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A New Mayor for Jasper: Ryan Craig Wins Republican Caucus
On Friday night, amid the falling snow in Jasper, a Republican caucus convened in the basement
of City Hall to elect a new mayor, who will take office on April 1. The incoming mayor will
replace Dean Vonderheide, who gave notice of his resignation on January 5. Media outlets from
across Southern Indiana were present to witness the event. The entire caucus took less than an
hour, as Ryan Craig defeated Phil Mundy on the first and only ballot.
The efficient proceeding was headed by Dubois County Republican Chair and precinct
committeeman Amy Kippenbrock, who explained where Craig’s term will pick up: “He will work
to finish that term, which will go through December 31 of 2027. So that term will end at that
time frame. Next year, in 2027, the city offices are on the ballot. So the mayor, the City Council,
the Clerk Treasurer, those positions are on the ballot. So anybody can put their name on the
ballot, just like they do today for the ‘26 election. But I think that it’s very exciting. So he gets to
finish the term. That’s what he was elected to tonight. And then if he wants to continue that, or
there’s other people in the community that want the chance to do that, they can for sure do
that and put their name on the ballot next year on the process at that time.”
Craig himself addressed the media immediately following his victory and spoke about his
beginnings in government. “I got in the County Council and just found a passion for
representing the people, putting people in the right places. Working with businesses and
working with people has really just been very rewarding. And watching the growth and seeing
the impact the community can have with a good local government.”
And his message to the people of Jasper? “Looking forward to growth. Looking forward to
investing in ourselves. Looking forward to this Regional Wellness Center that is so exciting to
come. Looking for expansion, how we can expand with the sewer district to the north. Major
topics we have going on in this city. And also collaboration, a big thing coming from the county
to the city. I'm excited to bring the knowledge I've learned from the county to the city. Things
maybe we overlap on that maybe we can put it together and maybe save some money for the
taxpayers of Dubois County and Jasper. So, very excited, very, very ready to take on and pick up
where Dean's leaving off.”
Of his goals for the city, Craig said, “Definitely to get some things in the budget, like the sewer
district on the north side for our growth. A big thing for us with the issues in Hayesville, this
would be a good collaboration with the county, helping their sewer out because we need to get
sewer up to Hayesville. We have some sanitary issues up there that we're working diligently on
getting up and getting that taken care of. So, definitely a major one. But to me, the Regional
Wellness Center is a huge, huge project that is so life-changing for us. That will be a big
undertaking. And not only that, but checking in on our infrastructure is a very major concern.”
Addressing questions about the Mid-States Corridor, Craig stated, “As the mayor, I want to
control what we can control. A road that doesn't enter city limits is hard to control a lot of
things. It becomes county exits and things like that. Like I said in my statement, about the turns,
the structure, the traffic flow, those are things we really need to focus on, on things of
communication, of our concerns. The state and federal governments already said, I believe,
where this road will go. So if it does come, if the federal and state funds it, we will be prepared.
And that is my goal for that. And with all that, a lot of discussions on the relinquishment of the
231, know that that is where your county and your city governments use their common
knowledge to know the impact it would take for us to absorb a state road. So we will be doing
our due diligence. We still are. Lots of information coming out often. And rely on your councils
and your county and city to be on top of it.”
Pressed further on the subject by WITZ, he acknowledged the complexities, saying, “A lot of the
concerns are not just they're taking my land, it's now the fire response can't get to my
house. Now it's going to take 30 minutes for an ambulance to come, versus 10. These
are health concerns, these are safety concerns that I think people want to be heard, so I think
people need to know that we're going to listen. We need to listen. I think we need to stop the
negatives of it. If the state and federal government say it's going to come, we need to start
working on our plan of what we can do to protect our taxpayers in this county.”
Without a doubt, in his brief two-year term, he will face topics that are as varied as they are
divisive. Supporting him over that term are his wife Whitney and their two children. Whitney
praised her husband’s leadership qualities, his ability to listen, and his willingness to consider
the merits of different points of view. To wade deeper into political waters, Craig will also rely
on the stalwart support of party veterans like outgoing Mayor Dean Vonderheide, who said,
“He has a vision, and it was shown not only in his role at the County Council, but also in his role
with real estate. His investment downtown, revitalization of the old building down here, the
central building, it’s turned into being a real success for us.”
Beyond electing a mayor, this caucus exercised part of our American political process in difficult
and contentious times. It displayed civility and respect in a civic forum to elect leaders whose
decisions affect the future of their community. Perhaps the clearest vision for the job Ryan
Craig has in front of him came from his eldest child: “To make Jasper a better place.”
For more information on these and other updates, visit www.witzamfm.com/news
- Drew Hasselbring