by Abdul-Hakim Shabazz
Running for Marion County Republican Chair is sort of like trying to be valedictorian in summer school; at the end of the day, what do you really win? Let’s face it, this is Marion County, a solid Democratic stronghold. Granted, Republicans tend to do relatively well south of I-70, but as two-thirds of the county’s population tends to live north of I-70 and tend to vote Democratic. Now, this isn’t to say Republicans can’t win in Marion County, but you need the right type of Republican; in other words, more Mitch Daniels and less MAGA.
I bring this up because on Saturday, Republicans and Democrats in Marion County, and across the state for that matter, will select their County chairs and vice-chairs. And they won’t just be doing it here in Marion County; they will be doing it across the state. And in my capacity as a political commentator/gossip monger, I get a lot of things sent to me about a lot of people running that if I were to print it all, well, first, I don’t think there’s enough space in the cloud to store it all. Secondly, and more importantly, I’d spend all my time in court because I’d be getting sued for defamation. (That’s an inside joke.)
What I’ve found most interesting about the race for Marion County Chair are the attacks by supporters of John Schmitz, who is running against Natalie Goodwin. Schmitz is a builder from Wayne Township, while Goodwin is a data analyst from Lawrence. They’ve been making the rounds at local Republican club events outlining what they will do if elected Chair. Both talk about rebuilding the party; however, Goodwin has done a better job articulating specifics. The attacks haven’t been so much against Goodwin but against a person who is not running, yours truly.
I have been accused of being on Team Goodwin because I’ve pointed out some of Schmitz’s baggage, and we’re not talking about carry-on that can easily fit in the overhead compartment. Everything I have written or posted regarding Schmitz is part of the public record. For example, Schmitz has touted his business experience and says he will use those skills if he becomes Chairman. Well, Schmitz filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy to eliminate more than $2 million in business loans back in 2015. It’s all part of the public record, and if he’s going to tout his business experience, then his bankruptcy is fair game.
The person who designed Schmitz’s app for his campaign has written some pretty anti-Semitic posts that would make you think you were in Berlin circa 1938, drinking beer with the Red Skull and singing “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” from Cabaret. And let’s not forget, when Schmitz ran for Congress in 2024, he showed up at the Indiana State Democratic Convention supporting Bobby Kern, yes, that Bobby Kern, for Lt. Governor. And Schmitz was the Republican nominee. And I won’t get started on his die-hard supporters, who I have labelled the “Cabal of Crazy”. They are dedicated to the cause, but most cultists usually are. My favorite is the Schmitz supporter who doesn’t even live in Marion County and has been indicted for check forgery.
Schmitz has also lost all four races that he has run for in Marion County.
This is all part of the public record and is easily confirmable.
And don’t get me started on his defense/association with a repeated sex offender. 49D29-2303-F3-008383
Oh, and did I mention that while at the Broadripple GOP meeting this month, Schmitz told me my Cheat Sheet was garbage and told me not to talk to Elizabeth Williams, his vice-chair candidate? Yes, I laughed, too.
Now, this is the part where the Schmitz supporters ask me, “Abdul, why don’t you put something out on Natalie?” Easy, there’s nothing out there. If there were, someone would have sent it to me by now. The most they’ve gotten is a campaign finance report, which they didn’t know how to read, and I corrected them when they sent me their “allegations” of wrongdoing.
My thing is this: If I’ve written something that’s wrong, all I ask the Schmitz people to do is show me where I got it wrong. I’m still waiting.
As I said, on Saturday, Marion County Republicans will gather and caucus for a new Chair. From everyone I’ve spoken to, the odds favor Goodwin, but Schmitz has a shot at pulling this off. It’s really a matter of who shows up. Goodwin has more supporters, but Schmitz’s are very passionate, to say the least.
I will be at the caucus tomorrow, so follow me on Twitter. This is going to be fun to watch. However, this whole fight reminds me of a saying we have in academia: ” The biggest fights are over paper clips and post-it notes.”
Abdul-Hakim is the editor and publisher of IndyPolitics.Org.
