Despite the district and state Republican parties saying he’s not a member in good standing, Republican St. Joseph County Council member Dan Schaetzle will be allowed to run for re-election in the May primary election as a Republican.
That was the 3-0 decision Wednesday by the county’s Election Board. Voting were Republicans Trisha Carrico and John Jurgonski, and Democrat Jason Czichowicz.
They voted after hearing arguments from Schaetzle’s attorney, Pete Agostino, and the party’s attorneys, Ben Horvath and Sean Sirisi.
The district and state parties last year reprimanded Schaetzle for campaigning against Republican Probate Judge Loris Zappia in the 2024 election. They also didn’t like how he formed a governing coalition with the council’s four Democrats.
But citing case law, Agostino argued that a political party can dictate who it associates with for statewide office but not when it comes to county-level offices.
Sirisi told the board the Republicans plan to appeal their ruling in court.
