By Tim Arnett
WABASH,Indiana – With Indiana’s Primary election fast approaching, MiBash News reached out to the chairs of the Republican and Democratic Parties in Wabash County to gauge their excitement and see whether any of the candidates running for national office are expected to be in the county ahead of the May 3rd Primary. On Wednesday night, Ted Cruz’s father Rafael spoke to the congregation of Victory Christian Fellowship in North Manchester and Hillary Clinton just opened a campaign office in Ft. Wayne several days after Bernie Sanders opened his own office in the Summit City.
Both Barb Pearson, Republican Party Chair for Wabash County, and her counterpart, Chad Harris, Democratic Party Chair, actually agreed on one thing: Indiana will matter in the 2016 Primary election. This is, of course, because there isn’t a clear nominee in either party at this point because no candidate has reached their party’s magic number of delegates. Barb Pearson.
Pearson said that she doesn’t know if any of the presidential candidates will stump in Wabash, but all the candidates on the Republican side, she noted, will be in the state and close enough for their supporters in the area to go see them. Being that it looks as though the Republican convention in Cleveland will be a brokered one, MiBash News looked into the rules surrounding how Indiana Republican delegates vote. The majority of Indiana’s delegates must vote for the Republican candidate who won the state – but only on the first ballot. If, for example, John Kasich wins the state but the Ohio Governor doesn’t win the nomination on the first ballot, it’s then every delegate for themselves.
On the Democratic side, Harris agrees that Clinton and Sanders will probably be in the region but not likely in Wabash County specifically. Harris also believes, in contrast to the GOP, Hillary Clinton will have wrapped up the nomination by this summer’s Democratic Convention in Philadelphia.
In a moment if levity, Harris called the Republican Presidential Primary a “mess.” Nevertheless, he expects a record-setting turnout this year. Harris also added that at the 2nd-annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner will be held on May the 6th at 6 pm at the Honeywell Center. Democratic Candidate for Governor John Gregg will be the keynote speaker.