What this office does
The prosecuting attorney is the elected lawyer who brings criminal cases on behalf of the State of Indiana, conducting all prosecutions for felonies, misdemeanors and infractions within the prosecutor's jurisdiction [1]. A prosecutor is elected in each judicial circuit rather than by county, and Indiana has 91 prosecuting attorneys [2, 3]. Candidates must be admitted to practice law in Indiana before the election [4]. Since July 2025, a state prosecutor review board can investigate complaints that a prosecutor is not following state law [5, 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; prosecutors are elected in 2026, 2030, 2034 and every four years after that [2]
- Elected
- One prosecutor per judicial circuit, on the partisan November ballot; Democratic and Republican nominees are chosen in the May primary, while the Libertarian Party nominates prosecutor candidates at its state convention [2, 4]
- Term limit
- None; the office has a four-year term with no term limitations [7]
- Qualifications
- Must be admitted to the practice of law in Indiana before the election, be registered to vote in the election district by the candidate filing deadline, and file a statement of economic interest with the courts [4]
- Pay
- The state pays the minimum salary: for a full-time prosecutor, equal to the minimum salary of the circuit court judge in the same circuit, and 60% (66% in certain circuits) of that amount for other prosecutors [8]
- On the 2026 ballot
- 91 races; 11 contested [9]
What the law puts in this job (12)
- Conducts all prosecutions for felonies, misdemeanors and infractions within the prosecutor's jurisdiction, and performs other duties required by law [1].
- Represents the state in criminal cases, conducts criminal investigations, and convenes and oversees grand juries [7].
- Handles juvenile cases and prosecutes traffic and infraction violations [7].
- Enforces child support orders entered in divorce and paternity cases; the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council runs a statewide child support services program to support this work [7, 3].
- Gives information and help to crime victims [7], and must notify the victim when the prosecutor withholds prosecution under a diversion agreement [10].
- May withhold prosecution of a misdemeanor, Level 6 felony or Level 5 felony if the person agrees in writing to a pretrial diversion program, with conditions such as treatment, restitution, fees or staying away from the victim; the program is not available for certain drunk-driving charges [10].
- Superintends lawsuits in which the county or certain trust funds have an interest [1].
- Appoints a chief deputy and other deputy prosecutors; the state pays set salaries for certain deputies, and the county council appropriates money each year for other deputies, investigators, clerical staff and office expenses [11].
- Works with the county sheriff, a separately elected officer who arrests suspects and runs the county jail, and with local police agencies [12, 13].
- Receives training, manuals and legal research support from the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, a state judicial branch agency governed by a board of 10 elected prosecutors [3].
- Since July 2025, can be the subject of a complaint to the state prosecutor review board, a board of five prosecuting attorneys that investigates whether a prosecutor is complying with state law and issues a report [6, 5].
- What the prosecutor does not control: judges decide whether a defendant is released on bail [14]; the county council appropriates the county's share of the office budget [11]; and the state sets the prosecutor's minimum salary [8].
What has changed in this job lately
Changes in the law the next officeholder will work under, most distant first.
March 2023
Senate Bill 284, which would have set up a procedure to appoint a special prosecutor when a prosecutor refuses to enforce a law, passed a House committee 9-4 and was sent to the Ways and Means Committee; the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council supported that bill and the ACLU opposed it [15].
February 2025
As passed by the House 72-24, House Bill 1006 would have created a board to investigate prosecutors who categorically refuse to prosecute laws and required the Prosecuting Attorneys Council to withhold certain funding from a prosecutor labeled noncompliant; author Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) said it is lawmakers' job to make the law and prosecutors' job to enforce it, while Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) said voters decide every four years how prosecutors use their resources [16].
May 2025
Gov. Mike Braun signed House Enrolled Act 1006 (Public Law 147-2025), which took effect July 1, 2025, and established the prosecutor review board [17, 5, 18].
July 2025
Mirror Indy reported that under the enacted law anyone can file a complaint, a board of five prosecuting attorneys investigates, and the law does not specify consequences beyond the board's report; Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears told Fox59 the law was deliberately targeted at his office, Jeter called it a step toward holding prosecutors accountable, and Chris Naylor of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council said his group did not oppose this version [6].
2025
House Enrolled Act 1006 also requires that two members of the Indiana Commission on Court Appointed Attorneys be trial court judges [5].
November 2026
Public Question 1 asks voters whether to amend the Indiana Constitution so courts can deny bail, for offenses other than murder or treason, when the state proves by clear and convincing evidence that no release conditions will reasonably protect others or the community [19].
