GOP Transition Into Mass Exodus Holcomb Exit Was Not Surprising, but Wave of Resignations Prompted Questions, Speculation by BRIAN A
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V18, N40 Thursday, June 20, 2013 GOP transition into mass exodus Holcomb exit was not surprising, but wave of resignations prompted questions, speculation By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – The fact that Indiana Republican Chairman Eric Hol- comb wanted to step down less than six months into Gov. Mike Pence’s tenure isn’t really that big a shocker. When the governor-elect asked him to stay at the helm of the party, Holcomb agreed, with the understand- ing that it needed continuity through the biennial budget session of the Indiana General Assembly. “I thought I had graduated,” Hol- were Vice Chairwoman Sandi Huddleston, Treasurer Peter comb told HPI last January, indicating that he had looked Deputy, Executive Director Justin Garrett, and National forward to employment in the private sector. But Holcomb Committeewoman Becky Skillman. expressed admiration for Pence and agreed to stay on. While multiple sources were quick to tell HPI that What was shocking about Wednesday’s mass the mass migration was not indicative of any widespread exodus from the party headquarters was . the mass dissatisfaction with Gov. Pence or visa versa, the way this exodus. occurred could easily be seen as a telltale sign of frustra- Joining Holcomb in heading for the doorway Continued on page 3 Indiana’s diversity trend By MAUREEN HAYDEN CNHI Statehouse Bureau INDIANAPOLIS – Like the rest of the nation, Indi- ana is continuing on a trend toward greater diversity as the “It’s normal to have people numbers of Hispanics, blacks, Asians and other minorities are rising at a serving one governor and then go faster pace than whites. on to other things. I’m as close to New census data released last week also show the trend may acceler- this thing as anybody and I think ate in the years to come as the most racially and ethnically diverse age- there’s excellent stability.” group, Hoosiers under 5, grow up. - Bob Grand, on the Indiana The new census numbers are snapshot estimates of the population Republican Party HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 20, 2013 in July 2012, and come a year after population grew only by three-tenths the U.S. Census Bureau reported the of a percent – the lowest growth rate nation is undergoing a historic shift. since the mid-1980s. www.HoweyPolitics.com Fueled by immigration and high rates Kinghorn attributes that slow of birth, particularly among Hispanic growth to the tough economic times in is a non-partisan newsletter Americans, the nation’s racial and Indiana and the nation after the 2007 based in Indianapolis and ethnic minorities are growing more recession hit. “It may be the lingering Nashville, Ind. It was founded rapidly in numbers than whites. effect of the Great Recession,” King- “This shows the changing horn said. in 1994 in Fort Wayne. face of Indiana and America,” said But the growth of minor- It is published by demographer Matt Kinghorn of the ity populations in Indiana continues WWWHowey Media, LLC Indiana Business Research Center at on an upward trend seen for more 405 Massachusetts Ave., Indiana University. than a decade. And that’s significant, Suite 300 Indiana, where 81% of the Kinghorn said, given Indiana’s aging population is white, remains less population: “It’s very important to Indianapolis, IN 46204 diverse than the rest of the nation, Indiana, and to the U.S., as we face a which is now 63% white. tighter labor market as Baby Boomers Brian A. Howey, Publisher But a closer look at the racial head into retirement. Employers would Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington and ethnic make-up of different age face an even great pinch without the Jack E. Howey, Editor groups signals the shift. While 91% of minority populations’ growth.” Hoosiers over 65 are white, just 70% Indiana economist Michael Mary Lou Howey, Editor of Hoosier children under 5 are white. Hicks, head of the Center for Busi- Maureen Hayden, Statehouse And in that 65-and-over group of Hoo- ness and Economic Research at Ball Matthew Butler, Daily Wire siers, less than 2% are Hispanic; of State University, said local communi- Hoosiers that are 5 and under, 11.4% ties should embrace the increasing are Hispanic. diversity, especially that driven by Subscriptions The contrast between the immigration, as good for growth. $599 annually oldest and the youngest Hoosiers Existing employers will need to fill the Ray Volpe, Account Manager also shows up in race. Just shy of 6 jobs vacated by retiring workers, while ' 317.602.3620 percent of Hoosiers 