What they lacked in numbers, the delegates at the State Democratic Convention made up in enthusiasm.

The first convention held outside of Indianapolis took a hit in attendance – 1,400 delegates, which was down from 2,000 in 2010 and 1,700 delegates in 2008.

Lori Wright, of Indianapolis, said while Fort Wayne was a good host city, there are logistical reasons to have the event in the center of the state.

"If I had to drive from Evansville, I wouldn't be here," she said.

Evansville is about 300 miles away, or more than a five-hour drive, for instance.

Jennifer Wagner, spokeswoman for the party, said the 1,400-count was taken at 10 a.m. in the morning. Many folks arrived later for the official 3 p.m.convention but they weren't counted toward the quorum report.

She also contends location wasn't an issue. For instance, 79 percent of the delegates from the 9th Congressional District attended (thanks in large part to a free bus).

Wagner said the primary reason for the drop in attendance is there was no contested election. In 2010, for instance, there was a tight Secretary of State's race that many people wanted to vote in.

"Hosting the convention in Fort Wayne was a huge success by any measure; our delegates had a great time, and the city was a wonderful partner," she said. "We'll definitely look at hosting future conventions outside of Indianapolis."

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