This is good news for voters:
It was hardly a secret, and now it's official: Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries wants to succeed Tom Wyss in the Indiana Senate.
Fries, who is prevented by law from a third term as sheriff, was expected to announce he will run for Senate in what is expected to be a crowded Republican primary in May. County Councilman Darren Vogt has announced his candidacy, and former City Councilwoman Liz Brown has also expressed interest. Fries said several more may join the field, “and that's good. I wish them all well and will run a clean campaign. I'm term-limited, but I can't just walk away (from public service).”
Good because when one party so dominates a county's politics, as the GOP does here, you need a good field of candidates in the primary so at least there's some competition of ideas. And it looks like a very good field is developing for this seat.
I have no idea how good a senator Fries would be, but he's been a good sheriff, so that counts in his favor. I suspect any of the three mentioned would be to the right of Wyss, who has been what we might call a "nanny state Republican," always willing to make us do something for our own good.
