After a Monday night caucus vote, Democrat Don Ensign returned to the Hebron Town Council to represent the town’s 2nd District.
The spot opened after Mike Mantai resigned last month because he moved out of his district. Ensign formerly served 12 years on the council in an at-large seat.
Four precinct committeemen were eligible to vote on the council seat, including Ensign; his son, Shawn Ensign, William Sopko; and his son, Kyle Sopko.
“(Don Ensign) recused himself, which I thought was a smart move on his part,” said Jeff Chidester, chair of the Porter County Democratic Party, adding the three remaining committeemen voted for Ensign.
The other two candidates in the caucus, Jamie Uzelac and Steve Dujmovich, said last week they were concerned about the propriety of Ensign being able to vote for himself for the open council seat.
Chidester appointed Don Ensign and Kyle Sopko to their precinct spots because they were open, something he has the power to do as party chair. Don Ensign filled a post opened when the previous precinct committeeman moved, and no one ran for the seat now held by Kyle Sopko.
Ensign said he recused himself because “I felt that’s what I should do.”
He wanted to return to the council, he said, to serve the community as he has for many years. He lost a 2015 re-election bid.
“There are projects that I worked on prior to my not being re-elected that I would like to see completed that the council is working on,” including a drainage plan, he said.
All of Hebron’s town council seats will be up in 2019, Chidester said, and the county’s 124 precinct committee seats are up for election to four-year terms in the May 2018 primary.
Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
