Repay bullish on Lake County Dems' future
In Lake County, there has been a lot of energy among Democrats to get involved and even run for office, Repay said, so his focus will be to help those people get into positions that fit their strengths, whether that's running for office or helping the party in other ways.
'There's a firehose of Democratic energy in our county, and probably in the state and the country I'd say, and leadership needs to take that and focus it in so that they can make a positive change,' Repay said.
On Saturday, the Lake County Democratic Party held its reorganization meeting and party members selected Repay, who ran unopposed, to replace former chairman Jim Wieser.
Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman will remain vice chair, Dyer Democratic Precinct Committee secretary Taylor Gibson is secretary and Lake County Assessor LaTonya Spearman is treasurer.
Gibson beat incumbent secretary and Lake County Council President Christine Cid. Spearman beat Paul Aguilera and Brandon Dothager to be treasurer as the incumbent Peggy Holinga Katona did not seek reelection.
Repay, who is also a Lake County Commissioner, said with the county party reorganization, and upcoming reorganization at the district and state levels, Indiana Democrats have an eye on expanding Democratic reach in the Republican supermajority state.
'We are a blue county, and I think we can be bluer,' Repay said. 'There's Republicans that are elected in Lake County and I think we need to put up folks to run against them that are qualified and eager to participate.'
A lot of people have been reaching out to the party to ask about joining political organizations or running for office, Repay said. As chairman, Repay said he will work toward engaging with people where they reach out, spanning from in-person discussion to social media messages, to help them engage with the party in the way they'd like to.
Repay said he embraces the idea of 'a big tent' within the party, so he will work toward ensuring that everyone within the party has a space to discuss their thoughts and opinions on how to move forward.
'As long as we are all moving in the same direction and we can play off of each others' strengths and work towards a common goal then we can do it,' Repay said. 'What we need to do is find the common ground and work towards the common ground. If people want to be a little bit more one way or the other, then they're free to do that. It's a big tent. It's a big party.'
Through redistricting, Republicans in Indiana have gerrymandered, or shifted the political boundaries to favor their party, Repay said. Over the years, that has decreased the number of Lake County Democrats in the statehouse, he said.
'It's not good government when you marginalize voters by packing different both ethnic and political groups into certain districts and then splitting up a solid basis of interests into multiple districts just so you can have (a supermajority),' Repay said.
Ahead of 2026, Repay said the party will focus on organizing volunteers and structures to help more Democrats win seats in the state legislature. Closer to the election, Repay said the party will focus on 'boots on the ground' efforts to knock on doors and engage all voters in districts with Republican legislators at the same time.
In the current legislative session, Republicans are unconcerned about public schools, local government, and funding police and fire service, Repay said. In two years, area Republican legislators will have to explain to voters their positions on those matters, he said.
Meanwhile, Repay said the Democratic Party will be preparing to talk to those same voters to present counterpoints.
'There will be no free lunch for Republicans in Lake County in 2026,' Repay said. 'If they expect to win those districts, they are going to have to communicate their message to the residents in the district and absolutely the Democratic Party is going to communicate our message to those people in those districts.'
Fajman said Repay will bring a new perspective as the party moves forward.
'He's going to bring a lot to the table in terms of media and different ways for the party to be seen,' Fajman said. 'I'm excited to see him work in this capacity.'
Lake County Republican Chairman Randy Niemeyer said he and Repay have worked well together in recent years as Niemeyer is a councilman and Repay is a commissioner. They will 'work diligently on the process of elections' and ensure they serve the people of Lake County, Niemeyer said.
Wieser said Repay was the 'perfect person' to be the next chairman. After Saturday's meeting, Wieser said he, Repay and Fajman talked about election board matters, upcoming caucuses in Gary and Hobart that Repay will run, and Repay meeting with city and town chairmen.
The fact that Repay ran unopposed speaks volumes of the confidence the party has in him, Wieser said.
'He'll take the organization to another level,' Wieser said. 'He has all the right relationships with people to run it.'
akukulka@chicagotribune.com
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