Welcome Aboard Gary Snyder!
Posted by Jeff Pruitt - 7/11/08 @ 8:33 am - Filed Under 2008 Local Elections, Local Politics
Former Huntington Republican State House candidate Gary Snyder has switched parties and decided to run as a Democrat for Huntington county council this fall. He detailed his reasons for doing so in a recent Herald-Press article:
“I’m a social conservative, but I’m pro-working class, pro-middle class on fiscal issues,” Snyder said. “That was a message that did not sit will with the Republican Party, at least in Huntington County.”
Huntington County Democrats, on the other hand, were accepting of his social issues “and my stance on financial issues rang true with them,” he said.
That obviously didn’t sit well with Republican chairwoman, and the mayor’s wife, Pam Updike.
“I guess if you can switch parties that quickly, you are not a very good party-faithful person,” Updike said when asked about Snyder’s crossover move.
“If he has not filed all the paperwork, it’s not fair to my candidates, as Republicans, who have done the proper things,” Updike said. “I do not feel he has done all the property paperwork and I will challenge that if it’s found to be the case.”
So much like the Allen County Republicans, the Huntington Republicans would rather try and game the system and complain about technicalities than allow the voters to make their choice.
And after scouring through the documents Updike thinks she’s found an error - the following quote speaks for itself:
Updike, who served two terms as County Clerk, has spent the last few weeks investigating how the caucus was conducted.
“I talked to my executive committee and the members of County Council about this issue and I spent a lot of time reviewing the papers from the Clerk’s office to make sure that something was not done properly,” she said.
So now Updike’s filed an official complaint with the election board - held 2-1 by Republicans - to try and get Snyder’s candidacy vacated. You can read all about this over at Snyder’s blog, including a scathing e-mail Updike sent him when he has the audacity to challenge a Republican incumbent during the primary.
Also, he has a BBQ Dinner kickoff fundraiser coming up next Saturday:
Saturday, July 19, 2008
5101 W. 1000 N.
Huntington, IN. 46750
6:00 pm
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There are too many examples of this on both side of the aisle. This is not new to either party.
[...] In a shocking display of democratic idealism the Republican Huntington county chairwoman, Pam Updike, has pulled her election board challenge in regards to Gary Snyder’s county council candidacy. If you want the background on her frivolous challenge then you can read my previous post on the topic. [...]