By Austin Arceo
TERRE HAUTE — The death of Terre Haute City Councilman Chuck Miles means his opponent in next month’s Democratic primary wins the party’s nomination, said the Vigo County clerk.
Miles, D-6th, who was first elected to the council in 1995, was running for re-election against Dan “Buford” Lockard in the primary. Lockard is the only other candidate running in the 6th, thus he will represent the party in the fall election, said Vigo County Clerk Pat Mansard.
“The votes for Chuck Miles can’t be counted under Indiana law, and the outcome is already known that Dan L. ‘Buford’ Lockard will be the nominee for the Democrat Party in the primary,” Mansard said. “Nobody else can be put on the ballot.”
She also said that 6th district residents who already voted can receive new ballots, but it wouldn’t change the outcome of the Democratic primary.
No candidates filed to run in the Republican primary’s 6th district race. The party can conduct a caucus to nominate a candidate for November’s general election.
The Democratic Party also will conduct a caucus comprised of the 10 precinct committeemen in the 6th District to nominate someone to fill out the rest of Miles’ term, which runs through December.
The caucus must be conducted within 30 days. Nobody had spoken with Vigo County Democratic Party chairman Joe Etling about the position.
“Today we just want to reflect upon his life and his many contributions that he made to make this a better place for us to live,” Etling said Thursday.
Lockard, who declined to comment on the primary race, knew Miles since he was a child and called him “a good-hearted guy.”
“He would help anybody he could … ,” Lockard said.
Austin Arceo can be reached at (812) 231-4214 or austin.arceo@tribstar.com.