2026
On the bail question, author Sen. Eric Koch (R-Bedford) said releasing some defendants before trial is too dangerous to public safety, while Samantha Bresnahan of the ACLU of Indiana said detention can cost someone their job, housing and custody of their children, and Zach Stock of the Indiana Public Defender Council raised concerns about jail overcrowding [14].
Washington 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.
Budgeted separately, not included above: IV-D child support and victim assistance (depts 0660, 0290), $235,071.
- Includes $40,000 in funds named for the office (for example a commissary or perpetuation fund) that are not coded to its department.
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.
Trial-court workload per judicial officer · 2025
0.86
Weighted caseload: judicial need divided by judicial officers. Above 1.00 means more work than officers to handle it.
How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low: measures the trial courts' workload; the prosecutor's filings are one input
Position 19 of 34 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)
source
Share of people in jail awaiting trial · 2019
78.0%
People held before trial as a share of the jail population.
How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low to partial: pretrial detention is decided by courts (bail) and prosecutors (charging); the county funds pretrial services
Position 10 of 32 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)
source · source
About this race
- The prosecutor of the 42nd Judicial Circuit represents the State of Indiana in felony and misdemeanor prosecutions for crimes committed in Washington County and assists crime victims [24]. The office also runs an infraction deferral program and victim services [24].
- Incumbent Republican Tara Coats Hunt faces Democrat Brock Dawson; it is not an open seat [9, 20].
- Both candidates were on the May 5, 2026 primary ballot without opposition in their own party's primary [25, 26].
- The Washington County Times published interviews with Dawson (February and September 2026) and Hunt (October 2026); the paper says it does not endorse candidates [26, 23, 22]. No candidate forum or debate was found.
- Key differences: Dawson says case filings have dropped and sentences for serious offenders have been lenient, and proposes more treatment options for low-level drug offenders alongside tougher pursuit of dealers [23]. Hunt disputes a significant decline in filings, says a prosecutor's role is accountability rather than treatment, and points to drug-dealer convictions and sentences [22].
Who holds this seat now
Tara Coats Hunt (Republican) — on this ballot, standing again.
Hunt's record in the job
- 2017: Joined the Washington County Prosecutor's Office after practicing as a partner in Hunt Rippey Law LLC [21].
- January 1, 2023: Took office as elected prosecutor after serving as deputy and chief deputy prosecutor, per her own account [22].
- Office scope: Hunt describes an office of three prosecutors, three criminal legal assistants and three child support caseworkers, handling misdemeanors, Level 1-6 felonies, murder, post-conviction petitions, expungements, traffic and DNR infractions and the state Child Support IV-D program [22].
- Staffing: Hunt says Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council data for the 42nd Judicial Circuit shows the office is "short one full-time attorney and a half a staff member"; she says the office has managed without new hires so far but may need to raise the issue with county officials [22].
- Case outcomes she cites: a conspiracy-to-commit-murder conviction (30 years, 5 suspended) resolved by plea agreement in a child-victim case; more sex-crime convictions and longer sentences; "over 70 drug dealers convicted" since 2017; and five dealers convicted in the past seven months with a combined 95 years [22]. These are the candidate's own figures.
- Case filings: Opponent Brock Dawson cites criminal filings of 1,004 (2022, the year before Hunt took office), 879 (2023), 861 (2024) and 779 (2025), and says fewer than 450 cases were filed as of September 1, 2026 [23]. Hunt said she would "respectfully disagree that there is a significant decline in cases," attributing filing volume to crime levels and police staffing shortages [22].
- Drug-dealing sentences: Dawson says that of 20 Level 1 and Level 2 dealing cases disposed of from January 2023 to February 2026, 5 were dismissed, 4 ended in conviction on the most serious charge and none were sentenced at or above the advisory sentence [23]. No response from Hunt to these specific figures was found.
- Trials: Dawson says he has tried seven criminal cases to a jury since January 2023 and that the incumbent has tried none [23]. Hunt's interview does not address the trial claim [22].
- Other roles listed in her office biography: chair of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council Technology Committee, member of a National District Attorneys Association committee, board president of the Washington County Substance Abuse Council, and chair of the Washington County Republican Central Committee [21].
Candidates on the ballot
Dawson is an attorney whose practice since 2013 has been mostly criminal law; he is challenging the incumbent on case filings, sentencing and trial readiness [26, 23].
Dawson's background
- Attorney; says criminal law has been most of his practice, that since 2013 he has handled hundreds of criminal matters and been lead counsel in several jury trials in multiple counties [26].
