‘He’s the guy’

The local Democrats have a new leader.

His face is a familiar one in local government.

The Jay County Democrats elected former two-term Portland mayor Randy Geesaman as their new chair during a reorganization meeting Friday evening. Indiana Democratic Party 3rd District Chair Chad Wierzbinski led the meeting.

Also Friday, Jay County Democrat precinct committeemen elected Fred Bailey as the party’s new secretary.

“We have a lot of great people in our party and we have a lot of great ideas, and an agenda that is an alternative to our other party,” said Geesaman following his election. “My goal is to allow people to know the difference between us, and get along …

“There are good people there. There’s good people on our side. And I just want to promote us the best we can here locally …”

He takes over as chair from Joel Bowers, who resigned his post shortly after being placed on administrative leave from his teaching job at Jay County Junior-Senior High School after school officials received a report involving an allegation of misconduct. (Jay School Corporation superintendent Jeremy Gulley referred to "allegations of conduct in violation of JSC Policy 3213 Student Supervision and Welfare.”) Bowers has since resigned from the teaching position.

Two candidates had declared their candidacy for the party chair position ahead of Friday’s meeting. However, former Redkey Town Council member Doug Stanley withdrew his candidacy and backed Geesaman.

“When I found out Randy was running, I choose to decline and turn my support for Randy,” Stanley said. “He’s the guy.”

Geesaman was subsequently elected unanimously by a voice vote. (Democrat precinct committeemen in attendance were Blake Watson, Fred Bailey, Nancy Cline, Michelle Penrod, Dottie Quakenbush and Bowers, with “Watermellon” Jim Phillips and Kelly Stipp voting by proxy.)

Geesaman, who had spoken highly of Stanley while also advocating for his own candidacy, focused his comments on rebuilding the party and being active. He emphasized that the party has good people and he has always considered Democrats the party of the working class, noting that his father was a UAW member working in Marion.

He added that he feels his experience in local government qualifies him well to lead the party.

“I believe this position is a public relations position and I think I fit that mold to try to get the word out as to … what the Democrat party stands for,” said Geesaman, who first was appointed Portland’s clerk-treasurer before being elected to two terms as mayor as he served from 2012 through 2019.

He addressed the lack of local Democrats running for election. (Watson was the only Democrat this year to file for a county-level office.)

“We have to build for the future,” said Geesaman, who now teaches at Jay County Christian Academy. “It’s just kind of building from scratch to try to start all over as a party.”

Bailey, a former party chair, won the secretary’s seat in a vote against Carol Geesaman, Randy’s wife.

The Democrats will need to caucus again within 30 days following the resignations of vice chair Michelle Penrod and treasurer Kelly Stipp. (Ten days’ notice of the vacancies is required before the caucus can be held.)