David Henry, a Monroe County councilmember, announced Sunday he intends to run to replace Democrat Lee Jones on the Monroe County Board of Commissioners.
Henry previously served as chairman of the Monroe County Democratic Party from January 2022 through March 2025. Henry started his four-year term on the Monroe County Council as an at-large representative in January 2025.
Jones currently holds the seat for commissioner in District 1, but announced during her campaign in 2022 that it would be her last term on the Monroe County Board of Commissioners.
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners handles auditing and authorizing claims against the county, oversees county road and bridge maintenance, supervises waste management strategies and maintains county properties. The board meets weekly to approve payroll and claims, receive reports, sign resolutions and receive legislation.
Henry is the only candidate to announce his candidacy for the commissioner position. Candidates can file to run in the primary election starting Jan. 7, and the deadline to declare candidacy is Feb. 6.
In a Sunday press release, Henry said his campaign would focus on bringing a new direction to Monroe County. His campaign website cited issues of housing, the job market, childcare and courthouse culture.
"I want to see a Monroe County where people aren't just surviving here, but are thriving here too,” Henry said in the press release. “It will take new voices on the County Commission to make a county for all of us.”
Henry is a teaching faculty member at the Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, where he created the university’s homeland security studies minor. He has worked in several positions around Monroe County, including serving as the pandemic and bioterrorism coordinator for the Monroe County Health Department.
According to the press release, Henry has also had multiple federal management positions. He previously worked in project management consulting in Washington with federal agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services. He also served as a senior management fellow for the District of Columbia Government, where he supported human resources and risk management programs.
Henry’s campaign team includes Monroe County Auditor Brianne Gregory and Bloomington City Councilmembers Courtney Daily and Sydney Zulich.
The other two seats on the Monroe County Board of Commissioners are filled by Democrat Julie Thomas for District 2 and Democrat Jody Madeira for District 3. They were both elected in November 2024, and their terms will end in late 2028.
