Thursday, February 04, 2016

State GOP To Decide Hamilton County Chair's Race

Thanks to its failure to follow its own rules, the Indiana State Republican Party will now have to decide who will serve as the next chairman of the Hamilton Co. Republican Party. Outgoing chairman Pete Emigh improperly appointed 71 precinct committee persons on his way out the door to stack the deck against the party's vice chair, Laura Campbell. At least 52 of those appointed PCs showed up to cast ballots for Emigh's handpicked candidate to replace himself, Pete Peterson. That was more than enough to give him his 151-115 victory over Campbell.

State party leaders took charge of the election conducted last weekend after Campbell in her role as acting chairman attempted to remove the last-minute appointees made by Emigh. Those same state party leaders agreed that Campbell would have the right to appeal the outcome of the election if those appointed PCs made the difference in the election, and she has now exercised her right to appeal according to the Indianapolis Star's Chris Sikich. "I have received a lot of calls with support from precinct committeemen, volunteers and people from across the state," Campbell told The Star. "My phone has been ringing nonstop and I have gotten a lot of texts and emails."

6 comments:

Anonymous said...


If Laura Campbell is not affirmed as the proper and rightfully elected Hamilton County Republican Party Chair and the illegal, shameful, and dishonest "election" of Pete Peterson set aside, Jeff Cardwell's Indiana State GOP completely loses legitimacy and respect from all Hoosiers regardless of Party affiliation. As one who almost exclusively votes "R" and has been a hardworking grass roots involved member, I am disgusted by Emigh's actions and the inability of those at State GOP to set this dishonesty right from the moment this dark episode came to light.

One might have thought outgoing chairman Pete Emigh would know better and I think he does. But it seems he just didn't care. The pursuit of power retained behind the scenes is a powerful pull to do the wrong and egregious thing.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if there is any story in the 19 who decided not to be part of this sham? If, this is the way the Republican Party operates it goes to their inability to read and their eagerness to extend that lack to K-12 education. Seems a stretch but Common Core critics include the author of "Losing Our Language"and what losing such means in theory can be shown in the Republican Party practice (so far). "When words lose their meaning, Men lose their Freedom."
Notice, on the merits, Mr. Peterson, jowls firmly grasping his back room cigar like a dog with a bone desires to "move on". Unknowing much of anything he raises the very low bar of his understanding, "I'm not really sure what good comes of this...". One positive good, for his consideration, is that he could be sent back to the sewer he emerged from and which he apparently shares with another lizard named Fadness. Another good which comes of this is to give the public a nice view of the Republican State Party and their integrity and that view will be Statewide.
Who gets the dirty end of this stick? Mike Pence. These are his toadies and he thinks, apparently, that Hamilton County is needed for his re election (as if they are ever going to vote other than Republican). People understand the concept of fairness, even little kids can manage it quite well. So, you wonder how slugs like Peterson and Fadness are allowed to walk the streets. Honest people need to shun them and let them know that not all is fair in love, war, and politics. Cheat us in little things and we are damned sure you will cheat us in other, larger things.
The imagination suggests that escaping liars, cheaters, and thieves was one reason for the growth of Hamilton County population....or, at least the desire to do so was...the jury being out concerning the use of debt to suborn good fiscal sense. That latter sense may be numbed, currently, but the idea of fairness and following rules is not. Mike Pence does not need another Black Eye as much as he needs to deal with the various corruptions that find a home in his Party and he doesn't need to wait until February 17 to "fix" this...like excrement, the longer it hangs around the longer it stinks.

Gary R. Welsh said...

I think the answer as to why those 19 appointed PCs didn't show up is that they were likely among those 71 appointees who had no idea they had been appointed to fill a slot. In the rush to fill slots, there wasn't time to ask all of the people being appointed if they wanted to accept the appointment.

Pete Boggs said...

This will be a test of leadership within the party; if it exists...

Anonymous said...

Pence is providing ammo concerning his integrity and competence. There are a whole lot more Republicans in Indiana than there are in Hamilton County and he cannot afford to have any of them sitting on their checkbooks or staying home come election day. Decisive action here and now is called for. The odor of Hamilton County wafts about...even the Charlie White matter is somehow being tied into this Republican corruption.

Emy Watson said...

Moving out of state away from family?
Out of state moving