NE Indiana News

Michael Watson, incumbent Vice President of the DeKalb County Commission, is seeking the Republican nomination for re-election to his seat representing the Central District for a four-year term. The primary election will be held on May 7.

According to his campaign's Facebook page, on January 10, Watson was the first candidate in DeKalb county to file his election paperwork for the 2024 primary. 

On his campaign webpage, Watson said he would "fully support local government control, lower taxes through responsible policies, equal property rights, and common sense decisions." 

As The Star reported, in December 2023, Watson was re-elected to a second term as president of the Indiana County Commissioners Northeast District. Upon Watson's re-election, Huntington County Commissioner Tom Wall said "Watson will continue to be a great spokesperson for our district and is dedicated to improving local government." Watson is also a member of the Indiana County Commissioners (ICC) Board of Directors. 

On March 7, KPCnews.com published a letter to the editor from Columbia City Mayor Ryan L. Daniel endorsing Watson's campaign. As Daniel wrote, "in any elected leader, citizens should want someone who represents the collective community, fights vigorously for them, conservatively manages community resources, and thoughtfully represents them in the public eye. Mike Watson strongly excels in all these categories."

According to the DeKalb County Commissioners' website, responsibilities of the commissioners include overseeing county activities and operations, addressing citizens' concerns, and ensuring that both state and federal requirements are met. Commissioners also attend weekly county board meetings and County Drainage Board meetings, and one commissioner also sits on the Plan Commission, which is in charge of zoning for the county. The commission is made up of three members — one president and two vice presidents — with each member representing one district.