Previewing Saturday’s special election caucuses

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU) - A special election is taking place Saturday to fill late Congresswoman Jackie Walorski’s seat.

People will gather at Grissom Middle School for the Second Congressional District Caucuses.

The final list of candidates for the special election is set with 12 candidates in the running.

Each candidate had a little over two weeks to campaign and to share why they believe they would be the right fit for the job.

One of the candidates is former state lawmaker Christy Stutzman.

“So, everybody has a chance to try at this...and so at the last minute...was kind of surprised how last minute it was. There were a lot of candidates that jumped into the race...Well, we are feeling great. We are feeling like we’ve done everything that we can to reach the voters in this short amount of time. It’s just been a wonderful experience,” said Stutzman.

Another candidate is former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, who has faced several allegations of misconduct.

But only one person - Rudy Yakym III - has earned the endorsement of Jackie’s husband, Dean Swihart.

Each candidate will be given three minutes to speak.

“There’s going to be an election for the general first. So, they are going to vote on the general election and that means that the person who fills the ballot for January is going to be elected first. And then the second vote will be to fill the remainder of the term, which will be November through December,” said Stutzman.

Both nominees could be the same person, but there is no guarantee.

The Indiana Democratic Party will also hold a formal caucus for the special election on Tuesday, August 23.

You can watch Saturday’s caucuses here.

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