Democrat Jerome Prince received the nod from voters Tuesday in his party's quest to reclaim the county assessor's office from a Republican incumbent.
Shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday, Prince's closest opponent, Mike Troxell, D-Schererville, called Prince to concede the Democratic primary race for the office.
Prince, D-Gary, will take on incumbent Lake County Assessor Jolie Covaciu in the November general election. Covaciu ran unopposed in the Republican primary after being elected to the office by party caucus in 2013, replacing the late Republican Assessor Hank Adams.
Adams, who in 2010 became the first Republican in 50 years to win a countywide office, died of cancer last year.
Lake County Democratic Party Chairman Thomas McDermott Jr. promised earlier this year his party would reclaim the office in 2014.
Prince said his primary victory Tuesday — over Democratic challengers Troxell, a Schererville town councilman, and East Chicago's Jesus Ortiz Jr. — was the first step in that quest.
...
