The Ballot Brief
Indiana › Lake County › Hammond

Hammond, Indiana sample ballot 2026

Hammond voters (Lake County, Indiana) see Secretary of State, Comptroller, Treasurer plus 7 Lake County races on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Your U.S. House district and any precinct-level races depend on your street address.

We use AI to research and write election information. Errors are possible. Verify important details with official sources.

On every Hammond ballot

Prosecuting AttorneyBernard A. Carter (D)

Bernard A. Carter

DemocraticIncumbent

Bernard A. Carter is the sitting Lake County Prosecuting Attorney, per Lake County government official site. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

AuditorREGINA (GINA) PIMENTEL (D) · Charles (Chuck) Messler (R)

REGINA (GINA) PIMENTEL

Democratic

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Retraining deductions-department employees to ensure residents receive proper property tax deductions, per Yahoo News (NWI Times)
  • Restoring an in-person tax sale process to prevent fraud and increase collection rates, per Yahoo News (NWI Times)
About REGINA (GINA) PIMENTEL

Gina Pimentel is the sitting Lake County Recorder and is running for auditor because she cannot seek reelection as recorder due to term limits, per Yahoo News. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

Charles (Chuck) Messler

Republican

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Strengthening financial oversight and accountability in the Auditor's Office
  • Safeguarding taxpayer dollars through stronger systems
About Charles (Chuck) Messler

Messler is a union ironworker with more than 12 years of experience in structural welding and crew supervision on projects across Northwest Indiana and Chicago, including the Mile Long Bridge, per the campaign site. He is a Crown Point native and Andrean High School graduate who now lives in Lowell with his wife and two children, per the campaign site.

TreasurerJOHN E PETALAS (D) · Kevin B Deane (R)

JOHN E PETALAS

DemocraticIncumbent

John Petalas is the sitting Lake County Treasurer, per Lake County government official site. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

Kevin B Deane

Republican

Kevin B Deane appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lake County Treasurer, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

SheriffJERRY WILLIAMS (D) · David K Crane, Jr (R)

JERRY WILLIAMS

Democratic

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Community safety
  • Experience in law enforcement leadership
  • Integrity
About JERRY WILLIAMS

Williams is a longtime Indiana State Police major who recently served as interim police chief for the city of Gary, per his campaign site.

David K Crane, Jr

Republican

David K. Crane Jr. ran unopposed for the Republican nomination for Lake County Sheriff, per NWI Times. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

AssessorLATONYA SPEARMAN (D)

LATONYA SPEARMAN

Democratic

LATONYA SPEARMAN appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lake County Assessor, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

By address

These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.

Find your districts by address
Circuit Court ClerkMIKE BROWN (D) · Leslie Dallner (R)

MIKE BROWN

DemocraticIncumbent

Michael A. Brown is the sitting Clerk of the Lake Circuit/Superior Court, first elected in the November 2022 general election after previously holding the office for two prior terms, per Lake County government official site. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

Leslie Dallner

Republican

Leslie Dallner appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lake County Circuit Court Clerk, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

Commissioner, District 1KYLE ALLEN, SR (D) · Will Miller (R)

KYLE ALLEN, SR

Democratic

Kyle Allen, Sr. filed as the Democratic candidate for Lake County Commissioner, District 1, per Lake County official candidate filing list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

Will Miller

Republican

Will Miller appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lake County Commissioner, District 1, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

Full candidate profiles, priorities and campaign sites are on the Lake County page.

Statewide races

Secretary of StateMax Engling (R) · Beau Bayh (D) · Lauri A. Shillings (Libertarian) · Greg Ballard (Lincoln Party)
Max Engling

Max Engling

Republican

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • ensuring only U.S. citizens vote in Indiana elections
  • a citizen transparency portal for reporting election concerns
  • combating business-filing fraud involving shell companies
About Max Engling

Max Engling is the Republican candidate for Indiana Secretary of State. He has worked on the U.S. House Administration Committee, in agricultural education with Beck's Hybrids, and most recently in U.S. Senator Jim Banks' office, per his campaign site. He holds a bachelor's degree from IUPUI and a master's degree in National Defense and Strategic Planning from the U.S. Naval War College.

