MARK KIESLING: Dems take care of business in Hammond, not in Munster

Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr.'s decisive victory might signal the death knell for the city's once-powerful opposition.

McDermott crushed Republican opponent George Janiec by a margin of 9,424 to 2,330, a far cry from the razor-thin margin by which McDermott beat Janiec four years ago.

At that time, discontent in the city was running high. McDermott edged out Janiec, the anti-tax, anti-mayor candidate, by fewer than 500 votes.

This time around, it was like Muhammad Ali in his prime fighting me. And yes, McDermott was Ali.

What happened? Even the City Council's lone Republican, Kim Poland, went down to defeat in the 4th District, which is the best bet for Republicans.

McDermott had his own spin on it, not unusual. "I think Kim Krull hurt Kim Poland. Kim Krull got really involved in the Hammond mayor's race," McDermott said.

Krull, as chairwoman of the Lake County Republican Party, is the counterpart to McDermott, who is the chairman of the county's Democratic Party.

"She sent out mailings to the women in Hammond saying I am a woman-hater," McDermott said. "I think that really backfired on her and hurt Poland in the process."

In Krull's hometown of Crown Point, Democratic incumbent Mayor Dave Uran knocked off Republican challenger Eldon Strong.

Both are former city police officers, and Strong showed a lot of class by showing up at Uran's HQ at White Hawk Country Club to congratulate him.

However, Krull can take what I think is a great deal of consolation by watching as Munster Republicans performed a clean sweep.

OK, you say. Munster has, to my recollection, elected only three Democrats to its Town Council: the late John Mybeck, John Hluska and Steve Pestikas.

None of whom fit the traditional Democratic lockstep party mold. In fact, Mybeck was a town fat cat who was part of the crowd around developer Don Powers, who is responsible for building half the town.

Hluska and Pestikas were career town police officers, not partisan politicians.

But the Republicans were seen as vulnerable because of their perceived lack of action during the disastrous September 2008 flood, which inundated the northern quarter of the town.

"I'm surprised, actually," said McDermott, whose party came in second best throughout his neighbor to the south. "That (flood) would have been the only thing I talked about.

"I think they (Munster Democrats) tried to be nice. When you're nice in politics, you finish second."

Which apparently makes George Janiec a very nice guy.

The opinions are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at mark.kiesling@nwi.com or (219) 933-4170.