PRESS RELEASE
March 9, 2026
Contact: James Bopp, Jr.
Cell Phone 812-243-0825; Phone 812-232-2434; Fax 812-235-3685; [email protected]

Voter Challenges Same-Last-Name Primary Candidate in Indiana State Senate Primary

A voter has challenged the eligibility of an unknown, latecomer candidate in the Republican primary in Indiana's Senate District 38, encompassing Vigo, Clay and parts of Sullivan Counties, in order to defuse what James Bopp, Jr. says is a classic political trick. The race was between incumbent Greg Goode and Brenda Wilson, a Vigo County Council member. At the last minute, another Wilson, Alexandra, a political neophyte, filed as a candidate. “This is a classic dirty trick to confuse voters,” says James Bopp, Jr., of The Bopp Law Firm, who represents the voter challenging the latecomer's name on the ballot. “Not only is the last name the same as Brenda's, but it will appear higher on the ballot than Brenda's. This is an attempt to confuse voters and to thwart a viable primary challenge to Greg Goode.”

The basis of the challenge is that, around fifteen years ago, the challenged candidate pleaded guilty to resisting arrest, a Class D felony, in Vermillion County, which disqualifies her from being a candidate for public office under Indiana law. Two Indiana Election Commissioners disagreed, asserting that the disqualification statute does not apply because the guilty plea to a felony was reduced to a misdemeanor.

In the February 25 hearing before the Commission, however, attorney Bopp explained that disqualification occurs when a person pleads guilty to a felony even if the felony is reduced to a misdemeanor. “The statute does not require a conviction, just a guilty plea, and even if it did, the court record shows that she was convicted of a felony for which she was sentenced for a misdemeanor.” The two Democrat Commissioners voted to deny the challenge, and the two Republican Commissioners voted to uphold it, which defeated the challenge.

The matter is now before the Clay County Circuit Court on emergency review which seeks a decision by March 17, in time to allow remand to the Commission for an order removing the second Wilson's name from the ballot before absentee ballots begin to go out. “The statute plainly applies and Alexandra Wilson is disqualified from running, but it is obvious from the Commission vote that the Democrats have lined up behind incumbent Goode by interfering in our Republican primary. We're doing all we can to end the trickery,” says Bopp.

The Petition for Review and supporting Memorandum can be found here.