A first-time candidate who teaches math at Saint Mary's College is headed to the St. Joseph County Council after knocking off a sitting Republican incumbent in Tuesday's election. Democrat Ranjan Rohatgi defeated Republican incumbent Amy Drake in District B, part of a broader Democratic sweep that flipped control of the county council.
Rohatgi attributed his projected victory to a strong platform for voters rather than party affiliation. According to WVPE, Rohatgi beat Drake 57% to 43%. The station described him as a Saint Mary's College math teacher running for office for the first time.
Rohatgi told the outlet he wanted the county council to focus on what matters to people here, which was data centers, which was public education, which was the cost of housing, according to the same report. That framing suggests his campaign leaned on local pocketbook and infrastructure concerns rather than national party lines, echoing his own stated explanation for the win.
Democrats Sweep All Three Contested Council Races
Rohatgi's victory was not an isolated upset. In District A, Democrat Mike Hamann won with 56% of the vote, defeating incumbent Republican Joe Thomas, per ABC57. In District C, Democrat Jan Cervelli won with 52% of the vote, the station reported.
Taken together, the three races produced a dramatic shift in the council's makeup. The county council will shift from a 5-4 Republican advantage to a 7-2 Democratic majority, WVPE reported. WSBT similarly reported that St. Joseph County Democrats have shifted the balance of power and won all three St. Joseph County Council contested races, as detailed by WSBT.
First Flip in Four Years
ABC57 characterized the outcome in stark terms, noting that with these results, the county has been flipped blue for the first time in four years. The station's reporting places this year's council sweep as a notable reversal after Republicans had held the advantage on the body.
A county election-summary document posted by sjcindiana.gov listed the November 3 results as unofficial, showing 77,909 ballots cast out of 193,942 registered voters, a turnout figure of 40.17% at the time the snapshot was taken. The document does not provide certified final vote totals for the individual council races.
