Jefferson County Commissioner, District Upper

What this office does

In 91 of Indiana's 92 counties, a three-member board of commissioners is the county executive and conducts the county's business in the board's name ^{[1, 2]}. Commissioners administer county government affairs that state law does not assign to a separately elected officer, while the county council, a separate elected body, controls budgets, tax rates and salaries ^{[2, 3, 4]}. Marion County is the exception: under the consolidated Indianapolis–Marion County government (Unigov), the mayor holds most executive power, and the elected county assessor, auditor and treasurer serve as the county commissioners, with duties that mostly concern county finances ^{[5, 2, 6]}.

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; seats are staggered, so one or two of the three seats are filled at each general election ^[7]

Elected

On the partisan general-election ballot; each commissioner represents a district and must live in it, but in every county except Lake and St. Joseph the whole county votes on every commissioner seat; in Lake and St. Joseph counties only the district's voters choose ^{[8, 9]}

Term limit

None stated; the statute that sets the four-year term does not limit how many terms a commissioner may serve ^[7]

Qualifications

Must have lived in the county at least one year and in the commissioner district 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 ^{[10, 9]}

Pay

Set locally: the county council fixes the compensation of county officers in its annual salary ordinance ^{[4, 11]}

On the 2026 ballot

94 races; 41 contested ^[12]

Jefferson 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.

• In most counties this department also holds countywide costs such as group and liability insurance, contracts and some capital projects. It is the department total, not the cost of the board of commissioners.

Also on the record for this office

• SEA 1 estimated county-unit revenue change in 2028 vs prior law: $-744,720 (LSA)
• MUST taskforce (LIT distribution talks): convened
• wheel tax: adopted
• fiscal consultant named in records: other/in-house

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.

About this race

• Jefferson County has a three-member Board of Commissioners, the county's executive and legislative body. The county is divided into Upper, Middle and Lower commissioner districts, and each commissioner must live in the district served ^[35]. Sources reviewed did not state whether commissioners are elected countywide or by district voters only.
• Commissioners in 2026: Ron Lee (Upper), Robert Little (Middle, 2026 president) and David Bramer (Lower), all Republicans; Little's and Bramer's terms run through 2028 ^{[23, 27]}.
• Incumbent Republican Ron Lee is seeking re-election against Democrat Brett W Clark ^{[12, 25]}.
• Jefferson County (county seat: Madison) has been debating a proposed hyperscale data center at the former Jefferson Proving Ground. Indiana Public Media reported in June 2026 that the 7.1-million-square-foot project is on privately owned land, that the developer has not been disclosed, that county officials approved the site for industrial use earlier in the year and that the council approved an Economic Revitalization Area (ERA) near the site; residents organized as Jefferson County Concerned Citizens are seeking a moratorium on future data centers ^[36].
• Commissioners have said the only county action on the data center was confirmation that it is a permitted use in heavy industrial zoning, that no building permit or development plan had been submitted, and that no tax abatements or county bonds had been requested or approved; residents asked repeatedly at 2026 meetings for a moratorium, and Commissioner David Bramer reported legal advice that a moratorium would require a zoning amendment through the Plan Commission with a public hearing ^{[31, 37, 33]}. No moratorium vote appears in commissioner minutes through Oct. 1, 2026 ^[38].
• Other 2026 issues before the board: converting the old jail into a regional juvenile detention center (staffing plans of about 26 full-time positions were reported in October) ^[38]; state cuts to Community Corrections and Drug Court funding ^[39]; a new animal shelter with Ivy Tech ^[38]; road paving and storm/tornado recovery ^[40]; and the City of Madison's two-mile buffer zone ^[34].
• On Sept. 16, 2026, Commissioner Little announced that public comment would be suspended for the next several meetings due to conduct during recent public comment periods ^[34].
• No candidate forums or debates for this race were found in sources reviewed.

Candidates on the ballot

Key points

• Jefferson County (county seat: Madison) has been debating a proposed hyperscale data center at the former Jefferson Proving Ground. (Indiana Public Media (WFIU/WTIU))
• An improvement location permit was issued Feb 25, 2026 for a 9-building, 7.1M sq ft project on ~550 acres; the council established an ERA nearby (Apr 2026); terms not found. The BZA denied an appeal May 20, 2026, and a moratorium was declined. (ipm.org)
• Jefferson County government adopted a $29.7 million budget for 2026, about $893 per resident; that is +8.3% compared with 2023. (Indiana Gateway for Government Units)

Sources