The showdown in the Vanderburgh County GOP has been brewing for over a year, and in two weeks, the party will elect a new chair and Central Committee. The question is whether the next chair can mend fences and bring currently warring factions in the party together.
The local Democrats are not facing the friction that has plagued the local GOP. No Democrats have come forward to challenge Vanderburgh Chair Cheryl Schultz.
On the GOP side, however, three candidates have announced their intention to run for the chairmanship, and six others have announced that they wish to seek one of the three other committee positions that will be elected at a caucus on March 1.
Last Saturday, Frank Peterlin announced his candidacy in a crowded room of Republicans at a meeting arranged by Ken Colbert and Cheryl Battinger-Smith. Colbert and Battinger-Smith were removed from the local GOP after they ran a successful recruiting campaign to bring more conservatives into the rank of precinct committee members (PCs). After Vanderburgh County party chair Mike Duckworth removed them from their elected positions as PCs last year, Colbert vowed to get Duckworth removed as chair. Now, Colbert and Battinger-Smith are backing Peterlin and a full slate of committee hopefuls and they believe that their recruiting efforts last year will give them the votes need to take control of the Vanderburgh County Republican Party.
Peterlin is no stranger to the GOP. For several years, his business incubator provided office space for the party. He has campaigned for numerous candidates, including supporting presidential. campaigns. Peterlin is seen as a conservative who wants to build bridges and 
unite the party.
Steve Airy will be running for party chair for the second time. Airy is a pastor in Evansville and a former candidate for mayor. He is a current PC and was a delegate at the 2024 Indiana GOP Convention.
Also in the run for chair is Kyhl Moers, husband of Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Diana Moers. He emphasizes the need for better communication and unity within the party. Moers’ campaign experience includes helping his wife win an upset primary victory over an incumbent prosecutor.
Peterlin and Moers have already recruited a slate of candidates to run for the other offices in the Central Committee. The candidates aligned with Peterlin include Lauren Bell for Vice Chair, Walter Valient for party treasurer, and Brian Pease for secretary.
The Moers team is made up of experienced, well known members of the party. Current Vanderburgh County Republican Vice Chair Dottie Thomas is running again for Vice Chair. Thomas is also Vanderburgh County Clerk. Former City Council Candidate Joe Kratochville is running for Secretary. The candidate for Treasurer is Russ Lloyd, Jr. who has served as mayor of Evansville, city controller, and currently serves as the elected Vanderburgh County Recorder.
Up to 264 PCs and Vice PCs will be eligible to vote at the reorganization meeting, although not all are expected to attend. Even though the candidates for chair may present a slate of candidates or express an alignment with candidates for other offices, votes will be cast for each individual office. A majority vote is required which means that there could be multiple rounds of voting for each position.
A forum has been scheduled by RAINS (Republican Assembly of Indiana South) on February 22 at 10 AM at City Gate, 320 Eagle Crest Drive on Evansville’s eastside. Republican PCs and Vice PCs will be able to meet and hear from candidates for the Central Committee positions.
