Freshly elected, county GOP, Democratic party chairs look ahead

County Republicans stick with Tracy Brown as chair, and Democrats select Ken Jones. What was their pitch to their parties?

Mar 05, 2025

Support for Based in Lafayette comes from Purdue Convocations, presenting CHICAGO on April 3 in Elliott Hall of Music. In the whirlwind of Chicago’s Jazz Age, two of the Cook County Jail’s most notorious murderesses — vaudeville star Velma Kelly and chorus girl Roxie Hart — become fierce rivals as they compete for headlines amidst a media frenzy. Broadway’s longest-running musical has been razzle dazzling audiences for 27 years, and after more than 10,000 performances, 6 Tony Awards, 2 Olivier Awards and a Grammy, we’re just getting started. BUY TICKETS to CHICAGO – April 3 in Elliott Hall of Music.

FRESHLY ELECTED, COUNTY GOP, DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRS LOOK AHEAD

Tippecanoe County’s Republican and Democratic parties each elected new leaders during reorganization meetings Saturday. Tracy Brown was re-elected by the county Republicans. Ken Jones was elected by the county Democratic Party.

Here are conversations with each one about the pitches they made to their parties in this non-election year as they navigate local, state and national waters ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE

Tracy Brown, a Tippecanoe County commissioner and former county sheriff, won another term as the county Republican Party chair over Angela Yost.

Julie Roush was elected vice chair. Joe Sturm, a Lauramie Township Board member from Clarks Hill, was elected secretary. Bryan Snyder was elected treasurer.

What was Brown’s pitch to stay in the position?

“It's not an election year, but it's not a time to stand still,” Brown said. “We have a lot of work to do. And I don't think it's any secret, if you look historically at midterms, they can get kind of tough. So, you don't take anything for granted, and you get down and get busy. It's about grassroots efforts. …

“We're reaching out to people who are currently office, trying to figure out what their plans are in 2026, and start building our bench. We've had an amazing number of people that have come out and want to be involved, so getting those folks plugged in and doing things that they like to do is critical.”

The Tippecanoe County Republican Party recently have had active elections for precinct committee positions and convention delegates, showing some of the pull between more moderate and far right-leaning philosophies. That played out in 2024 in the nomination of Micah Beckwith in his for unconventional campaign to be on the ballot as the party’s lieutenant governor candidate.

“I see that as a matter of pulling all those folks together and saying, OK, what can we agree upon?” Brown said. “It takes some work building bridge. But I think, ultimately, people want good government that represents what their thoughts and beliefs are.”

Brown pointed to the town hall that drew Gov. Mike Braun to the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds to speak and take questions. (“Braun greeted by protest at Lafayette town hall, meets each individually afterward,” BiL, Feb. 13.) That visit was co-hosted by the Tippecanoe County Republican Party and a pair of locally based conservative groups, We the People Indiana Revival and Citizens in Action.

“We got together at a table and talked through what the process would look like,” Brown said. “What we walked away with from that is, when people who have common goals get together, you can do things in a very short period of time. … I think that’s the way we continue to move forward.”

ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE

Ken Jones was selected as Tippecanoe County Democratic Party chair, replacing Jacque Chosnek. Nancy Nargi, a Lafayette City Council member, was elected vice chair, with Dan Lybrook elected secretary and Lisa Dullum, a Tippecanoe County Council member, was elected as treasurer.

Here’s a Q&A with Jones this week.

Question: What was your pitch to be Democratic party chair?

Ken Jones: I've registered hundreds of voters and led government accountability efforts through the League of Women Voters. But I wanted to move beyond civic engagement into direct advocacy. My background in business and process analysis—growing a management consulting firm from startup to $10 million – gives me the skills to build a stronger, more effective Democratic Party. I approach challenges systematically: understanding how things work, improving them, and driving results.

My pitch:

Turn Tippecanoe County blue. We need Democratic majorities at every level of government. The local GOP is shifting right, and we must be prepared to lead.
Run strong, competitive candidates. Winning requires candidates who appeal to Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans.
Actively recruit and support candidates. We can’t wait for people to step up — we need to find, prepare, and guide them.
Improve party operations. A structured approach to digital outreach, voter engagement, fundraising and candidate support will make us more effective.
Strengthen financial stability. Expanding our donor base and diversifying revenue sources will ensure long-term success.

