(FORT WAYNE, IN) WOWO – Allen County Republican Party Chairman Steve Shine has announced that he will seek re-election to a ninth term as Chairman of the local GOP. Shine was first elected to the position of Chairman in 1993 and has served each year since then in such capacity in the local party, often referred to across Indiana as the, “state’s premier county political organization.”
In a letter addressed to Precinct Chairs and Vice Chairs, Shine indicated that in the most recent election cycle between 2020 and 2024, the Allen Count GOP raised nearly $950,000.00. At the end of calendar year 2024, the party had no debt and nearly $220,000.00 in cash reserves. Shine compared this to the Allen County Democrat Party, for which official finance reports indicated that during the reporting period from January 1, 2024, through mid-October, 2024, the Democrats raised $92,789.00 and the Allen County GOP raised $275,340.00. Shine said that a further indication of the local GOP’s fundraising prowess is that for the six month period between April, 2024 and October, 2024, Allen County Democrats raised $43,900.00, while the Allen County GOP raised $195,600.00.
In making his announcement, Shine stated that the success of the Allen County GOP is because of its team efforts, focusing on the Precinct Chairs and Vice Chairs. Those Precinct Committee representatives have given him the privilege of leading the party for the past three decades. Shine said, “Looking back to 2022, the Allen County GOP won every race on the ballot for county-wide offices (two Commissioner seats, Prosecutor, Sheriff, Clerk, Auditor, Recorder, Assessor and every district County Council seat). This included defeating an incumbent Democrat County Council member in a traditionally Democratic district, giving the Allen County GOP a seven to nothing plurality on Allen County Council.
In 2023, more voters voted for a Republican candidate (Lana Keesling, City Clerk) than for any other candidate on the ballot. Every Republican running for a district City Council seat was elected and Republicans elected two out of the three at-large City Council seats, all of which resulted in the Republicans increasing our majority on City Council by a six to three margin.”
Most recently, Shine stated, “During the 2024 election cycle, we elected every Republican running on the Allen County ballot from President of the United States to the Allen County Council, as well as every office in between. Those offices include United States Senator (our very own Jim Banks, who has endorsed Shine for another term), United States Congressman, Governor, Attorney General, Indiana State Senate and State Representative candidates, County Commissioner, Treasurer, Surveyor, Coroner and Allen Circuit Court Judge.”
Shine also stated that as a result of the success of the Indiana State Republican Convention being held in Fort Wayne in 2014, the Allen County GOP is diligently working on hosting next year’s Indiana State Republican Convention in Fort Wayne. Shine stated that, “the success that we enjoyed in 2014 when we last held the convention in Fort Wayne still resonates through the state, and we fully intend to duplicate and exceed the positive experiences which the delegates enjoyed the last time the convention was held here.
This year’s Allen County Reorganization Meeting will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the Grand Wayne Center, 120 West Jefferson Boulevard, Fort Wayne.
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