INDIANAPOLIS — After Indiana Democrats saw sweeping Election Day losses in the down-ballot races, the party leadership is preparing to rebuild and rebrand itself by next March.
”I think it is a wake-up call,” INDEMS Party Chairman Mike Schmuhl said.
While incumbent Democrats in Indiana were able to hold onto their seats, Schmuhl said the party needs to shift its focus to “bread-and-butter” issues and create a strong economic plan.
”I think that over the next few weeks, there’s going to be a lot of soul-searching in the Democratic Party, a lot of conversations, hopefully more constructive than damaging, just to talk about our brand,” Schmuhl said.
Former State Rep. Terri Austin said she anticipates the party could see several new faces at the state and county level soon. The party’s State Central Committee will reconvene next March to elect state leadership (an event that takes place months after every presidential election).
”Governing from the middle—that’s what people want,” Austin said. ”Let’s just drop some of these culture wars; let’s not get drawn into them.”
Political strategist Lara Beck said President-Elect Donald Trump’s dominance at the top of the ticket in Indiana played a major role in Tuesday’s wins for Republicans.
”In 2012, John Gregg, who was the Democratic candidate, lost by three points in the governor’s race to Mike Pence, so, I think we have to keep some of that into context about the Donald Trump factor,” Beck said.
However, Former State Rep. Michael Murphy, a Republican strategist, said Trump’s popularity was only part of the problem for Indiana Democrats.
”It’s also a little bit of an excuse,” Murphy said. “You get good candidates who understand what the people want, and they can win, or at least make it competitive…the Democrats way overplayed the pro-choice abortion issue.”
As for his future as INDEMS Chair, Schmuhl said he will decide whether he will stay in that role by the end of the year.