- Says he has practiced in more than 50 Indiana courtrooms, mostly in criminal matters [23], and that he has tried seven criminal cases to a jury since January 2023 [23].
Dawson's positions
Caseloads & backlog
- Cites declining criminal filings (1,004 in 2022 to 779 in 2025, and fewer than 450 as of September 1, 2026) and says victims and officers feel unsupported; says he will not speculate about the incumbent's motives [23].
Charging priorities
- Says most cases resolve by plea and he would use plea agreements, but would be prepared to take cases to trial rather than accept weak pleas [23].
- Says a State Trooper should be consulted on pleas in high-level felony cases [23].
Violent crime
- Says sexual predators should face maximum sentences and violent and repeat offenders should be held accountable; says these offenders currently receive lenient sentences [23].
Drugs & treatment
- Names addiction, drug abuse and mental health as the most pressing public-safety issues because they drive repeat crime [26].
- Favors more recovery and rehabilitation resources for low-level drug offenders, preferring faith-based and inpatient programs to short prison terms, and alternatives such as counseling, halfway houses, work release and house arrest; says repeat offenders would still face jail [26, 23].
- Says high-level dealers and habitual offenders should be pursued more aggressively, working with law enforcement to identify drug sources [26, 23].
Victims' services
- Says the office should follow Indiana's victims' rights statute, include victims in negotiations, communicate proactively, and protect victims of sex crimes, child victims and domestic violence victims; "Victims deserve timely communication" [26, 23].
Transparency
- Describes his intended relationship with police as "Harmonious and transparent," with daily contact with agencies and investigating officers involved in trial preparation [23].
- Says politics should have no place in the office [23].
How Dawson would run the office
- Prioritize resolving serious felony drug and violent cases, securing victim statements and preparing cases for trial [26].
- Daily contact with law-enforcement agencies and officer involvement in trial preparation [23].
- Expand use of treatment and alternative sentencing for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders willing to participate [26, 23].
Dawson on the current officeholder
- Says community leaders, officers and crime victims are dissatisfied with current leadership [23].
- Cites falling filing numbers and says that of 20 Level 1-2 dealing cases disposed of from January 2023 to February 2026, none were sentenced at or above the advisory sentence [23].
- Says he has tried seven criminal jury trials since January 2023 and the incumbent has tried none, and that he has "significantly more relevant trial experience than my opponent" [23, 26].
How Dawson got on the ballot
- Ran unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary [25, 26]; listed as the Democratic nominee on the general ballot [9, 20].
What we could not find about Dawson
- No campaign website or social media page was confirmed.
- Law school, bar admission date, law office location and full career history were not confirmed from freely available sources.
- The source of his case-filing and sentencing statistics is not stated in the interview.
- No positions found on juvenile justice, staffing or office budget.
- No endorsements, fundraising figures or forum appearances found; coverage is limited to the Washington County Times interviews.
- No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found in the sources reviewed [23].
TH
Tara Coats Hunt
RepublicanIncumbent
Hunt is the incumbent prosecutor, in the office since 2017 and elected prosecutor since 2023; she emphasizes drug-dealer prosecutions, sex-crime cases and victim contact [22, 21].
Hunt's background
- Washington County Prosecutor; joined the office in 2017 and served as deputy and chief deputy prosecutor before taking office as prosecutor on January 1, 2023 [21, 22].
- Earlier practiced for nearly six years in Wisconsin in complex litigation (fire and explosion, auto crashworthiness and product liability), then returned to Washington County in 2009 as a partner in Hunt Rippey Law LLC [21].
- Graduated from Indiana University Southeast (1999) and Marquette University Law School (2003) [21].
- Board president of the Washington County Substance Abuse Council; chair of the Washington County Republican Central Committee [21].
Hunt's positions
Caseloads & backlog
- Disputes that filings have declined significantly; attributes filing volume to crime levels and police staffing shortages, saying rural agencies struggle to compete with neighboring counties on pay and benefits [22].
Charging priorities
- Describes prosecutors as "ministers of justice" and lists factors she weighs: strength of evidence, first-time versus repeat offense, injury or death, victim input, rehabilitation efforts, veteran status including Veterans Court eligibility, and lab results on drug weights; cases that cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt may not be filed [22].
- Says her office separately reviews each police report for probable cause, while officers decide how to investigate and whom to arrest [22].
Violent crime
- Plans to train officers in sex-crime and child-abuse investigations and to pursue no-contact orders and sex-offender registration [22].
Drugs & treatment
- Says "A Prosecutor's role is not the same as a probation officer, a therapist, or a social worker"; describes her role as accountability and supports treatment programs as separate efforts [22].