65 and older are potential employers will also need email: [email protected] black; just over 11% of Hoosiers are 5 workers. “For communities all around are black. Indiana, immigration acceptance is The shift also shows up in the important,” Hicks said. Contact HPI median ages of demographic groups. Asians are the fastest growing www.howeypolitics.com The median age for whites in Indiana racial or ethnic group in the U.S., now [email protected] is 40.2 years; it’s 31.3 for blacks, 30.6 almost 19 million people. That’s true for Asians, and 24.5 for Hispanics. in Indiana as well. Of the state’s 6.5 'Howey’s Cabin: 812.988.6520 For Hoosiers identified as bi-racial or million people, only 113,196 are Asian. 'Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 multi-racial, the median age is 15.6 But that number marks an almost 'Washington: 202-256-5822 years. 10% growth just from 2010. 'Business Office:317.602.3620 “Indiana is becoming more In that same two-year period, diverse from the ground up,” Kinghorn from 2010 to 2012, the percent of said. blacks in Indiana rose by less than 2 © 2013, Howey Politics Indiana. That’s even more true in the percent; the percent of Hispanics rose All rights reserved. Photocopy- rest of the nation. For the first time, just short of 6 percent; the number ing, Internet forwarding, fax- America’s racial and ethnic minori- of people identified as more than one ing or reproducing in any form, ties now make up about half of the race rose by just over 7 percent. v whole or part, is a violation of under-5 age group. Overall, Indiana’s population Maureen Hayden covers the federal law without permission growth from 2010 to 2012 was slug- Statehouse for the CNHI newspa- from the publisher. v gish. It went from from 6,483,802 to pers in Indiana and HPI. She can 6,537,334, up by only eight-tenths of a be reached at maureen.hayden@ percent. Between 2011 and 2012, the indianamediagroup.com HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 20, 2013 announcement is made, it will provide a lot GOP, from page 1 of clarity,” Smith said. “When he told Sandi, she then thought it was a great time to exit tion or anger. “Any time you see some- as well. It all sort of came down in one fell thing as sweeping as this, it’s usually a swoop.” sign that people are pissed off,” one GOP Huddleston reacted angrily to source said. initial reports that she was concerned about In the minutes following the the party’s shift to social conservatives. She breaking of this story, there was specula- told HPI that she had planned to leave and tion as to the motive. Some saw it as a had advised Gov. Pence of her plans. “This is sweeping out of the lingering Daniels ap- something he knew about,” Huddleston said, paratus. But that could have occurred with adding that sources saying she was upset Holcomb’s resignation – which wouldn’t with social conservatives in the party were have been that surprising – followed by a wrong. Pence had asked her to stay on along more gradual change of the guard. with Holcomb. Huddleston plans to remain at The resignations were announced chair of the Johnson County GOP. after Allen County Republican sources had But uber GOP financier Bob made a presentation for holding the 2014 Grand dispelled any notion of a Chinese Republican Convention in Fort Wayne. A firedrill. “I don’t think there’s instability at source told HPI that the presenter had all,” Grand told HPI late Wednesday after- perceived a “subdued” committee. After noon. “It’s normal to have people serving one the presenter left, all hell broke loose. governor and then another to go on to other The mass resignations brought a things. I’m as close to this thing as anybody shocked reaction from the Indiana Repub- and I think there’s excellent stability.” lican Central Committee, several who were GOP National Committeewoman Republican National Committee- in attendance told HPI. “There was a lot Becky Skillman (top) and Vice man John Hammond III told HPI, “The place of anger and frustration,” one informed Chairwoman Sandi Huddleston is solid with a lot of good leadership.” source said of the massive shakeup. announced their resignations Asked if a Holcomb resignation in “There were comments like ‘this is more right after Holcomb,. isolation might have conveyed a more stable like how the Democrats do things.’” message, Grand acknowledged, “Intentional- The high-ranking source told HPI ity is always best. But then there’s always that the state committee was concerned that it not become other things that get in the way. It’s a timing issue.” a “rubber stamp” or an organ like the Indiana Democratic Grand added, “It’s important to get a good Party turned into during the Evan Bayh era.