Republicans hope national success will boost local party
With President Bush capturing a rare Republican win in Warren County in the recent election, the local party is setting its sights lower, but closer to home, in 2006 as it takes aim at the county commission.
“We want to have someone to run in each and every district of Warren County in ’06,” said Warren County Republican party chairman Charlie Moss, pointing to a large county map with pictures of the present commissioners taped to the bottom. “Never, never, never, and I mean never, has anyone run as a Republican for county commission and been elected. We’re going to change all that.”
The announcement of the long-range plan came during a celebration of Bush’s win at Thursday’s regular meeting of the local party. The Bush win here marked the first time in recent history, and perhaps all Warren County history, that a Republican presidential candidate has carried the historically Democratic county.
Moss said he feels the local party can build on the gains which saw the Republicans take control of the state senate to further the growth of the local party.
“People now know there’s a Republican party in Warren County,” Moss said.
As for the plan, Moss said the party will be actively searching for Republican candidates to run in each of the 12 county districts. There are two commissioners elected to represent each district, with all 24 seats up for election in the summer of 2006.
Moss said he wants to develop the candidates now so that a grassroots effort can be started to help the hopefuls not only to compete, but win some districts. Moss added the party is formulating fund-raising ideas to help those who chose to run under the GOP moniker.
A similar plan to run Republican candidates in the three school board slots did not materialize this past year. Two Republican candidates, one seeking a county commission post and one seeking the property assessor post, were defeated this past year.
However, Moss pointed out the recent elections show many Warren countians share Republican views on many issues, and therefore, Republican candidates could make an impact in 2006.