- Says she will prosecute all drug cases while drugs remain illegal in Indiana, raises concerns about modern THC products, and has used plea agreements with treatment conditions [22].
- Credits full cash bail, prison time and patrols with deterring drug dealers, and plans to seek long prison terms for dealers [22].
Victims' services
- Says her victim advocate contacts every victim for statements on case resolution and restitution, and victims are kept informed of court dates; her office files no-contact orders in crimes against persons and does not dismiss them before a case resolves unless a judge agrees after a hearing [22].
Juvenile justice
- Cites work with the county's three school corporations on truancy, drugs at school and student crime [22].
Staffing & budget
- Says state data show the office is short one full-time attorney and half a staff member and that she may need to raise this with county officials [22].
How Hunt would run the office
- Second-term priorities: officer training in sex-crime and child-abuse investigations, no-contact orders and sex-offender registration, and long prison terms for drug dealers [22].
Hunt on the current officeholder
- Is the current officeholder. Her published interview does not mention her opponent; asked about a decline in filings, she said she would "respectfully disagree that there is a significant decline in cases" [22].
How Hunt got on the ballot
- On the May 5, 2026 Republican primary ballot with no Republican opponent listed [25]; listed as the Republican nominee on the general ballot [9, 20].
What we could not find about Hunt
- How she first won the office in 2022 (primary/general results and opponent) was not confirmed from freely available sources; her predecessor is not named in the sources reviewed.
- No response found to Dawson's sentencing statistics or his claim that she has not tried a jury case since 2023.
- Her office-level conviction figures are her own and were not independently verified.
- No campaign website, endorsements, fundraising figures or forum appearances found.
- No endorsements or campaign finance reports were found in the sources reviewed [22].
Key points
- Incumbent Republican Tara Coats Hunt faces Democrat Brock Dawson; it is not an open seat. (Indiana Election Division)
- The prosecutor of the 42nd Judicial Circuit represents the State of Indiana in felony and misdemeanor prosecutions for crimes committed in Washington County and assists crime victims. The office also runs an infraction deferral program and victim services. (Washington County Prosecutor's Office)
- Both candidates were on the May 5, 2026 primary ballot without opposition in their own party's primary. (The Washington County Times)
Sources
Researched Sunday, October 11, 2026
- Indiana Code 33-39-1-5: Duties of prosecuting attorneys (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
- Indiana Code 3-10-2-12: Election of prosecuting attorneys (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
- Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council (Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council)
- 2026 Indiana Candidate Guide (Prosecuting Attorney) (Indiana Election Division)
- Prosecutors (H.E.A. 1006, P.L. 147-2025) (Indiana Legislative Update, Indiana Office of Court Services)
- How a new Indiana law about 'noncompliant prosecutors' could affect Indy (Mirror Indy)
- Prosecutor's Office (Clark County, Indiana)
- Indiana Code 33-39-6-5: Prosecuting attorney salaries (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
- 2026 General Election Candidate List (Indiana Election Division)
- Indiana Code 33-39-1-8: Pretrial diversion (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
- Indiana Code 33-39-6-2: Deputy prosecuting attorneys (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
- Indiana Code 36-2-13-5: Duties of sheriff (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
- 2026 ISA President Statement (Jeffrey A. Balon, Porter County Sheriff) (Indiana Sheriffs' Association)
- Amendment to deny bail to some offenders moves closer to November ballot (WFYI (via Indiana Public Media))
- Noncompliant prosecuting attorneys (SB 284) (Indiana Legislative Update, Indiana Office of Court Services)
- Indiana House OKs bill that could give county prosecutors less discretion (Indiana Capital Chronicle (via The Indiana Lawyer))
- IN HB1006 (2025): Prosecutors (BillTrack50)
- Michiana-area lawmaker supports new bill aiming to hold prosecutors accountable (WNDU)
- Indiana bail amendment clears General Assembly, sending detention question to November ballot (IndyPolitics.Org (reporting by Indiana Capital Chronicle))
- Election 2026: Candidates on the General Ballot (The Washington County Times)
- Our Attorneys (Washington County Prosecutor's Office)
- Election 2026: Candidate for Washington County Prosecutor Tara Coats Hunt (The Washington County Times)
- Election 2026: Candidate for Washington County Prosecutor Brock Dawson (The Washington County Times)
- About (Washington County Prosecutor's Office)
- Full list of Washington County 2026 Primary Election Candidates (The Washington County Times)
- Election 2026: Prosecuting Attorney Candidate Brock Dawson (The Washington County Times)
- 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.