(La Porte, IN) - Five candidates are now vying for the soon-to-be-open seat on the La Porte County Council.
The District 4 seat will be vacated by councilman Mike Rosenbaum when he steps down with two years left on his four-year term to become the new La Porte County Auditor on January 1. Rosenbaum defeated Chief Deputy Auditor Rhonda Graves in the May primary and was unopposed in the November 8 general election.
La Porte County Republican Party Chairman Allen Stevens said he expects, perhaps, as many as 10 individuals to run.
“There’s been a lot of interest in this one,” he said.
Already, Tim Stabosz, John Carr, Chris Cleveland, Heather Oake and Don Stoner have met the requirements to seek the position since the caucus was called on December 11. Stabosz is the outgoing La Porte County Auditor, who chose not to seek a second term in order to run for a seat on the three-member Board of La Porte County Commissioners. He lost in the May primary to Steve Holifield, who defeated his democratic opponent, Mike Kellems, in November. Stabosz has been one of the central figures in the extreme political infighting between democrats and within the GOP over the past four years.
Stevens said division within the party is one of the reasons he anticipates a lot of people vying for the seat. He said the party is broken into four factions and each one wants their candidate to fill the seat to have more influence over decision making.
“It should be a pretty exciting time here to see who comes out on top,” he said.
To run, Stevens said candidates must be from county council District 4. They also have to submit to him a completed and notarized Form CEB-5 before 10 a.m. on December 25. The seat will be filled by a vote from the 25 Republican precinct committeemen from District 4. He believes the key to victory qualifications and the ability to reach out across the factions.
“Somebody is going to have to do some coalition building here to win,” he said.
Stevens said one reason for the division is meddling within the GOP by Democrats, since La Porte County has gone from leaning Democrat to being solid republican over the past several years. Especially now, He says it’s time for members of the party to get in the same boat and row together since voters in November gave Republicans in government from top to bottom a mandate to lead.
“We’re not all going to agree 100 percent, but it’s time we find that common ground amongst each other to try and move the ball forward. If we can’t find that common ground and find a way to get along, this boat is going to keep rowing in a circle until we sink,” he said.
The caucus will begin at 10 a.m. on the main level of the La Porte County Complex. Stevens said the caucus is open to the public until the doors close at 10 a.m.
