V26, N34 Thursday, April 29, 2021 Rokita enters Gov’s constitutional fray Showdown with General Assembly now centers on who can represent state By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – While Gov. Eric Hol- comb has governed with unprecedented Republi- can super majorities for more than four years, he continues to have an attorney general problem. Ten months after Attorney General Curtis Hill was defeated for re- nomination at the Indiana Republican conven- tion, his successor, Todd Rokita, vaulted into a legal showdown between Holcomb, Speaker Todd Huston and Senate Presi- dent Pro Tempore Rod Bray this week by saying has long maintained that only a governor can call the the governor doesn’t have standing to file a suit. General Assembly into special session. “I took an oath to Holcomb asked a trial court judge to find key pro- uphold the Constitution of the State of Indiana and I have visions of HEA1123 unconstitutional and to issue a perma- nent injunction to prevent them from being used. Holcomb Continued on page 3 The party activist By MARK SOUDER FORT WAYNE – Mary Trausch-Martin faced a dilemma. She was aggressively supporting Congressman Todd Rokita in a three-way Republican primary for U.S. senator. Mary is what would have historically been called “We’re trying to do everything we a Republican activist, a lead volunteer at the heart of the party. She does nothing moder- can to get vaccine out, to look at ately. She has strong opinions on different avenues, to continue the just about everything. Mary was also the vice chairwoman of the conversation, to continue the edu- 3rd District Republican Commit- cation. We have a lot of work to tee. When Mike Braun, a do.” candidate competing with Rokita, - Dr. Lindsay Weaver, ISDH asked Mary for potential contacts at some meet-and-greet events chief medical officer, on state’s in DeKalb and Steuben counties for his campaign, and then asked 45th ranking in vaccination. Page 2 her to basically set them up, she was Democrat and defeated the Republi- faced with the dilemma: Should she can incumbent. help him? The county chairmen and When parties were dominant, their allies, in other words, slated the as opposed to candidate organiza- precinct slots and not just top-of- tions, there were differing expecta- the-ticket candidates. I once partici- Howey Politics Indiana tions. The county parties could offer pated in an attempted precinct coup WWWHowey Media, LLC jobs and had quasi-publicly funded against Orvas Beers in Allen County c/o Business Office resources. Some public funding was in the early 70s. We polled all the PO Box 6553 direct (e.g., 2% club), some indirect committeemen and vice committee- (e.g., license bureaus), and other men. We had some old 1964 Goldwa- Kokomo, IN, 46904 means were pressure-forced indirect ter lists as well as some early Reagan www.howeypolitics.com (e.g., pay-to-play contracts). The pre- lists as well as some other conserva- cinct workers theoretically elected the tive lists. (They later were important Brian A. Howey, Publisher party leaders, but basically the party for Quayle in his 1976 primary.) Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington leaders picked themselves unless they A high percentage of the became so calcified that somehow Mary Lou Howey, Editor a challenger would emerge (usu- Susan E. Howey, Editor ally during a transition, like in Allen County after Orvas Beers). Subscriptions In the broader scheme, two basic factions in Indiana Repub- HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 lican politics emerged going back to HPI Weekly, $350 at least the Eisenhower-Taft era, to Lisa Hounchell, Account Manager some degree, isolationist vs. more in- (765) 452-3936 telephone ternationalist. To some degree, more (765) 452-3973 fax limited government versus more [email protected] aggressive government action. To some degree, northern versus south- Contact HPI ern which evolved into variations of [email protected] Indianapolis versus everyone else Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 or big counties versus small coun- ties. All factions were pro-business, Washington: 202.256.5822 mostly conservative and pre-abortion Business Office: 765.452.3936 legalization; social issues were not particularly a dividing line. In some © 2021, Howey Politics counties, the factions formed different committee people were active, had Indiana. All rights reserved. branches of the parties. not joined because of a particular The leaders of the county candidate, had been elected not ap- Photocopying, Internet forward- parties generally picked county and pointed, were very loyal to the chair- ing, faxing or reproducing in any city candidates. Potential candidates man, and had polled their neighbors form, whole or part, is a violation sought out those informal endorse- during