Trent Deckard Announces Candidacy for Monroe County Commissioner, District 1
Bloomington, Ind. — Trent Deckard, a Monroe County Council member since 2019 and former president of that body, announced he will file to seek election as Monroe County Commissioner, District 1, in the Democratic Primary to be held on Tuesday, May 5. Deckard also announced an initial slate of campaign co-chairs following a year of conducting a listening campaign and offering candid “Two Minutes with Trent” segments via Facebook.
“In January 2025, I launched an exploratory committee so I could publicly, legally, ethically and seriously listen to residents in this community about the most important issues facing our next commissioner, and I did just that everywhere I went,” said Deckard. “Based on encouraging feedback, even in the face of great challenges ahead of us, I wholeheartedly enter this campaign to serve the people of Monroe County as a commissioner in District 1. I know the kind of leadership it takes to get people to the table – from across our many divides geographically, politically and socially – while meaningfully moving us forward towards shared solutions.”
Deckard calls his process of gathering stakeholders together towards mutual needs his ‘Community of Care’ approach, focused on collaboratively addressing urgent needs in affordability, childcare, health, jobs and environmental resilience.
“This approach has historically been our community’s recipe for success in addressing job creation and loss, revitalization of historic spaces, water scarcity, and even more controversial issues, such as PCB contamination,” Deckard said.
The district 1 seat consists of Bean Blossom Township, Indian Creek Township, Perry Township precincts 1-6, 27, and 29; Richland Township and Van Buren Township. While the district includes western Monroe County, all Monroe County voters are eligible to vote in the commissioner district 1 election.
Deckard brings more than 20 years of experience in federal, state, and local public service – including service as district director and field representative for former Congressman Baron Hill, the last Democratic member of congress to represent Monroe County. He also served as chair of the Monroe County Democratic Party and as a state and national convention delegate.
“My conversations with Monroe County residents in preparation for this election year extend beyond the confines of a party establishment, and they are frank talk," Deckard said.
In his time on council, including two years elected by his colleagues as president pro-tempore (vice president) and one as president, he worked hard to be a reliable colleague for others. Since 2019, Deckard led alongside his fellow councilors and other county leaders amid the difficult COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the county had the financial wherewithal and necessary support for the public. He voted for the disbursement of COVID relief dollars, which resulted in the reconstruction of the Community Kitchen Express location and expanded hunger relief initiatives for the Hoosier Hills Food Bank and Pantry 279.
Deckard has been a consistent voice for expanded fire protection all throughout the county and a booster of the Monroe County Fire Protection District. He has also supported competitive wages for first responders and fair compensation for county employees. His efforts on council have also supported job creation, including industry growth in the westside Curry Pike corridor and public transit expansion. He also helped create the Monroe County Capital Improvements Board (CIB), which oversees the convention center project.
“In this year, I heard from neighbors, employers, teachers, builders, nonprofit leaders, business owners, concerned students, everyday folks of all kinds, and even people that want to live in Monroe County, but can’t for a variety of housing affordability or availability issues.” Deckard said. “Some of these individuals had been in this county, like my family, for generations. Others have been here just a few weeks and are looking to make their start. People approached me in the grocery store, in parks, on the sidewalk, over phone call, through texts, between classes, at the fair, during parades, after big games, and around many different neighborhoods in several of our townships.”
“This is only the beginning,” Deckard said. “The ‘Community of Care’ requires leaders who emphatically listen, avoid legislating by abrupt fiat, and simply do the collaborative work.”
Deckard’s agenda for the ‘Community of Care’ approach, includes:
· Crucial affordability considerations as a big first step in all that the county does – from planning, zoning, to other key infrastructure like water. This can be done at every level of offices, boards and commissions and other bodies commissioners are responsible for managing. This requires asking: How are housing, childcare, living, working and doing business affordable enough for residents looking to achieve their dreams, and how does county policy affect these considerations? How does affordability factor into the cost of creating these resources and opportunities? What is the effect of this decision on the affordability concerns of others?
