MADISON COUNTY — The decision by Judge Thomas Newman Jr. not to seek re-election in the Circuit Court Div. 3 of Madison County has opened the door to four candidates vying for the seat.

Two Republicans, Scott Norrick and Andrew Hopper, are seeking the GOP nomination, while NiCale Rector and Rosemary Khoury are running for the Democratic nomination.

Getting the Republican nomination would be a long time in the making for Norrick, who was mentored by Newman when he was in high school.

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Norrick, 47, the town court judge in Edgewood, wanted to be a police officer early in life, but working with Newman as a teen piqued his interest in law, and it set him on a different career path.

When Norrick found out Newman was stepping down from the bench, he felt it was the perfect time to run as his replacement.

“I feel like I have a great deal of experience, and I’m ready to carry on Judge Newman’s torch,” Norrick said.

Norrick, of Anderson, graduated from Highland High School. He is married and the father of five children, four boys and one girl, ages 16 to 23.

Norrick went to Anderson University, then Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law before opening a private practice and becoming a judge in Edgewood in 2004, where he handles misdemeanor cases.

Should he win the Republican nomination and then the General Election in the fall, Norrick will be dealing with misdemeanor as well as felony issues.

Norrick calls himself a supporter of the Constitution, enforcing the law as it is written.

“It’s up to the legislative branch to make changes based on the will of the people,” Norrick said. “We’re not the legislators from the bench.”

His Republican opponent, Hopper, 36, is the son of the late Judge David Hopper and said public service has always been a way of life for the Hopper family.

“My parents taught me at a young age the importance of serving the community and working daily to make it a better place,” Hopper said in an email to The Times-Post. “Watching my father, David Hopper, serve as judge for many years inspires me to serve as he did.”

Born and raised on his family’s farm in Madison County, Hopper graduated from Pendleton Heights High School in 2000. He studied business and pre-law at Milligan College, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2005 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration.

Hopper grew up learning the importance of hard work and dedication while bailing hay, mending fences and tending to livestock on the farm, alongside his father and grandfather.

Those lessons help guide him in his personal and professional life, he said.

Hopper attended law school at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, where he met his wife, Ashley. He graduated from law school in 2008 before attending the University of Arkansas, where he obtained a master’s of law degree in food and agriculture law.

He’s been a deputy prosecutor in the Madison County prosecutor’s office for the past eight years, during which he has prosecuted all levels and classes of felonies including violent, drug, financial and firearms crimes.

He said he believes every person involved in the judicial process deserves to be treated fairly and with respect.

“I will bring innovation and increased efficiencies to the judiciary, just as I have in my current position as deputy prosecutor,” he said.

Integrity is the No. 1 character trait a judge must have, along with a willingness to listen patiently, consider all sides of a case and make a well-reasoned decision based on the law, Hopper said.

Hopper serves on the Madison County 4-H Association Board of Directors and is a member of the Madison County Bar Association and Anderson Noon Rotary.

He is also on the Farm Bureau Board of Madison County and the Board of Directors of Intersect Inc., and is the president of the board of directors of the Anderson Museum of Art.

On the Democratic ballot, Rector, 43, Anderson, has worked in Madison County since 2003 in her own law firm and as a former Madison County deputy prosecutor.

When she was a Madison County 4-H queen as a young teen in Alexandria, one of her goals was to help people, and it hasn’t changed, she said.

Doing for others is the same motto she’s putting forth in her effort to win the Democratic nomination in her first bid for county office.

The ability to help people in their time of need is what drives Rector, she said.

“Have you ever seen a good day when someone is in court?” Rector said. “It’s always a person’s worst moment, and being able to help someone through that process is so rewarding.”

Rector earned an undergraduate degree at Indiana University Bloomington before heading to the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Indianapolis.

She considers herself to be a “people person” and “hands-on” community member.

Rector has been a member of the Anderson Safety Board since 2016, a position she takes seriously. As a member of the board, she’s even participated in fire operations training programs, donning fire gear and going through fire department drills.

Rector is married with one son and a stepdaughter and considers caring for and serving the community her highest calling.

Her opponent, Khoury, 49, Anderson, also considers community service a high priority and said being a county judge would be the best way she could help local residents.

“It matters who our judges are,” Khoury said in an email to The Times-Post.

She’s running her campaign based on her strength of character and professional credentials, including serving Madison County for the past nine years as a deputy prosecutor.

Khoury attended Madison Heights High School and Ball State University, where she earned an undergraduate degree in criminal justice before heading to Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Indianapolis.

Khoury is also a former U.S. Army reservist, signing up during college; she served six years.

The military experience taught her how to push forward and approach life regardless of obstacles, she said.

After successfully completing boot camp at Fort Dix in New Jersey, she felt from that day forward if there is a job to be done, it should be done well.

“I will not cower when faced with adversity,” Khoury said. “We are asking the people of Madison County to accept my application to be their newest judge.”

Her campaign is about progress and inclusion for all community members, she said.