Governor Mike Pence is nominating State Auditor Tim Berry to lead the Indiana Republican Party as its new chairman.
When current state GOP chair Eric Holcomb announced he would resign, he said his decision was in part to allow Pence to help steer the direction of the party’s future. And Pence is opting to throw his support behind Berry, whose second term as state auditor would have ended at the beginning of 2015. He's also a former two term state treasurer.
In a statement, Pence says having won four statewide elections is proof Berry knows how to run successful campaigns. He calls Berry a cheerful leader who’s well-known throughout the state. U.S. Senator Dan Coats, state Senate President Pro Tem David Long and Speaker Brian Bosma all offered statements of support for Pence’s choice.
The governor also is recommending former Wayne County Republican Party chair Misty Hollis be named the state party’s vice chair and his former campaign manager Kyle Robertson become the state GOP executive director. Pence’s choices are all but certain to be confirmed by the party’s executive committee.
A vacancy in the office of auditor means Pence would get to hand-pick Berry's replacement for the remainder of his term. It's likely that person would run for a full term in the 2014 election.
