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2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Clark County Council, District 2

Voted on across Clark County, in district 2.

Find your exact ballotAll Clark County races

Who votes on this seat: Only voters who live in District 2 vote in this race. 2026 General Election Candidate List

What this office does

The county council is the county's fiscal body: it sets the county property tax rate, appropriates the money the county spends and fixes the pay and number of county employees [1, 2, 3]. Most councils have seven members, four elected from districts and three elected countywide (at large), though some larger counties elect all members by district [1, 4]. The board of commissioners runs county government day to day, while the council controls the money [5, 6]. Marion County has no separate county council; the 25-member Indianapolis City-County Council serves as the legislative body for the consolidated city-county government [7, 8].

The job in full — the duties the Indiana Code puts in it, the term, what it pays and who sets that, and what to ask a candidate.

Term
4 years, starting January 1 after the election; district seats and at-large seats are filled at alternating general elections [9]
Elected
On the partisan general-election ballot; in most counties four members are elected by district voters and three at large by the whole county, while counties of 400,000–700,000 residents elect seven members by district and opt-in counties of 185,000–300,000 elect nine by district [4, 1]. Every county council race on the 2026 state candidate list is a district seat [10]
At-large races
All three at-large seats are filled at the same election, so voters may choose up to three candidates and the top three vote-getters win; straight-ticket votes do not count in these multi-seat races [4, 11]
Term limit
None stated; the statute that sets the four-year term does not limit how many terms a member may serve [9]
Qualifications
Must have lived in the county at least one year, and in the district (for a district seat) at least six months, before the election, and be registered to vote in the election district; a county employee who is elected must leave that county job on taking office [12, 13]
Pay
Set locally in the council's annual ordinance fixing the compensation of county officers and employees [3, 14]
On the 2026 ballot
368 races; 147 contested [10]
What the law puts in this job (13)
  • Serves as the county fiscal body under the name of the county council [1].
  • Sets the county property tax rate and other countywide rates not fixed by state law [2].
  • Appropriates county money; except as otherwise provided by law, money may leave the county treasury only under an appropriation the council makes [2].
  • Adopts the annual budget at a yearly meeting where the county auditor presents budget estimates; budget ordinances must be read on two separate days, and funding an item above the estimates takes a three-fourths vote [14].
  • Adopts a separate salary ordinance setting the pay of county officers and employees and the number of deputies and employees in each office, after considering the commissioners' recommendations [14, 3].
  • Sets pay schedules and job classifications paid from the county general, highway, park and other funds, except that each local health department board sets pay for its own staff [3].
  • Controls spending and revenue collection in the county, including special spending requests during the year [6].
  • Authorizes by ordinance the bonds that fund county road and bridge projects and can create a county housing authority by resolution [8].
  • Serves as the county legislative body as well as the fiscal body in Lake and St. Joseph counties [8].
  • Declares a commissioner's seat vacant when the commissioner moves out of the county or district, and in certain cases can remove a county commissioner from office [15, 13].
  • Becomes the body that adopts county local income tax rates under the 2025 SEA 1 overhaul, replacing local income tax councils; the change is now scheduled for ordinances adopted starting July 1, 2028 [16, 17].
  • Has its adopted budget, tax rate and levies reviewed by the state Department of Local Government Finance, whose county budget order certifies the approved budget, tax rate and levy for each fund [18].
  • Does not run county departments day to day; the commissioners provide administrative oversight and the council provides fiduciary oversight [5].

Clark County's numbers for this office

Legal Insights county office research (Oct. 13, 2026): Indiana Gateway budgets 2019-2026 and the indicator sources linked on each line.

This office's 2026 budget

$161,671

0.2% of the county's adopted 2026 budget · 22% more than 2019, before inflation

2019: $132,5682020: $134,7992021: $489,8002022: $140,4902023: $144,1932024: $150,8212025: $156,8542026: $161,671
2019 $132,5682026 $161,671
The year-by-year figures

Adopted budget, all funds, 2019-2026 (not adjusted for inflation)

  • 2019: $132,568
  • 2020: $134,799
  • 2021: $489,800
  • 2022: $140,490
  • 2023: $144,193
  • 2024: $150,821
  • 2025: $156,854
  • 2026: $161,671

Budget lines counted: 0061 COUNTY COUNCIL

Adopted 2026 county budget (Form 1 line items, Form 4B) and earlier years' budgets

Also on the record for this office

  • SEA 1 estimated county-unit revenue change in 2028 vs prior law: $-3,819,920 (LSA)
  • MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): convened
  • wheel tax: none found
  • fiscal consultant named in records: Baker Tilly

Measured, for this county

A position compares this county with counties of similar size. It is not a grade: for most measures a higher or lower number is neither good nor bad on its own.

