Hobart Township Assessor Lino Maggio, l-r, Dave Vinzant, and Atty. John Bushemi

Gary had the numbers but not the votes

Contributed By:The 411 News

Dave Vinzant, former Hobart city councilman, edged out Gary city councilman at-large Mark Spencer by 2 votes, 34 to 32, in Wednesday night’s District 3 Democratic Caucus to take the Indiana State Senate seat vacated by Gary’s new mayor Eddie Melton.

Facing off – Vinzant, a veteran of 16 years on the Hobart city council and Spencer, a newcomer to public office just starting his 1st year on the Gary city council.

Vinzant said he had the right experiences for the job – an accounting and software business owner for 34 years who has helped resolve county tax issues. “But the most important thing is the work I did downstate last winter, solving the South Lake Mall tax problem for the city of Hobart and Merrillville schools.”

It’s a background, he said, that let him establish relationships across party lines with all 16 municipalities in Lake County and with the legislators in the Indiana General Assembly.

Spencer, who had the backing of Eddie Melton, said his 32-years as an educator and administrator gave him skills in managing million dollar budgets that benefitted all in the Gary public school system.

Using my diplomatic and communication skills, and my ability to reach across the aisle, Spencer said, “I know resources that are in Indianapolis that are due to us can be made available to us with the right tone, with the right presentation, with the right support.”

Before the vote, Michael Chhutani, a Hobart Plan Commission member was matter-of-fact about the outcome. “Most things go Gary’s way,” Chhutani said; while Gary’s precinct captains and observers were optimistic, saying ‘it wouldn’t be a tight race.’

Making the decision were 69 Democratic District 3 precinct captains from parts of Gary, Hobart, Lake Station, Merrillville, and New Chicago.

Jim Wieser, the chairman of the Lake County Democratic Central Committee overseeing the caucus said District 3 consists of 88 Democratic precinct captains. Gary has 48 of those precincts.

“We have signed in 69 of the 88 that were eligible,” Wieser said, “I do happen to know and I don't know if others call today, one of the committeemen who was trying to do everything to get here was stuck in bad weather in California and will not be here. So I know there'll be at the most at eighty-seven. But it's 69. And that's a great turnout.”

Two rounds of voting determined the outcome. Wieser said 70 votes were cast in round one, when there should only have been 69.

“It was confusion by a committee person who was appointed, but not in time for this caucus process and wasn’t aware of that,” Wieser said. To participate in the caucus, a committeeman had to have been in place 30 days before the vacancy occurred. Melton resigned on December 5th and the new precinct captain was appointed after November 5th.

That committee person had not signed in, yet received a ballot.

Later, Robinson said she didn’t know about the 30-day rule.

Two other Gary precinct captains didn’t get a chance to vote. Mary Brown, 3rd District city councilwoman arrived late, after the doors closed at 6pm.

Joe L. White, a Gary precinct captain was not allowed to cast a ballot. White said, “Wieser told me I was not an eligible voter because he had not received my appointment letter from Gary. Kim Robinson, Gary’s Democratic Party chair told Wieser she had sent the letter, but Wieser told her he hadn’t received it.”

Before the second round voting started, Wieser said some of the committee persons who had voted in the first round had left after the vote. “We are trying to contact them to get them to return.”

They didn’t return, leaving 66 committee persons for the 2nd round.

After the vote, precinct captain David Bullock said Gary had the numbers in the room, but not the votes. “Some of the Gary precinct captains didn’t give their vote to Spencer. We’ll just have to do it in the spring.”

Vinzant’s first day on the job is Monday, January 8 to complete the 11 months remaining in Melton’s term. He is likely to put his name on the ballot this month when candidate filings open for the 2025-2028 public office terms.


District 3 Democratic Precinct Captains prepared to vote at Dean & Barbara White Center in Merrillville

Story Posted:01/06/2024