About
Party history
The party’s roots in Wayne County go back to 1828. Here are the people who have carried it since: every chair from 1926 on, and the volunteers honored for their work.
The roots
Where it started
The Democratic Party is the oldest political party in the United States and among the oldest political parties in the world. It traces its roots to 1792, and the followers of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The party was established as the Democratic Party in 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, one of whom was Benjamin Jones, who served as a Wayne County Commissioner, state representative and senator, and who sponsored the first of our annual Democratic dinners to support Jackson’s campaign in this county.
The record
Party chairs
The people who have led the Wayne County Democratic Party, and the year each term began.
1920s
- 1926Charles Fair
- 1926Jesse Ebert
- 1928Dean Weimer
- 1928M.R. Limb
1930s
- 1930Roy Stype, Sr.
- 1930C.W. Hochstetler
- 1938Dean Weimer
1940s
- 1940Emmet Miller
- 1948Raymond Morgan
1950s
- 1950Adrian Miller
- 1954Raymond Morgan
- 1954Ernest J. McConnell
1960s
- 1960Raymond Morgan
- 1964Jonah Howells, Jr.
- 1966Richard Keating
1970s
- 1970William Anfang, Jr.
- 1972Robert Klopfenstein
- 1974Eugene Grande
1980s
- 1980Joseph Bach
- 1982G. Kevin Bower
1990s
- 1990Terry Johns
- 1994William Rickett
- 1996Don Lance
2000s
- 2002Eugene Grande
- 2006B. Jean Mohr
2010s
- 2010David Broehl
- 2012Betsy Sheets
- 2018K. William Bailey
Honored volunteers
Award recipients
Each year the party honors volunteers whose work has kept it going. These are the honorees.
The Old Hickory Award
- 1973 Raymond Morgan, Harley Cofey*, Mae Weygandt, Walter Orahood and Cloyd Taylor
- 1974 John Bates, Earl Cornell, Charles Paridon Sr. and Agnes Weimer
- 1975 John Bartell, Stella Black, Mildred Brown and Leland Musser
- 1976 Carl Schafter, Antoinette Gaborsky, Donald Mehis and Carl Gerig
- 1977 Roy Ickes, Harold Kropf, Sid Bucher and Julius Stark
- 1978 Dolly Iannarelli, Marie Coffey and Adrian Hartzler
- 1979 Ray Dilyard, LaVerne Fletcher and The Rev. John Wallace
- 1980 Cedric Paullin, Ella Manson, Judge William H. H. Wertz and Herman Retzler
- 1981 Hazel Moore, Hazel Frase and Clara Wallace
- 1982 Ruby Bishop and Clifford & Louise Emerson
- 1984 Judge Adrian Miller and Deloris Wright
- 1986 Mary Gasbarre
- 1987 John Thomasetti, Wilmer & Betty Baer, Ernest McConnell, Edgar Schuler, and Audrey Spratley
- 1988 Clyde Burton and Elsworth & Florence Fetzer
- 1989 Judge Jonah Howells and Mildred Schroman
- 1990 Judge Jay E. Lehman
- 1991 Robert Marshall and Jess Forlin
- 1992 Marguerite Johnson and Bill Lance
- 1993 Edwin Abramson
- 1994 Philomena Wright
- 1995 Bill & Betty Whitmore and Greta Peters
- 1996 Fern Young
- 1997 Julia Fishelson, Eugene Grande, and Harold & Marilyn Weygandt
- 1999 Robert Klopfenstein, John E. Johnson and Warren Hardgrove*
- 2000 Carl Haas
- 2001 John Vimmerstedt
- 2002 Miles Priest
- 2003 Blake Stone
- 2004 David & Donna Anderson
- 2005 Keith & Dorothy Brown, B. Jean Mohr, Leon Topovski* and Elmer Toth
- 2006 M.F. “Buck” Ludowese, Gordon Shull and Wayne Strong
- 2007 Joseph & Sue Retzler and John & Betty Schuler
- 2008 Wesley Plant and Jon Ulbright
- 2009 Dave Sears, Joy Varner and Lupe Williams
- 2010 Dan & Linda Houston, Leonard & Lucille Herr and George & Marilyn Spencer
- 2011 Jim Wheelis and Jim Bird
- 2012 Dave & Gayle Noble
- 2013 Janet Daily, Barbara Hustwit and Ruth Vandersall
- 2014 Rich Corfman
- 2015 Judge K. William Bailey
- 2016 Sallie Cook
- 2017 Mady Noble and Tim Breiner
The Liberty Award
The name of the award was changed in 2018.
- 2018 Yvonne Williams
- 2019 Betty Gift
- 2020 Betsy Sheets
- 2021 David Broehl*
- 2022 Shila Garg
- 2023 Mark and Mindy Cavin
- 2024 William Bostancic Jr. and Mark Gooch
- 2025 Bert Bishop and Elmer "Goose" Steingass
The Ruby Bishop Award
This award, named in memory of the late Ruby Bishop, is given to someone who has gone “above and beyond” on behalf of the Wayne County Democratic Party within the previous twelve months.
- 2008 Ruth Vandersall
- 2009 Peter James
- 2010 Betsy Sheets
- 2010 Jim Bird
- 2012 Michelle Baker
- 2013 Bryan Haynes & Gloria Mohr
- 2014 Brad Gowins
- 2015 Doug Gray
- 2017 Lyn Shoots
- 2018 Dee Dee Giese
- 2019 Paula Chenevey
- 2020 Vic McCarty
- 2021 Elmer "Goose" Steingass
- 2023 Leslie Baus, Charles "Chuck" Leming and Barbara Norris
- 2024 Bill Bailey, Carol Beckwith, Carolyn Buxton, and Jonathan Harvey
- 2025 Chris Ciha, Sue Steingass and Jay Reeder
* Awarded posthumously
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