GOP Questions City Mismanagement

Today the Vanderburgh County Republican Party questioned $2.8 million paid to Browning Investments, an Indianapolis development firm, for the former Executive Inn in downtown Evansville. Under the terms of an agreement reported by the Evansville Courier & Press, Browning Investments first bought the property for $9.4 million, but the City of Evansville then paid Browning [...]

Cheryl Musgrave Calls for Campaign Transparency

At an Evansville neighborhood association meeting last night, Gail Rieken and Cheryl Musgrave appeared together before engaged and interested citizens. Yet Riecken refused to allow citizens to record her comments. After arriving late to the meeting, she ordered that all cameras be turned off before she spoke. Then associates of hers yelled and accused other audience members of using their cell phones to record her remarks.

In response Musgrave pledged to continue working for transparency on the campaign trail just as she has as county assessor, county commissioner, and Commissioner of the Department of Local Government Finance. Click here for more on the incident and Cheryl Musgrave’s record of transparency.

Bob Musgrave Appointed Treasurer

Wayne Parke, newly elected Chairman of the Vanderburgh County Republican Party, announced today that Bob Musgrave has agreed to serve on the party’s central committee as Treasurer.

Musgrave currently serves as Trustee to the United States Bankruptcy Court, and has long been active in local and state Republican activities. He is married to Cheryl Musgrave, former Vanderburgh County Commissioner and current candidate for State Representative for District 77.

“I am happy and pleased that Bob has agreed to do this,” said Parke. “Treasurer is an important position, and Bob brings the right balance of education and experience to really strengthen the Central Committee and the party.”

Wayne Parke Elected Chairman

Republican precinct committeemen elected E. Wayne Parke to serve as the new Vanderburgh County Republican Party Chairman on Thursday, July 22nd. Wayne replaces former chairman Nicholas Hermann, who has resigned in order to run for Vanderburgh County Prosecutor.

Wayne is a retired executive with Peabody Energy and Black Beauty Coal Company where he served as Director of Administration and Senior Vice President. Prior to his work with Peabody and Black Beauty Coal Company, Wayne served as President and Owner of Kindill Mining, Inc., was President/CEO of Old Ben Coal Company, and has worked in various other capacities in the coal industry since 1967.

Wayne has long been active in the community as well. He is the Board Chairman of the Southwestern Indiana Red Cross Chapter, past School Board President of the East Gibson School Corporation, and is a member of the Green River Kiwanis Club. Wayne resides on Evansville’s East Side with his wife, Ms. Karen Parke. The couple have two grown children, Andrea and Timothy.

Vote May 4th in the Republican Primary

With your help, our party has helped lead a serious discussion in this primary campaign about our local, state, and national priorities. And now it’s time to vote.

Tomorrow Republican voters will go to the polls to select our party’s nominee for a number of offices. We have an extraordinary number of candidates in competitive contests; a list of them on the ballot in Vanderburgh County can be found here.

After you’ve cast your ballot, please join us downtown at Ri Ra’s for a post-election party. The fun will begin at 5:30pm. Admission is free, and appetizers and a cash bar will be available, along with live primary election returns as they come in.

We look forward to celebrating with you. Thank you for being a part of our team.

Christine Keck Joins GOP Central Committee

Christine Keck has joined the Vanderburgh County Republican Party central committee as Vice-Chair of Development. Christine will take a lead role in developing and marketing the Party to the community and state at large.

Christine, an Evansville native, has been an active participant in the community both professionally and personally. She recently joined Energy Systems Group, a Vectren subsidiary, as Director of Strategy and Business Development for their Utility Services team, focusing on Federal and Renewable energy projects throughout the U.S. Prior to that, Christine was with Old National Bank for 12 years, serving most recently as Senior Vice President, Regional Corporate Lending Executive.

She currently serves as a Commissioner for the City of Evansville’s Historic Preservation Commission, and on the Board of Director’s of the Southwestern Indiana Chamber of Commerce, St. Mary’s Foundation, Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, the Evansville Museum and is the past President of the Evansville Country Club Board of Directors. In 2009, Christine was appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels to the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications and Nominations and is a 2007 graduate of the Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series. In 2006, she and her husband Jim were founding co-chairs of the S.W. Indiana United Way’s Young Leaders United program.

