by
Fred Swift
Hamilton County Reporter
As Joe Weingarten bows out as Democratic county chairman, a contest has developed for head of the party in Hamilton County.
Weingarten, 76, said several weeks ago that he was not planning to seek re-election as chairman, feeling younger people should get a chance.
Weingarten
In the wake of Weingarten’s announcement, two candidates have surfaced for the chairmanship. Dayna Colbert, a Fishers party activist, will be running along with a slate of other officer candidates as reported in this newspaper earlier this week.
Weingarten is supporting Colbert.
She will be opposed by Kevin Patterson, a Carmel business analyst who organized the Carmel Democratic Club which claims 100 members. With his leadership, he sees a future for the party in Hamilton County where Republicans have been the majority party since the Civil War.
New party officers including a vice chairman, secretary and treasurer, will be selected in a county reorganization caucus March 6. This year it will be conducted by mail due to continuing health concerns.
Weingarten is considering further efforts in politics. He announced that he is considering a run for U.S. Congress in the Fifth District.
The district is currently represented by Republican Victoria Spartz of Noblesville, who won election last November and takes the seat of retiring Congresswoman Susan Brooks.