Abdul-Hakim Shabazz: So what exactly is a Marion County Republican?

So, how do you define a Republican in Marion County? Are they MAGA Trumpers? Are they more of the Mitch Daniels/Eric Holcomb model? What is a member of the MCGOP? That was an underlying question at a caucus earlier this month. Across Indiana, Republicans, as well as Democrats in all 92 counties, got together to pick their chairs and vice chairs; for the most part, things went well.

There was some tension at the Marion County Democratic caucus, but Myla Eldridge, former Marion County clerk, won with a clear majority. However, that tension could come back to haunt the Democrats in 2026 and 2027, as I’ve been hearing about quite a bit of division on the Democratic side. And there are plenty of divisions: north vs. south, Black vs. white, progressive vs. more traditional. But we’re here to talk about the GOP.

Republicans had a contest for county chair as Joe Elsener was stepping down. The contestants were Lawrence consultant and data analyst Natalie Goodwin and former congressional candidate John Schmitz. If Schmitz’s name sounds familiar, he ran against Andre Carson in 2024 and did a great job at losing.

Goodwin ended up winning the race for chair 66% to 34%. I followed the race pretty closely and wrote about several concerns about Schmitz’s candidacy; he had a business bankruptcy, had 50 code violations on properties he’s owned, ran candidates against sitting Republican councilors in 2023, and (one of my biggest grievances) showed up last year at the Democratic State Convention endorsing Bobby Kern for lieutenant governor. Did I mention he was the Republican candidate for Congress?

Schmitz’s followers didn’t like my criticisms of him, called me everything but a child of God and accused me of being a Republican in Name Only. RINO is the term for anyone who isn’t a true “conservative.”

I like to think of myself as a moderate-conservative Republican who has voted for Democrats and Libertarians in the past. I don’t want the government in my wallet or bedroom. I believe in school choice. The government should take only what it needs to provide essential services like police, fire, roads, sewers, schools, etc. And when possible, it should keep a healthy surplus in the bank.

I don’t have a problem with same-sex marriage because everyone deserves to be as happy as the lovely Mrs. Shabazz. I believe you have the right to own firearms and a responsibility to know how and when to use them. And I think marijuana should be legal, safe and well-regulated. Another way to describe me would be as a Republican in the mold of Dick Lugar, Mitch Daniels, Eric Holcomb and Greg Ballard.

But for some reason, for the “purity” crowd, that’s not good enough. They want you to walk in lockstep, and with one candidate who ran for county party secretary, goose-step by goose-step. If you don’t meet their definition of Republican/conservative, you’re just a RINO.

News flash, this is Marion County, a city. The issues Republicans here tend to care about are somewhat different from those in the doughnut counties, as well as in more rural areas. They care about roads, schools and economic development while ensuring the government is held accountable for other issues unique to a large urban area with a diverse population and a Democratic majority.

Yes, there are some members for whom social issues are their primary focus, and I respect that. But at the county caucus this month, 66% went for Republicans like me because that’s what you’ll need to win a county where Democrats have a 60-40 advantage.•

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Shabazz is an attorney, radio talk show host and political commentator, college professor and stand-up comedian. Send comments to [email protected].

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