To recognize diversity among the Allen County delegation, The News-Sentinel is profiling four Republican delegates chosen by voters to represent constituents at the 2014 Indiana Republican State Convention held in Fort Wayne.
First, we will open the series by introducing Allen County Chief Deputy Recorder and convention delegate Anita Mather.
Mather is a woman in the Allen County Republican Party, and in her opinion, it's the best time to be a woman in the Grand Old Party.
“It’s a lot easier now (being a woman in the Republican Party) than it probably was a long time ago. Phyllis Pond was really inspirational for me,” she said of the late state represenative from New Haven who served 35 years.
A Concordia graduate born and raised in the church, Mather is running for Allen County recorder in November’s election, but before she takes full steam to the campaign trail, she is participating in Friday and Saturday’s Indiana Republican Party State Convention in Fort Wayne as a delegate for the first time. Fort Wayne also served as host of the Democratic state convention in 2012.
As a working mother of two, it was always difficult to make the trek down to Indianapolis for the convention, but now that it’s here at home for the first time, Mather is enthusiastic to attend.
She said representing Republican women as a delegate is an important role for her because she feels it’s the time to stand up for the party’s beliefs, even when that can be a tough conversation.
“Health care coverage, taxes, right to live and gay marriage, all of those things will be continued to be talked about even after the convention. But that’s what we will focus on. They won’t be accepted too quickly or change too fast,” she said.
Mather said the party is changing somewhat, but all in all the party’s beliefs are staying the same.
“A lot of us were raised very conservative. As a true diehard Republican, my dad was a Republican, my grandfather was a Republican and it will stay that way. I think in staying with how you were raised is important. We all have issues that we feel there are no exceptions to,” she said.
For Mather, some of those issues include the gay marriage ban amendment, something just recently added to the state Republican party’s platform which will be voted upon by delegates just like Mather at this year’s convention.
Mather and other delegates bring life experiences and knowledge to the role, said Allen County Republican Party Chairman Steve Shine, which is why he works to highlight the diversity among party delegates, candidates and voters.
“I can’t control the outcome of the election for delegate, anyone can run, but if there are openings that the chairman can appoint, I try to appoint individuals who may otherwise may not have had a voice at the table. They have a seat and a voice so they can express and bring their background to front when voting on the political agenda,” he said.
And Mather hopes to bring her voice as a woman of the party to light when voting and participating during the convention.
“People like Phyllis Pond opened up a lot of doors for women in the party. It used to be a ‘Good Old Boys’ club, but today, it’s not like that at all. It seems that there’s just as many women involved here as men. So we are taking the party and convention by storm,” she said.
