Starke County Election Board Hears Evidence on Challenge of County Treasurer Candidate

The Starke County Election Board members heard a challenge Wednesday morning from Tom DeCola about the candidacy of Lauri Anne Manns Venckus as a Republican candidate for Starke County Treasurer on the May Primary ballot. 

DeCola filed the challenge as claims he heard that she was a Democrat.  She wanted to show her status as a Republican.  He said he attempted to obtain a voting record, but he discovered that the statutory procedure to get that information was apparently difficult. 

Venckus admitted that she voted Democrat in the last Primary Election as she was voting for some of her friends.  However, she said that she typically votes as a Republican. 

Starke County Republican Party Chairman Dave Kesvormas testified that Venckus filled out paperwork in January from the Indiana State GOP Vice Chairman Matt Huckaby. As part of the instructions laid out in an email submitted as evidence to the Starke County Election Board, Kesvormas said that if the candidate is not a qualified Primary Republican, the county chairman has full discretion to sign-off on the individual’s candidacy by signing the specified paperwork.  That paperwork was given to Venckus to complete and sign.  Kesvormas testified that he signed the paperwork and filed it.

DeCola complained that he was a Republican in good standing and said Venckus was not.  However, the Starke County Election Board voted in the previous hearing that he showed gross misconduct affecting the party organization which is a violation of the Republican Party rules.  He also claimed defamation and slander. 

Starke County Election Board member Harrison Fields said the Republican Party Chairman has the right to do what has been done.  County Attorney Marty Lucas said Kesvormas does have statutory authority.

The board voted unanimously to deny the challenge which allows Venckus to remain on the Primary Election ballot as a Republican candidate for Starke County Treasurer.  She is now the lone candidate for that position on he Primary ballot.