president of preconstruction at Indianapolis-based Lauth Group Inc., was elected to the council in 2012 and served for one term as the council’s vice president. He has held seats on the town’s redevelopment commission from 2003-07 and board of zoning appeals from 2010-12.
Longman’s campaign focused on the growth of McCordsville. He said he wanted to see more businesses brought into the area at the same rate as residential families.
“McCordsville is primed for commercial growth,” he said. “Our resident growth is good; but in order to keep a low tax base, we need more businesses. Right now, our town is lopsided. You have to have both.”
Longman’s training in business development put him ahead in the minds of some McCordville voters, including Jennifer Hermann, who came out to McCordsville Town Hall Tuesday to cast her ballot in Longman’s favor.
“He’s done a great job (on the town council) so far,” she said. “I think his background better qualifies him for the position.”
Vail is a farmer and lifelong McCordsville resident, living on land his family has owned for six generations. He has never held an elected office but has experience working in local government. He served on the Hancock Area Plan Commission from 1990-2005 and has been on the McCordsville Plan Commission since 2011.
After Tuesday’s results were announced, Vail said he wasn’t sure what his political future would hold.
“I’m just a little disappointed right now,” he said.
This year was the first time McCordsville voters were required to vote for a town council member based on districts, rather than all council candidates being elected at-large. Longman and Vail both said they had concerns about the whether the public fully understood this new concept.
Maria Bond, who works for Mt. Vernon schools, had hoped to show her support for Longman at the ballot box Tuesday, only to find out she doesn’t live in his district.
The District 3 seat represents those McCordsville residents living between county roads 600W and 700W, from County Road 1000N south to Broadway Street.
“I’ve had people come up to me (during the campaign) to say they supported me, but when I asked where they lived, it turned out they weren’t in my district,” Vail said.
Although he was pleased with the results, Longman said the election’s turnout was bittersweet.
“You had two talented guys who just wanted to do well by their community going against each other,” Longman said. “I wish (Vail) the best, and I hope he stays involved with the community.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Vote totals” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Republican
McCordsville Town Council District 3
Larry Longman; 63
Dan Vail; 51
[sc:pullout-text-end]