For the first time in its history, the Indiana Republican Party State Convention will be held outside of Indianapolis, and Fort Wayne will welcome 2,000 party delegates to downtown for the two-day event.
The Indiana Republican Party State Convention opens Friday and runs until Saturday at the Grand Wayne Center, 120 W. Jefferson Blvd., in downtown Fort Wayne.
Steven Shine, Allen County Republican Party chairman, said Fort Wayne's first convention will be the most elaborate state convention yet.
This year, convention organizers are broadening the reach of the event to provide a family-friendly atmosphere for delegates and their families.
“In the nearly 30 years I've been attending conventions, there's never been an effort to make it a family- friendly event. Everyone went to Indianapolis, did their business, so to speak, and then left. We want this to be business and fun. We want to take care of the party business and at the same time we will have events for delegates and their family, which includes the Parkview Field event and the Kenny Loggins concert,” he said.
The fun activities start with “Fort Fun Night” at Parkview Field on Friday. Next up is “Taste of Fort Wayne,” a six-restaurant sampling event with four bands playing live music followed by fireworks. On Saturday, delegates will be shuttled to Science Central, Allen County Courthouse, Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Jefferson Pointe Shopping Center, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory and the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Library.
Shine said this is all possible thanks to help from local business leaders Bruce Dye and Bill Bean in addition to about $250,000 footed by the Allen County Republicans. The other part of the convention tab is picked up by the state party.
While this year has an increased amount of entertainment, the real purpose of the convention is to achieve two things: to nominate statewide candidates for Secretary of State, Auditor and Treasurer, and to approve the 2014 Republican platform.
This year, the platform will include something more than party fundamentals: it will also open up the same-sex marriage discussion, too. The platform committee of the state party voted recently to include language that supports defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
The last platform approved at the party's 2012 convention did not address gay marriage. Many Republicans and non-Republicans alike wonder if the topics will be divisive for the GOP, but that's what delegates will ultimately have to figure out.
Shine said open discussion of the platform is a moment to highlight and appreciate the diversity and varied backgrounds found in the state GOP, its delegates and its 92 counties.
“I have worked for years to get away from the stereotypical image of the Republican Party by creating opportunities for the multicultural community. It's important to me to not only have people that believe in the Republican philosophy, but also show the diversity within our community to illustrate the strength of the Republican Party,” he said.
Another highlight of the convention is the two nationally recognized speakers. The keynote speakers for the party's convention include former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus. Huckabee served a governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007 and was a candidate in the 2008 U.S. Republican presidential primary. He also hosts the Fox News talk show “Huckabee.”
Priebus served as a clerk for the Wisconsin State Assembly Education Committee and earned a law degree from the University of Miami. In 2004, he ran for Wisconsin State Senate seat and lost to the Democratic incumbent. He was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee in January 2011.
Shine said Priebus is doing much to make the party progressive, even things that have been happening in Allen County for years.
“Under the leadership of chairman Priebus, the national party is really doing a lot of things that we have done locally and that is to be more inclusive, to spotlight people that believe in the Republican philosophy who show a diverse part of the community, and to reach out to more individual who believe in our philosophy but are not looked upon normally as a member of the Republican Party,” he said.
But, all in all, Shine said that despite party lines and political goals, having the convention here in Fort Wayne is a great opportunity to show off what the Summit City has to offer.
“Regardless of political affiliation, I hope there will be a welcome mat for the people that are coming to Fort Wayne and seeing the city for the first time. This no doubt will be the most elaborate convention in the history of the republican party in the state of Indiana,” he said.
In 2012, Fort Wayne hosted the first Democratic State Convention outside of Indianapolis and with another the Republican convention on its way, many wonder if this is a sign of more to come.
