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Allen County GOP Chairman Steve Shine apologized Saturday to party faithful for not doing enough last year to bridge a schism in the party and asked Republicans to help him heal the wounds from 2007.
In a blunt 20-minute speech, Shine laid bare the open wound that has been festering in the local GOP since last year’s mayoral campaign fractured the party. While he also spoke of the accomplishments of Republican officials, his speech focused on the divisions in the party.
He told the standing-room-only crowd of nearly 100 at Republican Headquarters that the party is big enough for divergent ideas and levels of conservatism. He said different viewpoints shouldn’t lead people to attack each other.
“There is no shortage of good people in this organization, no matter where on the spectrum of conservatism they may fall,” he said. “There is, unfortunately, a shortage of understanding one another.”
Upstart mayoral candidate Matt Kelty’s victory in the GOP primary last year over favored Allen County Commissioner Nelson Peters upset several within the party who backed the more established candidate. That schism was further widened after Kelty was indicted on nine criminal charges, including seven felonies, alleging campaign finance violations and perjury. Several Republicans vocally attacked Kelty and even supported Mayor Tom Henry, causing Kelty’s grass-roots support to accuse the Republican establishment of stabbing the nominee in the back.
Shine said Saturday he tried to keep the party together by taking the middle road but admitted those steps angered supporters and donors.
“Everything I did, though, I did because I thought those actions stood the best chance of stopping a wildfire that was consuming our party. But what happened was not exactly what I had hoped for to happen,” he said. “For that, you have my sincere and unequivocal apology.”
After the speech Shine said it was crucial to be as frank as possible with the audience to begin the healing process.
Councilman Tom Smith, R-1st, said he hoped the speech would start bringing people together. He said it was a good sign many in the audience stayed afterward to talk to one another instead of quickly leaving headquarters. Several others congratulated Shine on the speech, saying it was the best he could have done, but some weren’t sure it was enough.
Ken Neumeister, the former head of the party’s executive committee, said only time would tell whether the party could heal. Shine disbanded the committee last year after several members spoke out against Kelty, but Shine apologized Saturday for that decision.
One attendee, who didn’t want to be named, said it’s one thing to mend fences when the differences were solely based on issues, but the local GOP’s problems last year became quite heated and personal. That will be a much more difficult gap to bridge.
And the party has several pressing issues ahead of it, including finding a new home. Shine told the group it is unlikely the party headquarters will remain at Main and Harrison streets for much longer, as the GOP looks for ways to cut costs.
He said the state party is examining the establishment of a Victory Center in Fort Wayne to support local and state candidates. Shine said this could allow the county party to locate with the group, although he said that is unlikely to happen at the current center because its $2,200 monthly rent is too expensive.
Kevin Knuth, spokesman and former chairman of the Allen County Democrats, said it will likely be difficult for Shine to be a healing force for the party because many see him as a symbol of the problems, even though he personally thought Shine did what he could during a difficult time.
“Unfortunately they have a very long road back to being what they once were,” he said.
Even Shine’s own future with the party remains in doubt after the speech, as he did not address whether he will seek another term as chairman next year.
“We have far too many things to talk about today that far exceed the importance of my plans,” he said.
After the meeting Shine said he will continue working as chairman as if he is seeking another term, noting he needs the pressure to motivate him.
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