MERRILLVILLE | On Saturday, Lake County Republicans decided to stay with John Curley as their chairman.
Curley beat contender Mark Leyva to retain the top job of what many think is the county's also-ran party.
Leyva said his candidacy was about bringing a vision and a plan to the beleaguered group. Something he feels he accomplished despite his defeat.
Curley agreed.
"We came together by the end of the caucus," Curley said. "Everyone had input and we're going forward."
It has been a long wilderness trek for Lake County's Republican Party.
Curley makes that biblical analogy when speaking with Vernon "Vern" Vierk, a longtime lobbyist and political fundraiser who recently received the Lincoln Award and was named "Republican of the Year."
"Vern has been like Moses, wandering around in the desert for 40 years helping Republicans," Curley said.
However, that seemingly innocent gesture has sparked an insurgency within the party.
Randy Peters, a Munster Republican precinct committeeman, sees Vierk's contribution as more akin to the New Testament role Judas played.
Peters blew the whistle on Vierk last year, accusing him of campaigning in 2006 for the re-election of Lake Superior Court Judge Jesse Villalpando, a Democrat.
A Republican Party investigation saw evidence produced by Peters and concluded Vierk was guilty and removed him from hosting future Lincoln Day dinners.
Ironically, Vierk received his award at last month's Lincoln Day Dinner.
Peters complained last week, "If you can give out an award to a guy like Vern Vierk, to me that isn't a two-party system. You might as well give the award to (Lake County Democratic Party Chairman) Rudy Clay."
Peters said the award made him decide to support Mark Leyva's campaign to unseat Curley at this weekend's party caucus.
"More and more people are really disgusted with Curley," Peters said.
Vierk, who was proudly displaying photographs of himself holding the award last week, said Peters is off base. "Over the years, nobody can match me in the trenches."
He said he has been involved in the successful campaigns of U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar, former Hammond Mayors Duane Dedelow Jr. and Tom McDermott Sr., former County Commissioner Ernest Niemeyer and former state Sen. Ralph Potesta.
Vierk said he also encouraged John Curley to run for Winfield Township trustee 25 years ago, an office that was Curley's springboard to become Republican county chairman.
"For the party to listen to Peters was idiotic. I don't make my living in politics. But I'm not a good golfer. I'm not a good fisherman or want to sit in a hunter's stand all day. Politics is a lot more fun to me."
Curley said Vierk is deserving. "I made the final decision to give it to him.
"It's more about 40 years than one problem that was brought up and even after we slapped his hand he still helped some candidates. He attends meetings. He's 69 years old and never had it before," Curley said.
George Janiec, a Republican Hammond mayoral candidate, said, "I've know Vern Vierk for quite some time. He is hard nosed. He may not be the most personable guy in the world, but he knows how to get the job done.
"He was very kind and generous in his support for me when I was running for state representative last year. He sat down and counseled me, providing his wisdom and experience in my race last year and I didn't go out and solicit his help. He came to me and took me under his wing. I've seen him do this for a lot of other Republican candidates who were pretty green.
"John Curley did so many things with that move. He provided a lifetime acknowledgement for a loyal and dedicated and above and beyond the call of duty kind of guy. He mended a lot of fences," Janiec said.