I don’t believe in just breaking things and hoping for the best—I believe in smart, strategic growth. That’s how we win.

Question: What changes should voters expect from the party’s approach going forward?

Ken Jones: Voter turnout is a real challenge in Tippecanoe County. Structural factors — like a large student population — plays a role but honestly, voters have little incentive to show up when a lot of races are left uncontested.

Going forward, expect a stronger focus on:

Recruiting strong candidates. We’re committed to fielding competitive candidates for every office — so voters have real choices at the ballot box.
Expanding voting access. We’ll work through the election board to improve transparency around vote center decisions and ensure qualified Democratic poll workers are available.
More poll watchers will help us gather data and improve the voting experience.

Question: What are the opportunities for the Democratic Party to better compete and win locally? And statewide?

Ken Jones: The county offices are all good opportunities for us. Both Wea and Tippecanoe townships are becoming bluer, so we’ll be looking at those races more specifically.

For statewide offices, I’m thinking of the House and Senate, these are more challenging due to gerrymandering. We’ll need to do a better job coordinating and collaborating with our neighboring counties to generate the numbers to win those races.

Question: What do you think needs to be done outside of elections in the current political dynamic in the county, at the Statehouse and in Washington?

Ken Jones: A lot needs to happen outside of elections to make real, lasting change at the local and state levels. Too often, political energy is wasted on manufactured outrage instead of addressing the real challenges affecting Hoosiers. Some things I think we should be focusing on:

At the city/county level:

Infrastructure and Public Services: Investing in better roads, bridges and public transit.
Economic Growth: Supporting businesses, attracting good-paying jobs and expanding workforce training programs.
Public Safety and Emergency Services: Ensuring law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency response teams have the resources they need while also expanding access to mental health and addiction treatment services.
Housing and Development: Encouraging responsible growth that keeps housing affordable while improving community spaces and amenities.

At the state level:

Education and Workforce Development: Properly funding public schools, protecting teachers from political interference and expanding vocational training and higher education access.
Healthcare Access: Supporting the Affordable Care Act, addressing the healthcare worker shortage and keeping rural hospitals open.
Workers’ Rights and Wages: Strengthening labor rights, ensuring fair wages and improving access to child care so working families can thrive.
Protect our Environment and Natural Resources: Look at water and all of the state’s natural resources as assets to be managed in a sustainable, long-term manner to benefit all Hoosiers – not just a narrow set of interests.
Local Control and Government Accountability: Stopping the Statehouse from overriding local decision-making on key issues like public health, education and economic development.

Real change happens between elections when people stay engaged, hold leaders accountable and push for practical solutions that make life better for all Hoosiers — not just the loudest voices in the room.

TODAY’S THE DAY TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE BASED IN LAFAYETTE REPORTING PROJECT.

THIS AND THAT …

SPELLING CHAMPS LOOK TO GO TO SCRIPPS NATIONAL BEE: Sharanya Kar, a West Lafayette Intermediate School seventh-grader, will defend her 2023 and 2024 Lafayette regional titles in the Scripps National Spelling Bee against spelling champs from 30 other schools Saturday in this year’s regional bee.

LARA Educational Opportunities will host the regional spelling bee competition at 10 a.m. Saturday at First Christian Church, 329 N. Sixth St. in Lafayette.

Sharanya Kar, a West Lafayette Intermediate School student, won the 2024 Lafayette regional spelling bee. (Photo: Dave Bangert)

The winner Saturday will qualify for the national spelling bee in May. In 2024, Sharanya finished tied for 60^th at the national bee.

Here are the winners from schools in Tippecanoe County and surrounding counties.

