Editor’s Note: At 11: 20 a.m. this article was updated to include county treasurer candidate Connie Durbin.
MOUNT VERNON — Three candidates have filed petitions to be the next Knox County Sheriff after next year’s primary election.
William Shaffer of Mount Vernon, Daniel Weckesser of Danville, and Wayne Noggle of Mount Vernon all have varying degrees of law enforcement experience.
Shaffer and Noggle come from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, with Shaffer as the jail administrator and Noggle as an auxiliary deputy.
Weckesser is the current police chief for the Danville Police Department.
All are running as Republicans. No Democrats filed for the position.
Knox County Board of Elections Director Jim Blazer said petitions will be certified by the board on Jan. 2. Afterward, candidates will have time to appeal the board’s decision if the petitions were certified — a deadline will be declared at the certification meeting.
The 2024 primary election is March 19.
County Commissioner
Current county commissioner Thom Collier filed for re-election. Collier’s new term would begin Jan. 3, 2025. Bob Phillip is running against Collier in the March primary.
County commissioner Teresa Bemiller announced she isn’t seeking another term, opening the seat for fresh candidates. Bemiller’s term ends Jan. 2, 2025.
Barry Lester, Scott Zimmerman, Jennifer Snow, Jeffrey Harmer and Chuck Rogers are vying for Bemiller’s open seat. Rogers is running as the lone Democrat.
Other elected positions such as treasurer, county prosecutor, county engineer, clerk of courts and coroner were uncontested.
Current Mount Vernon city councilmember Amber Keener is running for county treasurer as well as Connie Durbin.