Steve Shine announced Monday he will seek another four-year term as chairman of the Allen County Republican Party.
The party will have a caucus election at 9 a.m. March 2 at the South Side High School auditorium. Precinct committeemen and vice precinct committeemen are eligible to vote.
Shine, a local attorney who has led the party for 20 years, likely will have at least one challenger. Jason Arp, a financial adviser, precinct committeeman and member of tea party group Allen 9-12, has said he will run for chairman.
In the 2009 caucus election, Shine received 211 of 338 votes to easily defeat four challengers.
In his Monday announcement, Shine pointed to election gains for the county GOP in elections for county offices, Fort Wayne City Council and the Indiana General Assembly in recent years. He said in a statement that the party ended 2012 "with no debt and having an enviable cash balance on hand."
Shine also said he has been endorsed by Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-3rd, "who embodies the conservative ideals of our community."
