By Mike Ellis
TERRE HAUTE — I’d like to respond to your March 1 Editor’s Note column regarding the factions of the Democratic Party.
It is true, as you pointed out, that there are two primary factions today within the Vigo County Democratic Party. The Bob Wright faction and the Joe Anderson faction. Both leaders of these factions are really step-children of the original leaders of the same factions. Bob Wright inherited his leadership from Ralph Berry-Leonard Kincaid (former prosecutors and party leaders) and Joe Anderson inherited his leadership from Raymond Kearns (former prosecutor and party leader).
These factions go back to the 1930’s when Kincaid wrestled the prosecutor’s office away from Kearns in ’36; then Berry took it; Kearns’ son Michael wrestled it back to them in 1974; Wright attempted to take it back in 1978, defeating Mike Kearns in the primary but couldn’t overcome the Democrat defections in favor of Republican Eric Abel in the fall election.
Finally in 1986, after Eric Abel decided to step-down, both factions came together and unified behind Anderson’s then legal partner, Phillip I. Adler, for prosecutor. Adler had been Michael Kearns’ chief deputy prosecutor. Adler held the post for 10 years unopposed by Democrats or Republicans. After Adler vacated the post early (1996) after being elected Superior Court Judge, both factions unified again behind Wright, who held the office for the next 10 years only opposed by Hal Johnston, which brought us to the 2006 prosecutor’s election.
This election was on the heels of the Alexis Williams-Courtenay Scott debacle. This is a short synopsis of how the factions were formed and the most visible periods where they aligned themselves with one another. The fact that we have factions doesn’t necessary mean that we have fractures. Everyone came together several times to support a strong candidate.
What was incorrect with your analysis of the 2006 election is that you believed Joe Anderson and Bob Wright were not aligned in the prosecutor’s race. Both, in fact, were aligned with Sarah Mullican — Anderson out of loyalty to the party and Wright because Mullican was his (and Etling’s) hand-picked successor. It’s just that they weren’t able to overcome the death of Alexis Williams and they weren’t able to overcome the popularity of the Republican rival, Terry Modesitt, among mainstream Democrats. They were unable to adequately distance Mullican from the death of the baby which resulted in probation for the baby’s killer.
It is, however. unusual when those factions come together and still lose the fall election, which brings me to my next point. Although you characterized me as an “Anderson ally”, the truth is that Anderson was supporting Mullican in the prosecutor’s race where I was a candidate myself, so while I don’t consider myself an ally of either camp, we have supported several of the same candidates and we’ve been opponents in particular races. Supporting different candidates in a particular election doesn’t, and shouldn’t, necessarily mean we can’t come together in the next race. Joe Anderson has the ability to recognize that the other side’s supporters are opponents and not enemies during a campaign, which is why he’s been so successful regrouping immediately after the election, win or lose. Others don’t.
The mayoral race was a totally different animal. Burke was hand-picked by the Wright-Shagley firm to take out Anderson’s sister-in-law, then Mayor Judy Anderson. She had previously defeated Wright’s then-choice, Mayor Jim Jenkins. In the meantime, Jenkins and Wright parted ways. Wright’s candidate Burke espoused many of the causes most closely aligned with the “Chamber Republicans” at the expense of mainstream Democrats which prompted the famous phrase by the late Bob Hellmann that, “Burke hijacked the Democrat Party”. Burke’s defeat wasn’t just the result of Anderson’s faction being against him in the fall. It was the result of most mainstream Democrats being against him in the fall because of the belief that Burke didn’t represent their ideals.
The only party Democrats who were supporting Burke were the branches of the Wright faction, which included party Chair Joe Etling, although it excluded many of their key allies. Most of Burke’s support came from typical Republican voters despite the fact that the Republicans had a viable candidate of their own for a change.
What caused the Democrats not to “close ranks” as you described in the fall election was the result of not having a strong Democrat choice to close ranks around and not having anyone to bring the factions together to support a weak (in Democrat eyes) candidate. Despite the fact that Bennett only won by a few votes, it took several thousand Democrat voters to vote for the Republican to make that happen.
