Possible recounts of tight state Senate races could extend into July

(AP) — It could take several weeks to complete a recount — if one is sought — of the razor-thin margin in the Republican primary race between state Sen. Spencer Deery and his President Donald Trump-endorsed challenger.

The Indiana Recount Commission on Friday approved procedures for checking ballots in a possible recount just hours before the Tippecanoe County Election Board completed the final preliminary tallies in the Senate District 23 race.

As Tippecanoe County counted no additional ballots in the race, the totals from all six counties in the district showed Deery with a three-vote margin — 6,337 to 6,334 — over Fountain County Republican Chair Paula Copenhaver.

Recount filing period opened

Friday was the first day recount petitions could be filed with the state. A candidate has until noon Tuesday to do so, while any Republican county chair in the district faces a noon May 22 deadline to ask for a recount.

Copenhaver did not immediately seek a recount Friday, and neither she nor a campaign spokesman responded to messages from the Indiana Capital Chronicle seeking comment.

Deery, a first-term senator from West Lafayette, was among the Republican legislators targeted by Trump after voting against the congressional redistricting plan pushed last year by the president.

When asked about the prospect of a recount, Deery replied, “I don’t have anything to say about a request that hasn’t happened yet.”

Final tallies were also posted Friday in the Senate District 15 primary between Republican Sen. Liz Brown of Fort Wayne and challenger Darren Vogt.

Those results for the district, which is entirely in Allen County, showed Vogt picking up one vote from the preliminary figures. But Vogt still trailed Brown by 14 votes — 5,241 to 5,227.

Vogt did not respond to messages seeking comment about whether he would seek a recount.

Recount work could last into July

The state Recount Commission, meanwhile, approved Friday the selection of a recount director and guidelines for State Board of Accounts auditors in conducting any election reviews.

Recounts conducted in 2024 of two contested Indiana House primary races confirmed the initial results, finding only two miscounted ballots out of thousands.

But those reviews were not finalized until August — three months after the primary was held.

State Examiner Paul Joyce, who heads up the Board of Accounts, said after Friday’s commission meeting that the logistics are complicated for a recount spread over multiple counties.

The tight Deery-Copenhaver race involves all or parts of six counties spanning much of the area between Lafayette and Terre Haute.

Joyce said field auditors could need two days in each county to complete their work.

“If it’s in the six-county area, you’re talking a minimum of 12 on-site days,” Joyce told the Capital Chronicle. “It’s not going to surprise me if it’s into July. I would hope it’s done before the end of July and we don’t get into August.”

Morales responds to criticism

Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales is chair of the Recount Commission, along with Republican member Paul Mullin and Democratic member Michael Claytor.

Morales, who also chaired the commission during the 2024 recount, said “we are ready” to take up any requests.

“We’ve been preparing for this, just in case,” Morales told the Capital Chronicle. “If they will file a recount between today until noon next Friday, then we will be ready.”

Claytor asked at the end of the commission’s 15-minute meeting for Morales to respond to criticism of his role as the board’s chair because of his involvement with Turning Point USA, which endorsed Copenhaver, and public support of congressional redistricting.

“This is my duties, my responsibilities, and I will be chairing the Recount Commission,” Morales said. “If should there be any recount filed, we will be holding those meetings transparently for the public to see.”

The commission approved the appointment of attorney Jessica Dickinson as the recount director. Dickinson has been Indiana House parliamentarian, making her a key aide to Republican Speaker Todd Huston during legislative sessions. She has also worked for a Fishers law firm founded by Hamilton County Republican Chair Mario Massillamany and GOP state Rep. Chris Jeter.