Aaron Bonar (Washington Township Board Member, Hendricks County, Indiana, candidate 2024)

Aaron Bonar

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Democratic Party

Candidate, Washington Township Board Member, Hendricks County

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 7, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Wabash College, 2010

Ph.D

Indiana University Bloomington, 2017

Personal

Religion

Unaffiliated

Profession

Lawyer

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Aaron Bonar (Democratic Party) ran for election for Washington Township Board Member, Hendricks County. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

Bonar completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Aaron Bonar provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 18, 2024:

• Birth date: March 17, 1987
• Birth place: Terre Haute, Indiana, Indiana
• High school: Terre Haute South Vigo High School
• Bachelor's: Wabash College, 2010
• J.D.: Indiana University Maurer School of Law, 2017
• PhD: Indiana University Bloomington, 2017
• Gender: Male
• Religion: Unaffiliated
• Profession: Lawyer
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Consolidate Avon! Expand Green Spaces! Help Our Neighbors in Need!
• Campaign Facebook

Elections

General election

General election for Washington Township Board Member, Hendricks County (2 seats)

Stan Albaugh, Aaron Bonar, David F. Jackson, and Shane Sommers ran in the general election for Washington Township Board Member, Hendricks County on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Stan Albaugh (D)
	Submit photo	Aaron Bonar (D)
	Submit photo	David F. Jackson (R)
	Submit photo	Shane Sommers (R)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Washington Township Board Member, Hendricks County (2 seats)

Stan Albaugh and Aaron Bonar ran in the Democratic primary for Washington Township Board Member, Hendricks County on May 7, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Stan Albaugh
	Submit photo	Aaron Bonar

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Washington Township Board Member, Hendricks County (2 seats)

David F. Jackson, Tracy Justice, Jordan T. Lett, and Shane Sommers ran in the Republican primary for Washington Township Board Member, Hendricks County on May 7, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	David F. Jackson
	Submit photo	Tracy Justice
	Submit photo	Jordan T. Lett
	Submit photo	Shane Sommers

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bonar in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Aaron Bonar completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bonar's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a graduate of Wabash College and the IU Maurer School of Law. I want to consolidate Avon so that everyone in our town has an equal say in Avon's development. I also want to expand green spaces and expand services to those in need.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Consolidate Avon so every citizen has an equal say in Avon's development. Right now, there are several zoning boards, for example, that cover Avon. For a town of Avon's size, one board should be enough! As it stands now, you could live next door to a proposed development and have no say in the matter.
• Expand our township parks system and green spaces. I would also like to plant more trees in our township! They beautify the space and are a great carbon sequestration tool when fully grown.
• We should look into how to expand services to our neighbors in need. Currently, there is a rideshare program available to citizens of our township. That's great, but what are some other services we can provide to our friends? I'd like to request public input on this question if elected.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The environment, reducing and eliminating poverty, civil rights, government transparency, and increasing democratic mechanisms in our political process.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to Morris Dees, founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center. He has dedicated his life to stopping hate groups and helping people who probably couldn't afford legal services otherwise.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Open Society and its Enemies by Karl Popper, and The Ecology of Freedom by Murray Bookchin.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe that transparency is key. I think that extends not only to communicating well, but also to bringing more people into the decision-making process through more public meetings and direct democracy when possible. I also think that being financially and socially responsible with our friend's tax dollars is necessary.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a lawyer by trade who pays attention to details. I also love to get out and talk to my neighbors in Avon, something that I would continue to do if elected. I also pledge to be transparent about how Township funds are spent.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I think the core responsibilities are to keep our local services - our fire department and parks, for example - running smoothly and efficiently. No one should have to wait 10 or more minutes for a fire truck or a police car to help them in tough times. Our firefighters deserve the best support possible to help them meet the needs of our community.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to create a cleaner, greener Township if elected. I would love for Avon to be an example of a "green town" in Indiana! I would also like Avon to be a place where nobody, regardless of their physical abilities or other immutable characteristics, feels left out.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the Oklahoma City bombing fairly clearly, but September 11, 2001 is seared into my memory. I was in middle school at the time and was one of the first people to know in my school as I was in charge of starting Channel 1 News every morning. The media advisor ran into the room and told me I couldn't turn on the school's TVs. He turned on the Today Show and we both just watched in shock.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a summer bank teller at First Financial Bank in Terre Haute, Indiana. I held that job from my sophomore year of high school through my senior year of college, so about seven years!

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Master and Margarita by Bulgokov or Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. Both are realistic fantasy books with magical elements, and both are riddles themselves with multiple avenues for interpretation!

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Cyclops from the X-Men or Captain America. They were two of my favorite characters growing up.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Do You Hear the People Sing?" from Les Miserables. My wife and I went to see Les Mis in Bloomington a few weeks ago.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I pursued my law degree and my doctoral degree at the same time. That was seven years of hard work, but it improved my focus and work ethic! It helped make me who I am today.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

I don't think many people know that the Township Board provides services to those in need. That's one reason I would like to expand the services if possible - if they are more widely known and available, that can make live better for our neighbors who need help.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Experience is rarely a bad thing to have in politics, but I do think this office is about as local as one can get. That allows for a person to make a great impact if elected regardless of their prior experience.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

I think being able to listen to public concerns, especially at this local of a level, is a key skill. Since Avon is a relatively small town, being able to listen and disagree respectfully will go a long way in solving Avon's problems.

Tell us your favorite joke.

What do you call it when you can't sleep and are hungry? Insom-nom-nom-nia.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The greater the transparency, the better! No government entity should be a black box where no one but the decision-makers know what's going on. Political bodies and process should always be open and accessible to the public.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Washington Township Board Member, Hendricks County

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