Incumbent state Senator Spencer Deery (R-West Lafayette) has just gained one more vote in the closely watched Senate District 23 primary race.
Parke County’s election board on Wednesday verified one provisional ballot for the race and found it to be a vote for Deery.
This now gives Deery a three-vote lead in the race against his Trump-backed challenger, Paula Copenhaver.
The final results of the race may come down to a single vote, since Tippecanoe County only has two provisional ballots, which they plan to consider Friday.
Even if Copenhaver wins the last two provisional ballots, it appears that Deery could win the race by one vote.
Other provisional ballots cast in Fountain and Montgomery Counties were counted earlier this week, resulting in Copenhaver earning two additional votes and Deery one.
The race for Deery’s seat became heated this year after the incumbent senator rejected President Trump’s mid-decade redistricting push late last year. All but one of the seven other Senate Republicans who were primaried this year were beaten by their Trump-backed candidate.
Counties have until May 15 to certify their primary election results.
However, if a candidate or a party chair calls for a recount of a race, then the official deadline for finalizing election results would be delayed until the recount is finished.
There are no automatic recounts in Indiana and they are only initiated when a candidate or a party chair officially requests it. The recount for a state legislative race is then conducted by the state recount commission under a court-supervised procedure.
Contact Government Reporter Caroline Beck at cbeck@wfyi.org
