Indiana Democrats have elected Mike Schmuhl, former presidential campaign manager for Pete Buttigieg, to be their new party chairman.
The party held an election Saturday afternoon. The party officers reached a majority threshold vote by the party’s State Central Committee during a reorganization meeting.
Schmuhl will replace outgoing chair John Zody, who has held the position since 2013.
Schmuhl defeated Tom Wallace, who unsuccessfully challenged Republican Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray for Senate District 37 last year, for the job.
“I”m ready to get to work, and I look forward to helping elect great Democrats up and down the ballot as we chart a new course,” Schmuhl said in a written statement.
Myla Eldridge, clerk of Marion County since 2014, will serve as vice chair of the party.
As campaign manager for Buttigieg, Schmuhl oversaw a team of 600 members and a budget of $100 million. Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, dropped out of the race late in the primaries but built a national reputation. He is now U.S. Secretary of Transportation in President Joe Biden’s administration.
Schmuhl, a South Bend native, previously managed Buttigieg’s campaign for mayor of South Bend and then served as his first chief of staff.
In 2010, Schmuhl managed former U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly’s successful reelection to the House of Representatives.
“It’s an honor to have the full support of our Indiana Democratic Party’s diverse leadership as we work together on creating a brighter and better future for Indiana and its families,” he said. “Democrats across our state are ready for a fresh vision supported by strategic planning, long-term investment, grassroots organizing and a clear message that offers all Hoosiers a better life, regardless of where they live.”
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Quote: “I”m ready to get to work, and I look forward to helping elect great Democrats up and down the ballot as we chart a new course,” Schmuhl said in a written statement.
That shouldn’t be too difficult, as few of them as there are (great ones, that is…).
I, for one, would welcome them charting a new course. The not-so-subtle march to collectivism/socialism/communism/etc. embraced by most current Democrats, leading us down the road to oblivion, is tiring.