Christine attended McGill University in Montreal and is a graduate of Indiana University – Bloomington. She and her husband reside in downtown Evansville’s historic district, with their two dogs Brother Bear and Miss Indiana and Boo Kitty.

Christine joins a VCRP central committee which also includes Nick Hermann as Chairman, Joyce Perry as Vice Chairwoman, Josh Claybourn as Secretary, and Wayne Parke as Treasurer.

GOP Senate Candidates to Debate in Evansville

Four Republicans battling for the party’s nomination to run for the U.S. Senate will debate in Evansville on April 10th. The debate will begin at 4pm at the business incubator located at 815 John Street near Republican party headquarters.

The candidates facing off in the May 4 primary election and participating in the debate are John Hostettler, Marlin Stutzman, Dan Coats and Don Bates Jr.

The event is open to the public and admittance is free. For questions please email the Vanderburgh GOP at vandygop@gmail.com.

“I commend these U.S. Senate candidates for agreeing to participate in our debate, and for addressing some of the important issues facing the State of Indiana and our nation. Indiana Republicans have an important choice to make, and it is critical that we have the information needed to make an informed decision,” said Vanderburgh GOP Chairman Nick Hermann.

Click here to submit a question to the candidates.

Video of Lincoln Day Dinner

Video footage of the Vanderburgh County Republican Party’s 2010 annual Lincoln Day Dinner, featuring Gov. Mitch Daniels as keynote speaker, is now available online.

Click here for more on it and to view additional videos from WatchEvansville.com.

Upcoming Events

Meet & Greet with Ron Bacon
Ron Bacon, candidate for state representative, will host a Meet & Greet with Indiana Superintendent Dr. Tony Bennett on Monday, March 15th at 6:30pm. The event will be held at Stoll’s Country Inn on Hwy 41 North next to the State Police Post. The cost to attend is $25 per person, which includes dinner and drinks. The event will be family friendly. Please RSVP to Ron by Sat. March 13th at 867-3227 or 618-5019. Come hear Dr. Bennett talk about the future of Indiana’s Education system.

Women R.O.C. Planning Several Events
Jeremy Meeks, candidate for County Commissioner (Dist 2), is set to speak this Saturday, March 13th, at the monthly Women R.O.C. (Women Right of Center) meeting. The meeting will take place at the Central Library downtown and will begin at 9:00am. Come ready to engage in local political discussion. Additionally, the Women R.O.C. will begin planning for an 8th District Congressional Debate on April 19th and a Candidate Event on April 26th. Email womenrightofcenter@yahoo.com with any questions.

VCFRW Membership Event
The Vanderburgh County Federation of Republican Women (VCFRW) will be hosting a membership event on Wednesday, March 24th at 6:00pm with guest speaker Charlie White, candidate for Indiana Secretary of State. The event will take place at the Oak Meadow Golf Club. VCFRW members are encouraged to bring a guest and to consider membership with the VCFRW. All guests are welcome. Contact Sarah Goff for information and reservations at sarah-goff@sbcglobal.net.

Rep. Suzanne Crouch Golf Outing
State Representative Suzanne Crouch will host a golf outing on Friday, April 30th at Eagle Valley Golf Course. The outing will begin with a shotgun start at 12 noon. A Bar-B-Q lunch will preceed the start from 11:00-12:00 and prizes will follow golf. Individual and foursome spots are available, along with sponsorships. For the cost to participate, or to RSVP, email Suzanne at scrouch1@evansville.net.

Lincoln Day Dinner a Success

The Vanderburgh County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner was a roaring success. Gov. Mitch Daniels gave an inspiring and upbeat keynote address. In addition to numerous local candidates and activists, hopefuls for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress were in attendance. Thank you to everyone who attended and who helped make the evening special. Video of Gov. Daniels’s speech will be available soon online.

Next Page »