Republican candidate Ronald Sanders will fill the Brown County Dist. 2 Commissioner seat at the beginning of 2023, after winning the general election.
Sanders earned 3,281 votes, Democratic candidate Stephanie Kritzer received 2,324 and Independent candidate Jeff Harden received 740 votes.
Sanders ran the same campaign as he did in the primary in the spring,, with the slogan “Ronald A. Sanders: A Candidate for All the People.”
Top priorities for Sanders as detailed in advertisements are a “well-funded” sheriff department, wellness checks on the elderly and at-risk youth.
Sanders is opposed to TIF — tax increment financing — with one of his first advertisements stating “keep the tax dollars for the people who paid them.”
One of his main platforms was he wants to sell the Brown County Music Center, saying that “people are not happy with it.”
“Make millions on the sale and save millions on interest, put it on the tax roll and make millions more,” one of his ads states.
Sanders’ family has been in Brown County since the early 1960s.
He has owned Quick Sale Auction Service Inc. since 2001, purchased Hot Rod Motor Sports Inc. in 2010 and was the trustee of Jackson Township from 2006 to 2010. His wife Terry owns Creative Style Salon in Nashville.
He has held a real estate license, Level One assessor license, is a personal property certified appraiser and has been a licensed car dealer three times.
Towards the end of Election Day, Sanders had a lead of around 1,200 votes. However, he said last week that he waited until the absentee ballots were counted before he considered victory.
“I didn’t think they could catch me, but I didn’t take anything for granted,” he said.
Sanders is thankful for the support he received from the public, and he hopes to prove himself to those who did not vote for him.
“I hope I can win them over,” he said.
Sanders said he hopes to bring “integrity, honesty and transparency” to the office.
He emphasized his wish to connect with the Brown County community by offering his phone number to anyone who wants to contact him. He can be reached at 812-988-8424.
“I want the people to feel they can talk to me and tell me where they think we need something,” he said.
“If I can accommodate them and help them in any way, I will.”
Sanders described Brown County as a unique place, and he called for teamwork in order to retain the uniqueness and see progress towards a positive future.
“We need to work together and not be hostile toward each other over petty things, work through our differences,” he said.
“I would like to see everybody move forward in a positive way.”
‘Work to do’
Stephanie Kritzer, who is a retiree from the Brown County school system and currently serves on the Brown County School Board of Trustees, said last week that she spent Election Day with her family. She described the day as relaxing.
“I hadn’t made any commitments to anything, so I just kind of hit a couple polling places, to check on the referendum more than anything, and visit with family and friends,” she said.
“We were all together, and anytime that happens is a good thing.”
Kritzer said she was not sure how to react when she saw the final results on Nov. 8.
“Could I have done more? Probably, to get my message out there,” she said.
She said she is disappointed about the results, but not heartbroken.
Kritzer also expressed disappointment with the referendum not reaching enough positive votes, but added that she understands the money crunch that people are feeling.
“We just need to figure out the best way to get the best things we can for our kids with what we have to work with,” she said.
However, despite the disappointment, Kritzer wishes her opposition well. She mentioned that she and Sanders share some connections, and she had nothing negative to say about him.
“We just have different views on things,” she said.
“But, I felt a lot of support from both parties and that made me feel good. Made me feel like people were open-minded.”
Overall, Kritzer described the campaign season as a good experience for her. She said that after her husband passed away, followed by the large social impact of COVID-19, she had a tendency to retreat and isolate herself, so campaigning helped her reconnect with family and friends.
“The campaign really forced me out and got me social again,” she said.
“It was a good process.”
Kritzer thanked everyone who came out to vote and wished everyone nominated the best of luck. She said she plans to remain active in the community and looks forward to her remaining time on the school board.
“I still have a couple years left,” she said.
“I still have work to do.”
Harden could not be reached for comment by deadline.
