Spencer County Democratic Party Announces Candidate for Spencer County Auditor
The Spencer County Democratic Party is excited to announce the addition of Joe Cook of Santa Claus as the Democratic candidate for Spencer County Auditor on the 2026 ballot. Joe lives with his wife, Lisa (Nord), and their son, Martin, an 8th grader at Heritage Hills Middle School. Joe and Lisa also have a daughter, Olivia, who is a 2026 graduate from Heritage Hills and currently majors in chemical engineering at Purdue University. Lisa is the Developmental Preschool Teacher at Nancy Hanks Elementary and has been involved in early childhood education for more than a decade.
Joe served as Campus Minister at the University of Evansville from 1995-2002 and as Alumni Director at Saint Meinrad Seminary & School of Theology from 2002-2010. He was Program Coordinator at the Institute for Priests and Presbyterate at Saint Meinrad from 2010-2017. He worked as an Internal Process Auditor at Jasper Engines and Transmissions from 2017-2020 and then as Executive Director of the Evansville District of Society of St. Vincent de Paul from 2020 until retiring in 2025.
Joe is a 1986 graduate of Reitz Memorial High School. After high school graduation, he earned a B.A. in Communications and Theater Arts from St. Joseph’s College in 1990 and an M.A. in Catholic Thought and Life from Saint Meinrad School of Theology in 1993. He later obtained an M.S. in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University in 2017.
Joe attends St. Martin I Catholic Church in Chrisney and is a member of the St. Bernard/St. Martin I conference and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of which he is the Evansville Diocesan Council Vice President. He has also served as a former assistant girls’ soccer coach at Heritage Hills Middle School. While working at Jasper Engines and Transmissions, Joe was recognized by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) as a Certified Quality Auditor, specializing in assessing processes, identifying areas for improvement, and ensuring that operations comply with regulatory and industry standards.
Spencer County Democratic Chairman, Dan Wilkinson, said “The auditor serves as the chief financial officer in county government and county officials frequently look to the auditor for day-to-day operational assistance, information, and advice. Joe’s educational background, training, and leadership experiences make him the ideal candidate for this very important position. The Spencer County Democratic Party is excited to add Joe Cook to our ticket and we look forward to helping elect him as our next Spencer County Auditor!”
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