The County Line
The year 2021 is a year without elections. Some may say “thank goodness.” Others may ask what are the politicians to do in such a year?
Well, there will be politics, just not election politics. This is the year that political parties hold reorganization of their party leadership, also known as central committees.
In Hamilton County, Republican Chairwoman Laura Campbell and Democrat Chairman Joe Weingarten will be up for election this year. The reorganization meetings will be held on March 6 with all of the county’s 221 precinct committeemen and their vice committeemen of each party eligible to vote.
The gatherings will also choose vice chairmen, secretaries and treasurers of their respective parties for the next four years. In past years these conclaves have produced some stormy competition.
Four years ago, Pete Peterson of Fishers was first elected GOP chief, but his election was ruled invalid by the GOP State Committee because a number of committeemen had been appointed too late to be considered legitimate.
His opponent, Mrs. Campbell, was found to be the properly elected chairman.
Weingarten was elected unopposed by Democrats as a new chairman replacing Keith Clock. Weingarten promised to rebuild the party structure, which had not succeeded in electing a local Democrat in years.
It seems likely Mrs. Campbell will seek re-election this year. It is possible, but not certain, that a contest may develop for the chairmanship. A Fishers faction of the GOP is the most likely to field a candidate if any emerges.
Weingarten says he will probably not seek re-election. Democrats may well have a contest en route to choosing a new party chief. Weingarten says names have been mentioned, but he does not wish to reveal them.
Party chairmen lead local election campaigns and raise funds for their candidates’ campaigns. They may have considerable, if not always visible, influence in local and state government. A Republican governor, for example, may rely on a county chairman for advice when considering an appointment of a resident of the chairman’s county.
A county chairman can sometimes be helpful to a candidate in a primary election by advising party workers of his or her preference. In this county, however, both parties have avoided anything that could be considered endorsing of candidates by party leadership.