Democrat Brian Smith Won’t Seek To Retain Party Chair
Staff Report
WARSAW — Brian Smith announced Monday he will not seek re-election as chairman of the Kosciusko County Democrats.
Smith said there were numerous factors in his decision, but added, “after the last election, I was exhausted. I had no motivation and I was zapped mentally. I kept telling myself that the motivation that I once had would return, but it has since not.”
In a lengthy statement on Facebook, Smith said he’s enjoyed the job for four years and that it’s been a privilege.
“I can’t thank each of you who believed in me enough. When elected, I was just 28. I believe I was the youngest county chair in the state. Very few people my age have the platform that I have and I tried to use it to get more millennials involved in politics.
Smith said Democrats will reorganize on March 6 in a Zoom meeting.
He pointed with pride at some of the recent accomplishments, including an increased number of Democrats on the local ballot.
“The amount of candidates we were able to recruit forced the opposition party to actually campaign and get to know their constituents. Nobody got a free pass to re-election,” Smith said.
“Furthermore, due to the amount of down-ballot candidates we had, the opposition party was pre-occupied and they weren’t devoting all of their resources to the statewide races, which they usually do. As a result, Trump performed 5% worse than he did 4 years ago, and we also moved numbers for our attorney general candidate,” he said.
“Kosciusko was one of only four counties (and the only rural county) where Joe Biden performed better than Barack Obama did eight years ago,” Smith said.
He specifically thanked Vice-Chair Vicki Carvey Morton for her support and then endorsed her as chairman.
“I can’t thank her enough for being beside me through thick and thin, the ups and downs, and the highs and lows. Without her hard work finding poll workers, none of the success I mentioned above would have been possible,” Smith said.
He added, “Her organizational skills are top-notch and her service to our community is unmatched. Vicki and her husband Bill Morton have been involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, CASA, and Cardinal Services. Vicki will be a great face for our party.”