County

County Council Member, St. Joseph County

District A

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

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

Candidates Compare by issue

Mike Hamann

Democratic

Teacher

The gist

Supports sustaining a ban on data centers
Opposes nondisclosure agreements between county officials and developers
Supports policies for good jobs, affordable housing, health care
Opposes an immediate tax increase for infrastructure

More about Mike

View sources (1)

Supports sustaining a ban on data centers
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Council, District A
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will do all I can to support and sustain a ban on data centers.”
Opposes nondisclosure agreements between county officials and developers
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Council, District A
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“non-disclosure agreements between county officials and developers should not be allowed.”
Supports policies for good jobs, affordable housing, health care
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Council, District A
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“support policies that bring about good paying jobs, affordable housing, access to decent local health care”
Opposes an immediate tax increase for infrastructure
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Council, District A
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I do not see an immediate need to raise taxes.”

Joe Thomas

RepublicanIncumbent

Small business owner; St. Joseph County Council member

The gist

Proposes a two-year moratorium on new data centers
Opposes a tax increase for infrastructure needs
Supports protecting public safety spending from budget cuts
Supports objective standards for administrative pay raises

More about Joe

View sources (2)

Proposes a two-year moratorium on new data centers
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Council, District A
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I oppose any future data center development in the county”
County Council Republicans propose two-year data center moratorium
News coverage · ABC57 (WBND) · Aug 19, 2026 · abc57.com
“We just think it's a great time for a pause … The proposed moratorium would last two years”
Opposes a tax increase for infrastructure needs
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Council, District A
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I do not support a tax increase.”
Supports protecting public safety spending from budget cuts
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Council, District A
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Public safety, law enforcement, emergency services, and other core services residents depend on should be protected from cuts”
Supports objective standards for administrative pay raises
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Council, District A
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Administrative pay increases should be based on objective standards, including job responsibilities, comparable compensation, and performance”

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.