A Gary councilman announced his bid for chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, saying leadership needs to move away from identity politics.
Councilman Darren Washington, D-at large, announced his bid to the Post-Tribune Thursday morning.
“Will I win? I don’t know, but I’m going to try,” Washington said.
He joins former State Senator Karen Tallian, of Ogden Dunes, in the race. Tallian, who advocated for reproductive rights and the legalization of marijuana during her time in office, did not respond to multiple requests for comment Friday.
Indiana Democratic Party Chair Mike Schmuhl announced in December that he will not be seeking another term. He will serve as chair until his term ends March 15.
Darren Washington speaks during a caucus to fill the at-large Gary Common Council seat on Saturday, August 20, 2022. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune)
“I know how hard it can be to be a Democrat in Indiana, and over the past four years we have placed our party on a path to future success by protecting what we have and building new bases of support,” Schmuhl said in a December news release.
In addition to Washington and Tallian, Allen County Democratic Party Chair Derek Camp and former Secretary of State and Attorney General candidate Destiny Wells have also announced they are vying for the position.
Of the four people running, Washington said he’s the only one who’s currently an elected official.
Washington told the Post-Tribune that the Democratic Party needs to change its direction to win statewide.
“We need to take identity politics out of this,” he said. “We are going to continue to lose if we don’t. We need to go back to the basics.”
Indiana state Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Portage, addresses the crowd regarding current legislation during a cannabis legalization rally held at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. (Michael Gard/Post-Tribune)
Washington wants the party to focus more on fair wages, housing, jobs and Medicare and Medicaid funding statewide. He also wants to address low voter turnout statewide and encourage other Democrats to create a better economic plan for voters to see.
Making these changes will put Democrats statewide in a better position, Washington said Thursday.
“We need to be able to go toe-to-toe with the Republicans,” he said. “If we have the right candidate, we can beat them. But we need change at the local and state levels.”
Washington hopes that whoever wins the position sees the need for change within the party to win in Indiana. He believes voters need to see someone they believe in to continue voting Democrat.
“There needs to be change within the party,” Washington said. “We need to have hard conversations.”
