Holcomb backs consultant Anne Hathaway to lead Indiana GOP

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Anne Hathaway, president of Hathaway Strategies and Indiana's national committeewoman on the Republican National Committee chair, has been nominated by Gov. Eric Holcomb to lead the Indiana GOP (IBJ file photo)

Gov. Eric Holcomb is supporting Republican consultant Anne Hathaway to replace Kyle Hupfer as the chair of the Indiana Republican Party, party spokesman Luke Thomas confirmed Monday.

Brian Howey of State Affairs was the first to report Holcomb’s support for Hathaway on Saturday, one day after Hupfer announced that he would step down after leading the party for more than six years.

The state party committee, which plans to convene “in the near future,” still needs to vote on Holcomb’s choice, Thomas told IBJ.

Hathaway, president of Indianapolis-based consulting firm Hathaway Strategies and former chief of staff of the Republican National Committee, would assume the leadership position at a time when the Indiana’s GOP influence has reached unprecedented heights.

The party has held supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature for the past decade and currently controls seven of the state’s nine U.S. Congressional Districts. The party is also in charge of more than 90 percent of all county-elected offices across the state.

Politico reported Friday that it was widely rumored the Hupfer intended to join the gubernatorial campaign of former Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers, who officially joined the race Thursday. Hupfer hasn’t said whether he plans to join the former IEDC president.

Hupfer, a partner at Indianapolis law firm Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, had led the Indiana Republican Party since February 2017, a span that covered four election cycles.

Hathaway got her start in politics working for former Vice President Dan Quayle in the White House. After Quayle left office in 1993, Hathaway stayed with him for his book tours and ran his political action committee before accepting a role as a regional political director for the RNC and, later, as chief of staff.

She returned to Indianapolis in 2009 and formed her own consulting firm. In 2015, she was named one of IBJ’s “Women of Influence.”

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12 thoughts on “Holcomb backs consultant Anne Hathaway to lead Indiana GOP

    1. Grant S., I’m sure you beleive building sports stadia for billionaires is also a winning strategy depsite study after study showing the opposite. Speaking of slurring isolationists, I’m sure Anne, you and Eric H also still think going to war in Iraq was a winning strategy …

    2. Sure, a guy who is at war with Indianapolis. Reading his Twitter account, he strikes me as someone who is high on his own supply.

      “Repeal Civil Rights laws, ban abortion, ban teacher unions, enormous tax credits for straight married couples, bring back the Spanish Inquisition and cleanse the churches. “

      Bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for him.

      https://twitter.com/PaleoGOP

    3. We are just going to disagree on your usage of the word “great”.

      I’d settle for a party inhospitable to schmucks like Curtis Hill, Todd Rokita, Diego Morales, Mike Braun, Jim Banks, ….

  1. Good choice! There are few who have her depth and breadth of political knowledge and experience. And probably non who have close to her network of political and business leaders.

  2. Whoever it is, better doggone be well ahead of the curve this time. It’s a sliding constituency with the great actions by our State Government, but oppositions are growing against the Republicans in the state. Hang on tight. Careful planning needed way in advance.

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