The Lake County Democratic Central Committee’s indicted chairman cast the tie-breaking vote Saturday to select the party’s new leader.
Attorney Jim Wieser was chosen as the party chairman over county Commissioner Michael Repay, D-Hammond, by chairman Sheriff John Buncich, who broke the 305-305 tie vote.
The crowd erupted into boos and chants of “revote” when Buncich announced that state party rules state a tie must be resolved by the sitting county chairman casting a vote.
Wieser said no one would have expected a tie vote.
“I’m just stunned,” he said.
Of the 939 eligible Democratic precinct chairmen and committeemen, 625 registered for the reorganization meeting.
Only 610 of the registered cast a vote during the caucus, conducted at Ss. Helen and Constantine Greek Orthodox Church in Merrillville. It was the largest reorganization turnout.
The last reorganization had about 500 eligible participants and the one prior to that just 475, Wieser said.
The result of the vote showed the caliber of candidates vying for the top spot in the party and was not indicative of any divide among members, Wieser said.
“I told Mike before the vote I don’t think the party could go wrong with either one of us,” he said.
Repay said while he was disappointed, rules are rules.
“We are a product of the process as politicians. The process was as fair as I would expect,” Repay said. “That’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
In the vice chairman race, Michelle Fajman secured the slot over Gary City Councilwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade, a relative political newcomer.
Peggy Katona stopped a push by Tammi Davis, of Gary, for the treasurer’s spot
Incumbent party secretary John Petalas lost his bid for re-election to Lake County Councilwoman Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, in a race that began with four candidates, but ended with three. In an unexpected turn of events, candidate Katharine Hadow, of Crown Point, used her time before the audience to endorse Michael T. Ball, also running for the position.
The race was pushed to a revote after none of the candidates garnered a minimum 306 votes necessary to capture the win. In the revote, Cid edged out Petalas.
Buncich, selected by caucus to fill the remaining two years of former chairman Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.’s term, when he resigned, did not seek to extend his term as chair following federal corruption charges.
In November, Buncich, former Sheriff’s Department Chief of Police Timothy Downs and William Szarmach, of CSA Towing in Lake Station, were named in a multicount indictment alleging an illegal towing scheme in which the sheriff accepted bribes in the form of thousands of dollars in cash and donations to his campaign fund, Buncich’s Boosters, according to court records.
The sheriff, whose department was in charge of deciding which companies were called for towing services, and the chief allegedly steered business toward towing operators in exchange for cash and checks, the U.S. attorney’s office alleged in a 14-page indictment.
Buncich allegedly took more than $25,000 in cash bribes and $7,000 in checks from Szarmach and another towing operator, identified as “Individual A,” according to the indictment.
Buncich and Szarmach pleaded not guilty during their initial appearances in November.
Downs struck a plea agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office, which a federal judge has not yet accepted, admitting he allegedly cooperated with Buncich to solicit bribes from tow truck operators for favorable treatment.
Buncich’s trial is expected to begin in April.
Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