campaigns. In other words, of federal law without permission ments. The party leaders, in constant they had some influence. from the publisher. interaction with the people who sup- They were also party plemented quasi-public funding with loyalists. Not quite like the “yellow private money, would steer money dog” Democrats of the south (they Jack E. Howey to the favored candidates if someone were called that because, it was said, editor emeritus dared challenge their choice. they would vote for a yellow dog as 1926-2019 In Fort Wayne, Graham opposed to a Republican) but they Richard – a Goldwater fan as a kid were party loyal. They did not waffle, – told me that he had wanted to be or care that much about a candidate a committeeman but Orvas told him beyond whether he was an “R.” But no, he needed to work his way up. already, in the early 70s, a third were Graham did, but as a Democrat. My ready to revolt for a more ideologi- understanding is that Win Moses had cal, less “win at all costs” role for the wanted to run for council, and was party. In other words, on both sides, also told not to. So, Win filed as a the trend toward the sharper ideo- Page 3 logical divisions was beginning. However, she took her selection as district vice As the political parties evolved, and the core of chair in a traditional, not candidate-partisan, way. When housewife volunteers – the less recognized vital heart of Braun called, she agreed to help – though it was not the Republican Party – declined due to opportunities for without some personal anguish and amazement that she women in the out-of-home workplace, the volunteer power had been asked. Braun understood that, while she actually switched more and more to candidates and advertising. had helped him, it did not diminish her active support for The precinct posts were filled by more ideological people, Rokita. But she viewed her district job as one that helped or candidate-chosen people, who did not have the same all Republicans. loyalty. Just because a candidate won the Republican Braun’s campaign clearly illustrates the newest nomination did not necessarily deliver that much support trend in politics: Not all candidates move up the tradi- from the party. tional stepping stone system. This is especially true of the Initially, Republican candidates who were not more expensive races, that are driven by dollar-purchased as conservative as the conservative Goldwater and Rea- name ID but is increasingly moving down ballot. But just gan factions began to get labeled “RINOs” (Republican in because media purchased campaigns are now the bulk of Name Only) because they weren’t much more conservative many political campaigns does not mean that the party than moderate Democrats (when they used to exist). RINO and personal activists are irrelevant. In fact, people like eventually evolved into today’s chaos where it has noth- Mary Trausch-Martin may become more valuable to add a ing to do with conservative, or Republican, but literally has personal touch to a predominantly media campaign, and come to mean this, you don’t back the same Republican especially valuable because such activists, while not extinct, that I back. are fewer. All these changes meant that the local Republi- Political parties may not be as powerful as they can party power declined steadily. But is it gone? I would once were, but they are still important and have the po- argue that it is not. Mary Trausch-Martin is an example of tential of becoming more so. In the case of Mary Trausch- why it survives, and potentially could rise even more in Martin, she remains a vocal Banks and Rokita supporter. importance. Sen. Braun asked her to be his regional coordinator. And a As mentioned earlier, Trausch-Martin is not a few weeks ago, she was chosen to be the secretary of the person who doesn’t care about ideas. Before Rokita, she Indiana Republican Party. In other words, she survived her worked with a very young Jim Banks who was working dilemma because principled but loyal Republican activists as a consultant for a conservative candidate who lost in are so valuable. v a northwest Ohio Republican primary. When Mary moved to Steuben County, she became an activist for Banks’ first Souder is a former Republican congressman from congressional campaign as well as in the Steuben GOP. Indiana. branch from intrusion by another,” Holcomb continues. “If Rokita, from page 1 HEA1123 becomes law and can be used by an obligation do so,” Holcomb said Tuesday. the General Assembly, it will create a signifi- “This filing is about the future of the executive cant uncertainty and solidify the controversy branch and all the governors who will serve over its constitutionality. This is a matter of long after I’m gone,” Gov. Holcomb said of the immediate and substantial public interest.” action filed in Marion County Circuit Court.