Top 10 Stories of 2010; Story #9

Gordon Richie

After not running in the 2010 Starke County Primary Election, Gordon Richie was drafted by the Starke County Republican party to be its candidate in the election. In August, Richie was disqualified after the Election Board voted 2-1 that he did not properly file his candidacy in a timely manner.

That could have been the end of the story, but it wasn’t. Richie and the Republican party protested that decision, and another hearing was held.

In the end, Mr. Richie was allowed to be on the ballot, when Election Board member, Jim Henriott, changed his vote saying he did not want to cost the County upwards of $20,000 if the matter was taken to Starke Circuit Court, and the Board lost. That could have meant a special election.

Mr. Richie lost in the fall general election to current Democrat Sheriff Oscar Cowen.