County

County Council Member, Johnson County

District 2

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The county council is Johnson County's fiscal body: it adopts the budget, sets tax rates and approves spending.

Candidates Compare by issue

Norm Gabehart

Republican

Retired Whiteland town manager · Franklin

The gist

Supports deferring budget-cut choices to officials, department heads
Supports borrowing when it costs less than delaying projects
Opposes negotiating council decisions privately outside meetings

More about Norm

View sources (1)

Supports deferring budget-cut choices to officials, department heads
Two candidates vie for Johnson County Council District 2
Interview · Daily Journal · Sep 28, 2026 · dailyjournal.net
“we have to yield to the elected officials and the department heads to make those recommendations based on those deficiencies”
Supports borrowing when it costs less than delaying projects
Two candidates vie for Johnson County Council District 2
Interview · Daily Journal · Sep 28, 2026 · dailyjournal.net
“debt is not bad when it's a necessary expenditure, when the long-term obligation costs you less than prolonging the need”
Opposes negotiating council decisions privately outside meetings
Two candidates vie for Johnson County Council District 2
Interview · Daily Journal · Sep 28, 2026 · dailyjournal.net
“when you're negotiating the outcome of an issue privately, that is a problem”

Amanda Stevenson-Holmes

Democratic

Faculty strategic communicator, Butler University · Greenwood

The gist

Opposes data centers pending independent research on impacts
Opposes the county employee hiring freeze
Proposes raising user fees before cutting county services
Supports making public safety and health top priorities

More about Amanda

View sources (2)

Opposes data centers pending independent research on impacts
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Johnson County Council, District 2 (candidates' answers)
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Johnson County (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“At this point, I oppose data centers because we need more independent research on their environmental, infrastructure, economic, and community impacts.”
Opposes the county employee hiring freeze
Two candidates vie for Johnson County Council District 2
Interview · Daily Journal · Sep 28, 2026 · dailyjournal.net
“I do not agree with the county hiring freeze.”
Proposes raising user fees before cutting county services
Two candidates vie for Johnson County Council District 2
Interview · Daily Journal · Sep 28, 2026 · dailyjournal.net
“we could increase those fees first, so any kind of document or record fees, licensing fees, zoning fees”
Supports making public safety and health top priorities
Two candidates vie for Johnson County Council District 2
Interview · Daily Journal · Sep 28, 2026 · dailyjournal.net
“my key priorities for us are public safety and health”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 4 issues covered in this race.