The year 2006 wasn’t the first time, however, that Democrat Party leaders dumped their nominee in favor of the Republican. One most notable, as mentioned above, was when Wright was dumped for Abel in 1978. More recently, in 2004, Wright, Shagley, and Burke orchestrated my demise in favor of Mike Morris on the County Council. In 2006, Wright, Shagley, Burke, Mullican and others unsuccessfully orchestrated an attempt to dump Judge Michael Lewis in favor of Republican Judge Jim Walker, but Lewis’ support from mainstream Democrats was too great for them to overcome.
Last year, Wright, Shagley, Burke, and others orchestrated another failed attempt to dump Councilman Turk Roman in favor of the Chamber Republican rather than spend all of their time getting their mayoral candidate elected.
There are other notable factions within the Democrat Party that you failed to mention. Two that come to mind are the “Chuck Hanley Democrats” and the “Nick Peters’ Democrats”. These factions tend to swing from election to election.
Hanley, an old name in local Democrat politics, is a standard-bearer of the Democrat Party and worth his weight, which is significant, in Democrat votes. Nick Peters, Harrison Township trustee, has his own following and your guess is as good as anyone’s where they’ll align themselves before an election but crystal clear after an election.
One of our party’s few remaining vote captains, Peters has a strong following and delivers them to his favorite candidate election after election even when others can’t. What makes Peters so interesting is that he really has no use for Anderson and doesn’t particularly care for Wright either despite the fact that he recently married Debbie Kirk, the Democrat voter registrar appointed by Wright. It’s noteworthy to mention that Peters’ precinct is the only Democrat precinct north of Wabash Avenue that delivered for Burke in the recent mayoral election.
Any guess who Peters was for?
And then there are the Gibsons. They’ve been aligned with both factions in the past until most recently when Gibson and Anderson had a falling out over the demolition of the Terre Haute House and funding of the Hilton. Once close friends, these allies have been butting heads for the past few years with no reconciliation appearing to be on the horizon.
What’s missing oddly enough is a Democrat Central Committee faction. Unlike in years past, the Democrat Central Committee doesn’t seem to have a significant alignment of Democrat voters to make much of a difference in the primary election which has eroded their effectiveness in the fall election. Consequently, the central committee depends on bringing the other factions together, which has proven more difficult as you pointed out in your column.
With regards to the Vigo County FDR Democrat Club, it isn’t the goal of the FDR club to be the “chief rival of the official Democratic Party”. Contrary to that notion, it is the goal of the Vigo County FDR Democrat Club to fill the void of bringing all the Democrats together regardless of their alignment to a particular faction. And we recognize that we won’t have everyone at the table in every election, but more importantly realize that there will be another election the following year and perhaps we’ll come together then for a common cause or candidate.
Consequently, we vow not to chastise anyone for their choice of a particular candidate and no one needs to fear any retribution for their choice in a particular race. “If we can’t agree this election cycle, maybe next time” is the spirit of our club.
Anderson and some of his allies have accepted the spirit of our organization and are courting our Democrat members. Wright, although not all of his allies, has promised never to submit to such a concept. “You’re either with us or you’re not” hasn’t worked well lately and we hope they’ll reconsider. Hanley came to the inaugural FDR event. Peters did not. Adler did. Etling did not. A couple of dozen other Democrat officeholders and candidates also made a showing.
Those of us in the Vigo County FDR Democrat Club recognize that there may be tensions between the various factions, but that doesn’t mean everyone can’t espouse the same values. We are attempting not to get in the dispute between these factions.
For instance, Etling, Wright and their allies have aligned themselves with Judge Barbara Brugnaux for re-election. Anderson has aligned himself with Dr. Mike Rader. Wright has aligned himself with current commissioners Paul Mason and Judy Anderson for re-election. Anderson has aligned himself with challengers James Bramble and John Bischoff.
Both factions are supporting Judge Phillip I. Adler for re-election and consequently Adler has no opponent. All are welcome to the Vigo County FDR Club.
The Vigo County FDR Democrat Club has no public position with regards to any of these races other than to provide a forum where all the candidates can feel welcomed. There are members in our club supporting candidates from both factions and members in our club supporting candidates from neither faction. They’re all still good Democrats, however, and they’re all invited. It’s the way it should be in a democracy.
Our next meeting is March 28 at 5 p.m. at the VFW located at 12th and Eagle streets. Hope to see you there.
Mike Ellis is a Terre Haute attorney and founder of the Vigo County FDR Democrat Club.