General Fund cash, in days of spending · 2025

116 days

End-of-2025 General Fund cash divided by a year's disbursements, times 365.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council and commissioners jointly): spending and appropriation decisions

Position 15 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Share of the 2025 General Fund budget spent · 2025

102.0%

Actual General Fund spending divided by the certified budget.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council appropriates; commissioners and officers spend)

Position 5 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

County debt per resident · 2025

$250

Debt outstanding at the end of 2025 (annual financial report).

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council authorizes borrowing; commissioners initiate many projects)

Position 5 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Budget growth, 2023 to 2026 · 2023-2026

+21.8%

Adopted budget, all funds, not adjusted for inflation.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (council adopts the budget)

Position 11 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

SEA 1 estimate for 2028 · 2028 (LSA estimate)

-12.1%

Legislative Services Agency estimate of the county government's revenue change under the 2025 property tax law, compared with prior law.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low: set by state law (SEA 1-2025); local rate choices from 2028 change the outcome

Position 14 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source

Property tax cap credits · 2026

16.2%

Tax-cap (circuit breaker) credits as a share of the 2026 levy: revenue the county does not collect because of the caps.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low: set mainly by the constitutional caps and the combined rates of all units in the county

Position 7 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Local income tax share of county revenue · 2026

33.5%

How much of the county's revenue comes from local income tax.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: partial: the council adopts local income tax rates within limits set by state law

Position 13 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Meeting minutes online · 2026-10

Posted as text

Whether the council's or commissioners' minutes are posted online (the better of the two), checked Oct. 2026.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: high (commissioners and council decide what they post)

About this race

  • Clark County has seven council members: four elected by district and three at large. All four district seats are on the 2026 ballot [26, 24].
  • District 2 covers Jeffersonville Township precincts 16–18, 25, 27 and 32–42 [26].
  • May 5, 2026 primaries (official results): Grooms was unopposed for the Republican nomination with 903 votes; Christian Barrera was unopposed for the Democratic nomination with 1,153 votes [29].
  • Libertarian Russell P. Brooksbank is also on the November ballot [10, 30].
  • Budget context: SEA 1 restructured property and local income taxes. In 2025, council leadership said the county would have to tighten spending, and department requests went unfunded [27]. The county's roughly $2.95 million in ICE detention revenue is in the general fund but not budgeted for operations; council leaders call it an uncertain source [28].
  • No candidate forums or debates for this race were found in sources reviewed.

Candidates on the ballot

Christian Barrera

Democratic

Christian Barrera is the Democratic nominee, unopposed in the May 2026 primary [29]. No campaign website or published positions were found.

How Barrera got on the ballot

  • Filed for and won the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary unopposed with 1,153 votes [29, 23].

What we could not find about Barrera

  • Occupation, background and positions not found; no website, questionnaire or news coverage located.
  • No endorsements or campaign-finance reports reviewed.
  • Coverage of this candidate is very thin.
  • No background information was found in sources reviewed [23].
  • No statements about Grooms's record were found [24].

Sources for Barrera

Russell P Brooksbank

Libertarian

Russell P. Brooksbank is the Libertarian candidate [10]. A driver and former Teamsters chief steward, he said in a 2023 town council race that he wanted less spending and taxing, more transparency, and fewer unelected boards [31].

Brooksbank's background

  • As of 2023: worked as a driver for Barton Marlow Builders; served six and a half years in the U.S. Army Reserve plus two years in the Individual Ready Reserve; was chief steward for Teamsters Local 89 for 12 years; had twice chaired and twice vice-chaired the Libertarian Party of Clark County; had lived in Clarksville for 27 years [31].
  • Ran for Clarksville Town Council at large as a Libertarian in 2023 [31].

Brooksbank's positions

Budget & taxes

  • In his 2023 town council campaign profile, supported less spending and taxing [31].

Transparency

  • In 2023, called for more transparency, fewer unelected boards and more citizen input [31].

Economic development

  • In 2023, said government should focus on protecting individual rights rather than real-estate development, and that the town should scale back use of eminent domain [31].

How Brooksbank got on the ballot

  • On the general-election ballot as the Libertarian nominee [10, 30].

Brooksbank's endorsements and funding

  • Listed endorsements in 2023 (town council race) were the Pro Life Libertarian Caucus, Teamsters Local 89 and the Abolish Abortion PAC; 2026 endorsements not found [31].

What we could not find about Brooksbank

  • No 2026 website, questionnaire or news coverage found.
  • Any earlier runs for other offices could not be confirmed from freely available sources.
  • Current occupation in 2026 not confirmed.
  • No campaign-finance reports reviewed.
  • No county council-specific platform found; positions above are from his 2023 town campaign [31].
  • No statements about Grooms's record were found.

