‘Indiana Redemption Party’ emerges in Roseland

 

ROSELAND, Ind.-- For the very first time, the Indiana Redemption Party (IRP) showed up on the voter’s ballot, and Tuesday, three Roseland candidates from that new party won their races.

Three candidates representing the IRP ran for local government in Roseland, and all three won. This is the first time anyone from this party will hold a public office, so they hope to set the stages for changes coming to local politics.

Shane Williams-Inez will be the next Roseland Clerk-Treasurer. He previously ran for mayor of South Bend and has worked for the South Bend Community School Corporation and the City of South Bend Clerk’s Office under Dawn Jones.

"People want people to lead who are going to lead like Christ, with love and compassion and righteousness and fairness and things like that,” Inez said. “That's what we're trying to bring. So, this is the first year that the party's organized. This is the first election that we've competed in, and this is the first town that's completely under redemption control."

Inez said he helped come up with the party concept with Ashaki Nichols. Nichols joined the 2024 presidential race-- as an independent-- suspending her campaign a couple weeks ago.

He said the party operates under Christian, democratic values. The idea, he said, was to cut out the drama of party politics, which Inez called "nasty."

He will represent this new party with two others, Ryan Catanzarite and Mike Schalk, who were elected to town council.

It was a major upset for Elizabeth McCombs, who has been very involved with Roseland government since the late 90s, and lost to Inez in the clerk's race.

In fact, it's the first time Roseland has had a contested election since 2007.

She said she worked hard to turn things around in Roseland, and now, she is worried her progress could be undone.

She said the redemption party did not file for candidacy until after the primary elections.

"Maybe a little disappointed,” McCombs said, “but I wish everybody well, and I hope that we can all work together for a much brighter future."

The votes are in, and the IRP will have some power, but even for a small town, with a population of 851, voter turnout was low.

Only 79 people voted for clerk with 44 votes going to Inez. And for council at-large, only 153 people voted, with 88 votes going to IRP candidates.