Dunn wins re-election as GOP head
By KEN de la BASTIDE
March 09, 2009 09:57 pm
— Craig Dunn outlined a set of ambitious goals for the future after his re-election as chairman of the Howard County Republican Party.
Dunn was first elected chairman in 2007 when Brad Bagwell resigned just before the mayoral primary. Dunn was unopposed and won election to a four-year term on Saturday.
Virginia Marner was re-elected vice chairman, Judith Buck was re-elected secretary and Troy Parton was elected treasurer. All three ran unopposed.
“We want to hold all the positions we currently have,” Dunn said of the next four years. “I break down goals into two categories as elections and organization.”
Dunn said a priority in the 2010 election cycle is the re-election of Jim Buck to the Indiana Senate. Buck was selected last year by the precinct committeemen in District 21 to complete the term of Jeff Drozda, who moved to North Carolina.
“It is vital for us to take back the District 30 seat,” Dunn said of the Indiana House district currently held by Democrat Ron Herrell. “I have a credible candidate ready to run. This time I didn’t wait for someone to ask to run and went out and recruited a candidate.”
Herrell won back the District 30 seat in 2006 after losing to Republican John Smith in 2004. Herrell defeated Jason Miller, who was named to fill the ballot vacancy.
Dunn said the local party will be working hard to get Kokomo resident Heath Vannater elected to the District 38 seat in the House.
The seat was occupied by Buck, who resigned in 2008 to take Drozda’s seat. A controversy developed when the precinct committeemen elected Vannater to complete Buck’s term, but selected Clinton County Auditor Jacque Clement to run for the office after the Clinton County GOP chairman used some strong-arm tactics to get Clement the nomination.
Dunn at the time was upset with the move and eventually backed Clement in her race against Kokomo businessman Bob Snow. Dunn is now looking to unseat Clement in the 2010 primary.
“The re-election of Congressman Dan Burton in the 5th Congressional District is a priority,” he said.
Dunn said the party will work to defeat Democrat Dave Trine for the lone seat on the Board of County Commissioners in the 2010 election. Currently Democrats hold a 2-to-1 majority.
He said the priority for 2011 is to elect a fiscally responsible conservative mayor in Kokomo and to win a majority on the Kokomo Common Council.
Democrat Greg Goodnight was elected Kokomo mayor in 2007, defeating Republican Rick Hamilton. Democrats currently have a 5-to-4 majority on the city council.
“We will be working harder on updating our data base,” Dunn said of the organizational goals. “We want to do what we currently do better and with more organizational efficiency.”
Ken de la Bastide can be reached at (765) 454 -8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com
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