Challenges to be heard Wednesday will put GOP infighting in the open

EVANSVILLE — As a Black man in Chicago in 2008, Brian Boone says it took some guts to vote Republican against Chicago's own Barack Obama, who would be the nation's first Black president.

Boone's last vote in Illinois before moving to Evansville several years ago was cast for Republican Donald Trump for president in 2016.

Now Boone is the only person willing to serve as the Vanderburgh County Republican Party's precinct committeeman from Ward 5 Precinct 9 − and GOP Chairman Mike Duckworth has challenged his eligibility to run in the May 7 primary election.

"It would seem like they (the GOP) would want new people," a perplexed Boone said Tuesday. "You don't want to lose votes. But that's their rules, I guess."

Boone isn't the only person in his situation. A Courier & Press analysis shows Duckworth is challenging the candidacies of five individuals who are the only ones to file declare their availability to serve in Republican precinct committee positions.

Those challenges will be heard in a meeting of the Vanderburgh County Election Board to be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Room 216 of the Civic Center.

More: 'Two-primaries law' is a weapon in Vanderburgh County GOP in-fighting

In some of the five cases, Duckworth asserts that the individual who wants to serve doesn't meet the requirements of Indiana's "two-primaries law," which requires that a candidate's two most recent votes in Indiana primary elections must have been cast in primaries held by the party he or she seeks to represent. The law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

Brian Boone voted in a Republican primary in Evansville in 2019, according to voting data -- but he hasn't voted in a second GOP primary since then.

In the case of another person who is the only one willing to serve in his precinct -- Bill D. Jarrett in Ward 6 Precinct 11 -- Duckworth alleges Jarrett's voter registration address doesn't match his filing address. In still another case, Duckworth states the person willing to serve has "zero vote history."

Selective enforcement is OK with 'two-primaries law'

Duckworth doesn't have to challenge the individuals who want to serve as GOP precinct committee members. He can opt not to challenge them even if they do run afoul of the "two-primaries law."

Vanderburgh County resident Randall Fahrlander is challenging John K. Hahn's candidacy for a delegate slot at the June 15 state GOP convention on the basis that Hahn's most recent primary election vote, in 2022, was cast in a Democratic Party primary.

But Hahn is OK with Duckworth, who gave Hahn the county party chairman's written certification establishing his Republican credentials. That typically overrides the two-primaries requirement.

More: Controversial law is at heart of threat to Evansville mayoral candidates' eligibility

"John Hahn’s wife is an officeholder (Republican County Council member Jill Hahn), and I’ve seen him out at numerous functions working for our party," Duckworth said.

One of the candidates Duckworth is challenging on the two-primaries law, precinct committee candidate Chelsea Barrus, is seeking a position that Duckworth himself seeks. Another, John Geary II, is running against County Council member John Montrastelle in Ward 3 Precinct 19. Geary has "zero vote history," Duckworth's challenge says.

Precinct committee members do have power

Duckworth's challenges to people who want to participate in local Republican politics may leave those persons and their supporters disappointed or alienated, but it doesn't mean any of the GOP's 135 precinct committee positions have to be vacant. Duckworth can appoint people to serve in vacant positions.

The volunteer positions can yield considerable influence.

Both Democratic Mayor Stephanie Terry and former Republican Mayor Lloyd Winnecke owe their respective starts in local politics to party precinct committee members who elevated them into their first elected offices.

More: Who knows, replacing Evansville mayor-to-be on County Council could be the start of something

Precinct committee members -- typically any local political party's core activists -- can fill ballot vacancies and vacancies created by elected officeholders who leave office before their terms expire.

Precinct committee officers also elect party officers, including the chairman.

That may help explain why Duckworth, whose term as GOP chairman expires in March 2025, cares so much about who serves in the positions.

More: Decision to enable challenger has Musgrave calling for Duckworth's resignation

"All those people that I have challenged? I don't know them," Duckworth said. "They've never contacted me. They've never been to any of our events.

"I have no idea who these people are − so I don't know if they're friendly Republicans or what they are, because they've not given me the courtesy to give me a call."

Anti-Duckworth insurgency may be afoot

They may not be "friendly" Republicans to Duckworth − or rather, those who recruited them to run may not be friendly.

Brian Boone recalls that conservative activist Chris Politano and a couple other guys whose names he can't remember recruited him to run for the precinct committee position. It happened at "a Republican breakfast" at The Foundry on Main Street, Boone said.

Duckworth and other Republicans have acknowledged persistent rumors that one or more anti-Duckworth factions of the GOP have recruited candidates for precinct committee positions for a potential bid to oust him or replace him if he leaves voluntarily.

Conservative activist Sean Selby's name has been often mentioned in connection with the alleged anti-Duckworth campaign, but Selby did not return messages for this story.

In 2014, Politano dropped out of a race for a legislative seat and endorsed Selby instead. Politano and Selby and Selby's wife are GOP precinct committee members, according to a list provided by the party.

Politano refused to talk when reached by phone.

"I'm not interested in talking to you," Politano said.

Bring it on, Duckworth said.

"It’s OK, they can come after me," he said. "I’ve worked very hard to keep this party, along with the (GOP's) central committee, to keep this party intact.

"Parties seem to always have a faction that have a better idea, and we have a process for the chairman and those folks to be elected, and we’ll let it take its course."

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Challenges to be heard Wednesday will put GOP infighting in the open