Sources for Brooksbank

Ron Grooms

RepublicanIncumbent

Ron Grooms is the Republican incumbent, appointed in late 2023, and a former three-term state senator and retired pharmacist [22, 25]. He also chairs the Clark County Republican Party [22].

Grooms's background

  • Retired pharmacist; owned and operated a Jeffersonville pharmacy from 1969 to 2006 [25, 22].
  • Indiana Senate District 46, 2010–2021; Jeffersonville City Council, 1984–1992 and 2000–2011 [25].
  • Clark County Republican Party chair since February 2024 [22].

Grooms on the current officeholder

  • Is the current officeholder. No statements about his opponents were found [24].

How Grooms got on the ballot

  • Unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary with 903 votes [29].

What we could not find about Grooms

  • No 2026 campaign platform, website or questionnaire found.
  • Sources differ on the month of his 2021 Senate resignation (LPM: October; Wikipedia: November).
  • His individual council votes (2026 budget, salary ordinance, corrections bonuses, use of ICE revenue) not found in sources reviewed.
  • No endorsements or campaign-finance reports reviewed.

Sources for Grooms

Key points

  • District 2 covers Jeffersonville Township precincts 16–18, 25, 27 and 32–42. (Clark County, Indiana)
  • Clark County government adopted a $77.3 million budget for 2026, about $593 per resident; that is +21.8% compared with 2023. (Indiana Gateway for Government Units)
  • Legislative Services Agency estimate: the 2025 property tax law (SEA 1) changes the county government's net property tax levy by -12.1% versus prior law once fully in effect (2028, since delayed to 2029 by HEA 1210). (Indiana Legislative Services Agency)

Sources

Researched Sunday, October 11, 2026

  1. Indiana Code 36-2-3-2: County council as fiscal body; size (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  2. Indiana Code 36-2-5-2: Tax rates and appropriations (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  3. Indiana Code 36-2-5-3: Compensation of officers and employees (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  4. Indiana Code 36-2-3-4: Council districts and at-large members (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  5. Commissioners Responsibilities (Boone County, Indiana)
  6. About the County Council (Hancock County, Indiana)
  7. Indiana Code 36-2-3-1: Application of chapter (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  8. County Government Overview: Indiana (National Association of Counties (NACo))
  9. Indiana Code 36-2-3-3: Election and term of fiscal body (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  10. 2026 General Election Candidate List (Indiana Election Division)
  11. Monroe County voters put three incumbent Democrats back on county council (The B Square Bulletin (Dave Askins))
  12. Indiana Code 3-8-1-22: Candidates for county council (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  13. 2026 Indiana Candidate Guide (Indiana Election Division)
  14. Indiana Code 36-2-5-11: Annual budget, tax rate and salary ordinances (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  15. Indiana Code 36-2-2-5: Qualifications and residency of members; district or countywide election (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  16. Major Changes to Expenditure Rate of LIT in SEA 1 (2025) (Barnes & Thornburg LLP)
  17. Legislation Affecting Local Income Taxes (memorandum on HEA 1210-2026) (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
  18. County Specific Information (Indiana Department of Local Government Finance)
  19. Former Indiana Sen. Ron Grooms to lead Clark County Republican Party (Louisville Public Media)
  20. 2026 primary elections: Here's who's running in Clark, Floyd Counties (Louisville Public Media)
  21. Here's who's running for local seats in Clark and Floyd counties (Louisville Public Media)
  22. Ron Grooms (Wikipedia)
  23. Clark County Indiana County Council (Clark County, Indiana)
  24. How a new tax law loomed over Southern Indiana's 2026 budgets (Louisville Public Media)
  25. Clark County has brought in nearly $3M from contract to house ICE detainees (Louisville Public Media (via Indiana Public Media))
  26. 2026 Primary Election, Official Summary Results (run 2026-05-14) (Clark County Clerk of Courts)
  27. Clark County Council District 2 (The Ballot Brief)
  28. Candidate Profile: Russell Brooksbank (Town of Clarksville, Indiana)
What's included
the U.S. House, statewide offices, every Indiana House and Senate district on the ballot, Indiana's statewide public questions and judicial retention questions, and county, township, city, town and school board races from the Indiana Election Division's candidate list.
Everything else
Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: IndianaVoters.in.gov.
Candidate lists
As of Sunday, October 18, 2026.
At the polls
Indiana law lets you bring a list of candidates and public questions into the polling place, including one stored on your phone, as long as you don't electioneer. IC 3-11-8-18.5

This is not an official ballot. Confirm your registration, polling place and ballot with your election office through vote.gov.