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This page provides information about candidates running for Monroe County Commissioner for the primaries on May 5th, 2026. By Indiana law, a county's Board of Commissioners has three members that represent different geographic districts of where they reside. Their constituency is not limited to their district. Voters within the entire county are able to elect a county commissioner no matter the district.
For 2026, District 1 is up for election. The current seat holder, Lee Jones, will not be seeking reelection. Current at-large County Councilmembers Trent Deckard and David Henry will be competing for Democratic seat in District 1. |
County Commissioner District 1
Primary Candidate: Trent Deckard (D)
Trent Deckard is part of a nine-generation Monroe County family and has served as an at-large Monroe County Councilmember since 2019. He served as the president pro-tempore of the council from 2022-23 and president of the council in 2024. During the pandemic, Deckard worked in tandem with county elected officials to successfully navigate the challenge and he helped the CIB in the Convention Center project. He is a business communication faculty at the IU Kelley School of Business where he teaches undergraduate and MBA students, while also consulting with clients via his small business in partnership with Kelley Executive Education programs. He is a doctoral candidate in Global Leadership studies at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, where he researches on change, imposter syndrome, and team conflict. Prior to teaching, Deckard was a former Democratic state agency head and district director for Congressman Baron Hill, and chief of staff for the Indiana House Democratic Caucus. He is active in Bloomington Elks, Kiwanis, Rotary, and other non-profit causes. Deckard is running on a "Community of Care" leadership approach and is focused on bridging divisions to address urgent community needs like housing, childcare, and excellence in county services. He is married to wife Kyla Cox Deckard, Interim Director of the Center for Rural Engagement, and they have two daughters.
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Primary Candidate: David Henry (D)
David Henry serves as an at-large member of the Monroe County Council and has quickly become a leading voice for accountability, transparency, and practical problem-solving in county government. He brings more than twenty years of experience working across federal, state, and local government on disaster preparedness, emergency management, and public safety systems, including advising states through the National Governors Association and supporting projects with agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, CDC, and the Department of Justice. Earlier in his career, Henry served Monroe County as its public health preparedness coordinator, helping design the plans used to respond to pandemics and disasters. Henry currently serves on the Monroe County Plan Commission, where he has advocated for common-sense zoning reforms to expand housing choices, as well as on the Convention and Visitors Commission and the county’s Emergency Management Advisory Council. He previously served as President of the Monroe County Board of Elections, chaired the County Affordable Housing Advisory Commission, and led the Monroe County Democratic Party from 2022–2025. He also teaches emergency management and homeland security policy at IU’s O’Neill School, where he founded the university’s homeland security studies minor. Henry is running for county commissioner because he believes Monroe County needs to do better to deliver results on housing, strengthen the local economy, and ensure county government operates with transparency and accountability. He lives in Van Buren Township with his wife Fiona and their three children.
Link to campaign page
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Link to campaign page
Link to campaign Facebook page
