Patrick Cale
A two-term Blackford County Council member for District 3 who lost his bid for a third term — defeated by Deb Grider in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary, which decided the seat because no Democrat filed. Cale is serving out the remainder of his term through the end of 2026 and will not return in 2027. He has a distinctive party-switching history: elected as a Democrat in 2018 and re-elected as a Republican in 2022.
The 60-second story
Patrick Cale is the outgoing two-term Blackford County Council member for District 3. He sought a third term in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary but was defeated by challenger Deb Grider; because no Democrat had filed, the primary decided the seat. Cale will serve out the remainder of his term through the end of 2026 and will not return in 2027. He has continued attending council meetings during his final months in office, appearing via Zoom at the June 3, 2026 meeting.
Cale has a distinctive party-switching history. He first ran for County Council At-Large as a Democrat in 2016 (unsuccessful), then was elected to the District 3 seat as a Democrat in 2018. He switched to the Republican Party between his first and second terms and was re-elected as a Republican in 2022, defeating Democrat Richard L. Uggen. He sought his third term on the Republican ballot in 2026 but lost.
In his final term, Cale has remained an active participant on budget and economic-development matters. At the May 6, 2026 meeting he made the motion to approve the RWE Prairie Creek 2 personal property tax abatement — the council's central controversy of the spring — arguing the project was 'in the area already approved,' a 'phase two of a project they've already started,' with 'financial gain by property owners, by the county, and to some degree the taxpayers,' including new paved roads. The abatement passed 6-0 with Council President Jack Beckley absent after his remote-attendance technology failed and his vote went unrecorded.
He declined to respond to the Hartford City News-Times candidate Q&A for the 2026 primary, published April 29, 2026. The paper noted explicitly: 'The newspaper did not receive a response from Cale.' Only his challenger Grider's answers were published. His professional background, education, and specific policy positions are not publicly documented in available coverage.
Quick facts
- Office Member, Blackford County Council — District 3 (since Jan. 2019; two terms). Term ends Dec. 31, 2026 — not returning.
- Residence Blackford County, Indiana
- Party history Ran as Democrat in 2016 (At-Large, unsuccessful) and 2018 (District 3, won); switched to Republican for 2022 re-election (won vs. Richard L. Uggen, D)
- Education Not publicly documented
- Profession Not publicly documented
- 2026 primary result Lost to Deb Grider (R) in the May 5, 2026 primary, which decided the seat (no Democrat filed).
- Q&A participation Declined to respond to the Hartford City News-Times 2026 candidate questionnaire
Three things voters should know
He switched parties between his first and second terms
Cale was elected to the District 3 county council seat as a Democrat in 2018, then re-elected as a Republican in 2022. He had previously run as a Democrat for County Council At-Large in 2016. The D-to-R party switch between his first and second terms is unusual for a sitting officeholder at any level, and in the context of deep-red Blackford County — where Republicans swept most local offices starting in 2016 — the switch may have been a pragmatic calculation. His 2026 primary challenger Deb Grider may frame the party history as evidence of inconsistent party commitment.
He declined to participate in the local paper's candidate Q&A
The Hartford City News-Times published its 'Cale, Grider seeking nod for council' article on April 29, 2026, noting explicitly: 'The newspaper did not receive a response from Cale.' Only challenger Grider's answers were published. For an incumbent seeking a third term, declining to participate in the local newspaper's candidate questionnaire is notable — it leaves his policy positions, his case for re-election, and his response to his challenger's framing entirely undocumented in the primary's most visible public forum.
He lost his 2026 primary and is on his way out
Cale was defeated by Deb Grider in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary — which decided the District 3 seat since no Democrat filed. He serves out his term through the end of 2026 and will not return in 2027. He moved the RWE Prairie Creek 2 tax abatement approval at the May 6, 2026 meeting, one day after losing his primary.
Biography
Patrick Cale is a Blackford County resident who has served on the Blackford County Council representing District 3 since January 2019. He is listed on the current county council roster alongside President Jack Beckley, Vice President Ryan Goodspeed, Fred Tobey, Casey Dick, Kyle Lechien, and Jim Weiseman, with County Auditor Lisa Simmons serving as Secretary to Council.
He first appeared on the Blackford County ballot in 2016, running as a Democrat for County Council At-Large. That race was won by Republicans Jack Beckley and Ryan Goodspeed. He ran again in 2018 as a Democrat for District 3 and won, beginning his county council service in January 2019. Between his first and second terms, he switched his party affiliation to Republican and was re-elected in November 2022, defeating Democrat Richard L. Uggen.
His professional background, education, family, and civic involvement are not publicly documented in available online sources. He declined to participate in the Hartford City News-Times candidate Q&A for the 2026 primary. No campaign website, campaign Facebook page, or LinkedIn profile was identified through web research.