Tammy Guth wins Dubois County recorder primary, likely secures November race

Tammy Guth won the Republican nomination for Dubois County recorder, collecting 3,718 votes to Sheila Asbell’s 2,557 and likely locking up the office before November because no Democrat filed for the race.

The contest drew 6,275 votes in all, with Guth finishing at 59.25 percent and Asbell at 40.75 percent. Countywide, 9,056 voters turned out for the May 5 primary, or 29.73 percent of registered voters, making the recorder race one of the more concrete tests of how much weight Dubois County voters give to experience and local familiarity in an office that rarely draws broad attention until a record matters.

That office reaches into daily life more often than many residents realize. The Dubois County Recorder’s Office at 1 Courthouse Square in Jasper records deeds, mortgages, assignments, releases, real estate contracts, powers of attorney, plats, surveys, affidavits, articles of incorporation, bonds, federal tax liens, mechanic liens, sewer liens, assumed business name certificates, military discharges, UCC personal property filings and other documents. It also provides copies and certified copies on request and operates from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Dubois County Courthouse.

Guth enters the general election with a long institutional résumé inside that system. She has served as chief deputy recorder since Jan. 1, 2019. A 1993 graduate of Southridge High School, Guth earned a paralegal studies degree from Vincennes University in 1995 and later completed NACO’s High Performance Leadership Academy and earned a certificate of Excellence with the Association of Indiana Counties.

Her campaign also leaned on local ties beyond county government. Guth has volunteered at the Tri-County YMCA, served as an assistant leader for the Huntingburg Girl Scouts and supported veterans as an auxiliary member at Huntingburg VFW Post 2366. Earlier campaign biographical details also noted involvement with the Dubois County Republican Party, service as secretary at St. James Lutheran Church in Holland, membership at Redemption Christian Church in Jasper and support for Dubois County Right to Life.

Asbell brought a different kind of experience to the race. She worked in the Dubois County Auditor’s Office and previously served three years in the recorder’s office, a résumé that made the primary a head-to-head judgment on who was best prepared to keep the county’s records accurate and accessible. Under Indiana law, the recorder serves a four-year term and must complete required training after taking office, a reminder that the job is as much about continuity and precision as politics.