Libertarian candidate challenging incumbent GOP for county commissioner seat

This story was updated to include new information.

Libertarian Jaimie Ortiz Jr. is challenging incumbent GOP County Commissioner Tom Murtaugh to represent the 3rd District.

Registered voters in the county vote for all commissioners, regardless of the district in which the voter lives. The 3rd District is the southern and eastern areas of the county.

The three county commissioners collectively serve as the chief executives of the county, as well as the legislative branch of county government. They also are appointed members of various boards and commissions.

The candidates were emailed questions and ask to return them with a photo. Here are their responses to questions asked by the Journal & Courier.

Jaime Ortiz Jr.

Age: 29

Party: Libertarian

Occupation: Trucker

City: Lafayette

Why are you running for office?

I’m running for office because for the third time in my life I’ve seen a rapid and massive expansion at every level of government. My goal is to get government under control here locally and cut spending so that I can cut taxes.

What are your top three goals, if elected?

My top three goals are to cut spending dramatically, ban the draft in this country, and to incentivize and increase the amount of gold and silver held by residents in this county. We’re all feeling the effects of inflation, and I want to help citizens keep more of their money to deal with it.

What do you see as the biggest challenge the county faces in 2025?

The biggest issues we are dealing with do not come from within this county, but from the recklessness of the federal government. We are on the brink of World War III and probably the largest economic recession we’ve ever had. I want to ban the draft in this country to protect young Americans in this county that did not ask for this war we are foolishly being pulled into. Another challenge we are facing is the recession and the collapse of the value of the U.S. dollar. I want to increase the amount of gold held in the area; when the dollar collapses the citizens have a currency that still has value. To do this, I want to allow county employees to have the option to be paid in gold and silver and nullify legal tender laws to allow people to pay for goods and services in gold and silver.

Tom Murtaugh

Age: 58

Occupation: Tippecanoe County commissioner

City: Lafayett e

Why are you running for office?

My experience from my banking career, service on many community boards, as a county council member and now as commissioner has prepared me to effectively serve Tippecanoe County.  I hope to continue as your commissioner to competently address the challenges as one of Indiana’s fastest-growing counties.

What are your top three goals, if elected?

We need to continue to safeguard our water resources.  The moratorium on water export from the county has certainly gotten the attention of the state, but we need to assure any future state water policy considers our region’s current and future growth needs.

Also, we need to address the shortage of housing and adequate child care in the community.  We have leveraged partnerships and utilized READI grant funds to address these concerns, but we have more work to do to attract and retain talent for the diverse employers in the county.

What do you see as the biggest challenge the county faces in 2025?

As I mentioned previously, child care and housing are challenges.  In addition, access to mental health and primary care services is a challenge for the community.  Additional resources from the Health First Indiana funding and opioid settlement funds are already being allocated to address these health issues, but there is more work to be done.

As a growing county, we have the added challenge of maintaining our road and bridge network AND constructing new roads as we grow.  Construction costs are rising, and local road funding is stagnant.  In addition, state road funding is based on current road miles and does not account for new infrastructure needs.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Libertarian candidate challenging incumbent GOP for county commissioner seat