Battle Ground Elementary: Ameer Aboelzahab, 5th
Burnett Creek Elementary: David Betourne, 5th
Central Catholic Junior-Senior High School: Teresa Meyer, 8th
Crawfordsville Middle School: Sophia Pond, 8th
Dayton Elementary: Amelia Simmons, 5th
East Tipp Middle School: Arrayah Dewitt, 6th
Faith Christian School: Isabelle Mazur, 6th
Frankfort Middle School: Jazzy Kirk, 8th
Frontier Elementary: Reagan Marlatt, 5th
Hershey Elementary: Madeline Stiner, 5th
Kankakee Valley Middle School: Callie Palumbo, 7th
Klondike Elementary: Apoorva Patel, 5th
Klondike Middle School: Austin Oates, 6th
Lafayette Christian School: Violet Vanalstine, 7th
Mayflower Mill Elementary: Nolan Tribbett, 5th
Mollie B. Hoover Elementary: Adelay Miranda, 4th
Otterbein Elementary: Adam Heigl, 6th
Prairie Crossing Elementary: Declan Frazier, 4th
Saint Boniface School: Charleston Becker, 4th
Saint James Lutheran School: Tim Zhao, 8th
Saint Lawrence Elementary: Thomas Decicca, 6th
Southeast Fountain Elementary: Kinley Bertolino, 4th
Sunnyside Intermediate School: Nataliah Haston, 5th
Tecumseh Junior High School: Keyen Markwith, 8th
Van Rensselaer Elementary: Oliver Bradley, 5th
Walnut Elementary: Keely Hardin, 5th
Wea Ridge Elementary: Nolan Wise, 4th
Wea Ridge Middle School: Delilah Allbaugh, 7th
West Lafayette Intermediate School: Henry Luebbe, 6th
West Lafayette Junior Senior High School: Sharanya Kar, 7th
Wyandotte Elementary: Hinley Watson, 5th

RETIRED CITYBUS VEHICLES HEAD TO LFD: Nine retired buses and six vans from CityBus are heading to the Lafayette Fire Department to be used for vehicle extrication training for the department’s Technical Rescue Team. “Repurposing these retired vehicles for training ensures first responders have the tools they need to protect our community,” Bryan Smith, CityBus CEO, said this week about the donation to the fire department.

GLC LATINO BUSINESS EXPO FRIDAY: Greater Lafayette Commerce will host the Latino Business Expo from 2-6 p.m. Friday, March 7, at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road. The event, now in its second year, will feature exhibits and booths from 62 businesses, along with raffles and the Dos Amigos food truck. “The Latino Business Expo is a powerful opportunity to experience the richness of Greater Lafayette’s Latino business community,” Jesus Correa, Latino business liaison at Greater Lafayette Commerce, said. “It showcases the hard work, passion and unique perspectives that Latino entrepreneurs bring to our region.” For more, go to: glclatinobusinessexpo2025.expofp.com.

POST-JOINT ADDRESS READS …

NPR’s Domenico Montanaro opened a report this way: “After a firehose of a first six weeks back in the White House, President Trump delivered a boastful and partisan address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. Coming in at just under 100 minutes, it was the longest such speech in modern history. And it saw a Democratic member of Congress be kicked out, several other Democrats walk out at various points and a Republican Party firmly and enthusiastically backing their president.” For the full report: “6 takeaways from Trump's pointedly partisan address to Congress.”

From Axios reporter Zachary Basu: “Trump's forever campaign: Takeaways from a marathon address to Congress.”
The Wall Street Journal had this line-by-line analysis: “An Annotated Fact-Check and Analysis of Trump’s Speech to Congress.”
Also from the Wall Street Journal: “Trump’s ‘Swift and Unrelenting Action’ Tests Americans’ Appetite for Upheaval. President celebrates his sweeping moves but glosses over economic obstacles during his prime-time address.”
From the Washington Post, on Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s Democratic response to Trump’s speech: “American security, prosperity and democracy, she underscored, are ‘at risk.’ ‘It’s at risk when the president decides you can pick and choose what rules you want to follow, when he ignores court orders and the Constitution itself, or when elected leaders stand by and just let it happen,’ she said. ‘But it’s also at risk when the president pits Americans against each other when he demonizes those who are different and tells certain people they shouldn’t be included.’” For the full account: “In Democratic response to Trump, Slotkin says, ‘Reagan must be rolling in his grave.’”
U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, a Greencastle Republican whose 4^th District includes Tippecanoe County, was fully on board with Trump’s speech.

Based in Lafayette, Indiana

Discussion about this post