DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Tuesday night’s municipal primary saw political newcomer Abby Wilder win the republican nomination for City Council in Decatur in District 3. Wilder beat out incumbent Craig Coshow by 30 votes, with just 352 votes cast altogether in the election.
“I just want to thank everyone for believing and supporting me,” said Wilder late Tuesday night in an interview with WZBD.
Wilder, who works for the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne – South Bend, told WZBD that she feels she has been called to serve.
“All that we do is by grace and through faith,” she said. “I believe I have been put by God in a position to serve.”
Wilder noted that she feels her calling is to serve individuals and the city and to listen to the citizens of Decatur and advocate for them.
Admittedly a newcomer to politics, Wilder says she was pleasantly surprised by the tone of the primary election.
“It was a positive campaign,” said Wilder. “Talking to people and going door to door in the district, I can honestly say that I did not have a negative interaction with a single person.”
Wilder’s victory is more significant than Gina Melcher’s win in District 1 because Wilder is currently unopposed by Democrats, who still technically have time to name a candidate in the coming months. If they don’t, Wilder will begin her time on the City Council in January.
“I am ready to get boots on the ground and get to work,” she said.
Much of the discussion surrounding this spring’s primary revolved around last summer’s controversial approval of the meat processing plant in Industrial Park.
According to public records for Adams County, Coshow’s campaign took in $1390, with $1000 coming from Riggs Florence, the owner and operator of the approved plant, and the other $390 coming from Coshow himself.
In contrast, Wilder took in $6850 for her campaign from 13 different donors with the largest donations coming from Ted & Emily Porter and Charlie & Jean Brune, with each couple contributing $2000 apiece.
Wilder summed up her primary campaign thanking all those who campaigned for her as a candidate.
“I am very thankful for this opportunity to serve and I am honored to have been chosen and I thank God for the opportunity.”
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