· Adopting health-in-all strategies as a rule of doing business in the county and community. Deckard learned about this concept while serving on the original Community Voices for Health in Monroe County team designed to bring together a wide variety of community members towards health needs. Health-in-all strategies mean consideration of health in all policies, ranging from lake water quality to chronic problems associated with the distance traveled to food sources, like grocery stores. Too many county health discussions, while well-intentioned, focus on the microcosm of the health ledger while missing these critically vital health problems and discussions.
· Supporting a culture of approachability and clarity in county services. Deckard’s time in small business and retail and subsequent graduate training taught him about serving others and reaching people where they are versus the opposite: legislating in public meetings. Deckard believes that a ‘Community of Care’ approach in county government means that area residents in all 11 townships can easily locate information about the services offered in a uniform manner and get up-to-date information through common sources like information dashboards or other public-facing resources. This ‘Community of Care’ approach means engagement with leaders during evening meeting times and dedicated communication coming from the county on everything ranging from health updates to potential public hazards.
· Leading with collaboration-first approaches as part of our ‘Community of Care.’ Commissioners help set the tone for the way the county engages with all of our communities, including the City of Bloomington and the Town of Ellettsville. They are often a first call for many of our nonprofit and faith leaders who assist community needs in education, hunger, shelter and other key areas. Collaboration considers our next 20 years in Monroe County while setting aside the disagreements of the past, valid though they may be, that may prevent critical action on a range of issues, from transit to public safety. This is something Deckard harnessed while leading a bi-partisan state agency and working with a multitude of passionate Monroe County residents as a council member and party chair.
· Ensuring an environment of resilience. Monroe County residents are always looking for ways they can do their part in addressing our global climate crisis, including increasing heat and inclement weather that has violently hit our homes, businesses and neighborhoods. Deckard has learned first-hand that focusing on key moves now helps keep the county moving in the right direction for the future. To this end, he believes that leadership around flood and water control, as well as smart protection of Lake Monroe are priorities. At the same time, he supports strengthening our emergency management response to community needs to protect more residents. This also means examining the county government’s own use of resources for renewable and sustainable opportunities.
· Supporting a constitutional justice system for all. Those who are staying in our Monroe County Correction Center must have constitutional care. Our sheriff has worked hard to do just that in the difficult confines of the present Justice Building. The county council, while Deckard was president, adopted funding mechanisms that would begin to pay for construction of such a facility. New state laws, including how counties receive and expend revenue, changed so greatly that the county council placed a pause on site location. Now, funding considerations for modified plans should resume among a host of other stakeholders locally who should have input. Key to this process of moving forward is the ability to listen to others and find reasonable and feasible solutions for the future.
Beyond his service at the federal level and time as Monroe County Democratic Party Chair, Deckard also served as Chief of Staff for Indiana House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath, and Democratic Co-Director of the Indiana Election Division, nominated by his party and under two separate governors and three secretaries of state. Outside of public service, Deckard is an award-winning communication lecturer at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business where he teaches undergraduate, MBA, and executive education students. Trent was also elected to the Bloomington Faculty Council by colleagues in 2025. Deckard, from a nine-generation Monroe County family, lives in Bloomington with his wife, Kyla, and their two daughters.
“I am running to help place a model of leadership throughout county government that listens first and works together, always,” Deckard said. “This friend-and-neighbor approach cannot succeed alone. It will take all of us across our community, working together, to answer the difficult questions ahead and build a stronger Monroe County.”
The campaign committee is being co-chaired by community leaders and supporters, including: Isak Nti Asare, Kyla Cox Deckard, Emily Dutton, Mark Fraley, Jim Inman, Jr., Jessica McClellan, Glenda Murray, Will Smith, Carol Wilson, and John Zody. Ruth Hickman will serve as campaign treasurer.
“I am honored by these tremendous individuals who have given me their support in this election,” Deckard concluded. “They represent a model we can learn from: a community of Monroe County neighbors coming together around a cause for a better future with a friend. It doesn’t get any better than that for me.”
Those interested in serving the campaign with committee work, fundraising, or donations are welcome and can visit www.trentdeckard.com.
Prepared by Trent Deckard for Monroe County Commissioner.
-30-