Beau Bayh

Democrat

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Protect fair and accessible elections
  • Improve public trust in state administration
  • Modernize business and voter services
About Beau Bayh

Beau Bayh is the Democratic candidate for Indiana secretary of state and an attorney, per his campaign site. His campaign emphasizes election administration, public trust and business services.

Lauri A. Shillings

Lauri A. Shillings

Libertarian

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Protect the integrity and privacy of Indiana elections
  • Serve small businesses and entrepreneurs
  • Educate and empower Indiana voters
About Lauri A. Shillings

Shillings is the Libertarian nominee for Indiana Secretary of State and a Creative Director at the University of Indianapolis and small business owner since 2000, per the campaign site. Shillings chairs the Hamilton County Libertarian Party, serves on the Libertarian Party of Indiana State Central Committee, and holds a degree in Community and Nonprofit Leadership, per the campaign site.

Greg Ballard

Greg Ballard

Lincoln Party

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Improve election administration and public trust
  • Bring executive experience from Indianapolis city government

From other published sources

  • Open up Indiana's election system, per WNDU
About Greg Ballard

Greg Ballard is the Lincoln Party candidate for Indiana secretary of state on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list; election officials confirmed in July that his petition cleared the signature requirement, per the Indiana Capital Chronicle. A Marine veteran and former mayor of Indianapolis, he says he wants to open up the state's election system, per WNDU.

ComptrollerElise Nieshalla (R) · Jessica Bailey (D) · John Schick (Libertarian)
Elise Nieshalla

Elise Nieshalla

RepublicanIncumbent

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Modernize state financial and timekeeping systems, per WISH-TV
  • Explore AI tools to help identify waste, fraud or abuse in state spending, per WISH-TV
About Elise Nieshalla

Elise Nieshalla is Indiana's sitting state comptroller, appointed in November 2023, per the office's official site (in.gov/comptroller), and the Republican candidate for a full term on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. The office oversees state financial reporting, the Hoosier START retirement plan and the Indiana Transparency Portal, per WISH-TV. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

Jessica Bailey

Democrat

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Update the state's transparency portal, per The Indiana Citizen
  • Keep the public informed about the comptroller's office, per The Indiana Citizen
About Jessica Bailey

Jessica Bailey is the Democratic candidate for Indiana Comptroller. She has served two terms as Porter County Clerk since 2018, managing payroll, public records and elections, and was named Clerk of the Year by the Association of Indiana Counties and received an election administration award from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, per her campaign site.

John Schick

Libertarian

John Schick is the Libertarian candidate for Indiana state comptroller on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

TreasurerDaniel Elliott (R) · Coumba Kebe (D)
Daniel Elliott

Daniel Elliott

RepublicanIncumbent

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Manage state investments and cash responsibly
  • Support college savings and unclaimed-property services
  • Promote fiscal accountability
About Daniel Elliott

Daniel Elliott is Indiana's sitting state treasurer, per the office's official site (in.gov/tos), and the Republican candidate for re-election on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. The treasurer manages state investments, cash, college savings, unclaimed property and public-finance services, per the office's site.

Coumba Kebe

Democrat

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Transparency and accountability in the treasurer's office, per The Indiana Citizen
  • Long-term economic stability, per WFYI
About Coumba Kebe

Coumba Kebe is the Democratic candidate for Indiana State Treasurer. She has spent nearly a decade in healthcare administration and business operations, managing multi-million-dollar budgets, and holds a bachelor's degree in Community Health and Preventive Medicine and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from Indiana University, per her campaign site.

Indiana voters also decide 2 statewide ballot measures.

Your address is only used to match your districts.

Voting info and more

Voting info and more

City boundaries and ZIP codes from the U.S. Census Bureau (2024 Gazetteer, 2020 ZCTA relationships). Candidate fields follow official election office filings; confirm with the Indiana election office before voting.