Monroe County GOP to elect new chair

The Grand Old Party is promoting responsibility to voters nationwide. But the local Republican party seems a little lost in the dark.

Les Compton recently resigned as chair of the Monroe County Republicans. The new chair will be elected in a closed meeting at 7 p.m. Aug. 1.

Compton stepped down after he took the blame for a missed paperwork deadline. The mistake leaves many city seats currently held by Democrats, including the offices of the mayor and city clerk, uncontested in November.

“Our local party has recently suffered from leadership challenges,” Nancy Ganka, vice chairman for the group, said in a statement. “Effective immediately, I have assumed the duties of acting chair while we begin a reorganization process, which includes the election of a Republican County Chairman replacement.”

Bill Maegerlein and Steven Hogan, the chair candidates, both said the party’s first need is effective leadership.

“I would say they’ve reached a worst case scenario as far as their ability to operate as a political organization, get people on a ballot and get elected,” Maegerlein said.

Maegerlein is a strategic adviser at the Bloomington office of The AME Group, an information technology company.

Maegerlein said he has set several goals he wants to achieve by the end of 2012.

“The first goal is to raise money. Second is to establish a permanent headquarters. Third is to build an organization that will attract Republicans to an environment both attractive and functional,” he said. “To get to the point that we’re not only filling
every possible elected seat, but we’re also winning.”

Hogan received attention when he ran for the state legislature in 2010 against Rep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington.

He has owned multiple Bloomington businesses and served on the city council in the past. He was the Monroe County GOP chair from 1982-91.

Hogan said his concerns are readying the party for the upcoming city elections and the 2012 election.

“The first thing I want to do as a party is register voters for the fall election,” Hogan said. “It’s time to start identifying candidates for 2012. We need to develop some momentum, and we don’t have time to waste.”