While the seven Lunch Pail Republican candidates were not victorious in their bids for the Statehouse, the first chapter in this story leaves us with great encouragement for future efforts.

We are not going anywhere. Indiana’s unheard working Republicans can be certain of that, as can everyone who spent time and money in efforts to discredit Lunch Pail Republican candidates in the days leading up to the election.

To the 12,594 voters who marked their ballots in support of James Amick, Diana Boersma, Jon Hare, Wesley Ortell, Michael Scott, Cory Stith, and Randy Weinley: thank you for believing in what we stand for.

We will work tirelessly to bring opposition to the doorstep of Republican candidates who believe that interfering with private businesses is responsible government or that favoring national political organizations’ money over workers and small businesses is in the best interest of Indiana.

To those who are with us and those who are against us: we are in this for the long haul.

“In the most contentious political season in recent memory, and one that holds compelling national ramifications, the Lunch Pail Republicans had not yet weighed in on the race for Indiana’s United States Senate seat. Until now, we have focused on job creation at the state level for all Hoosiers.

However, having observed the dishonest, disparaging and, worst of all, disrespectful campaign being waged against Indiana Senator Dick Lugar by the extreme wing of our party, in which his opponent resides, we feel compelled to loudly register our strongly-held opinion and actively engage our like-minded Lunch Pail Republican members and allies on behalf of Senator Dick Lugar.

The future for Indiana’s families cannot be left to chance, and when a poll we commissioned indicated the tightness of this race, we became further compelled to actively engage. Dick Lugar believes in policies that help the government do what it was established to do: serve the people without intruding into their lives.

One of the central functions of our federal government is to maintain a national infrastructure. Senator Lugar has been an outspoken advocate fight for improved infrastructure, which is essential to business growth and job creation. Lugar has led the charge for a new, fiscally responsible, fully-funded national infrastructure investment bill, which will put skilled Hoosiers back to work and keep Indiana moving forward. In the last eight years, Lugar has fought for $12.8 billion in federal transportation funding, which created more than 200,000 jobs and improved local economies and tax revenues.

We are eternally grateful for former President Eisenhower’s vision and commitment to national infrastructure, and we have an obligation to maintain these vital assets for future generations. Senator Lugar understands the obligation to make these investments in our state and our nation. These roads and bridges carry cars, trucks and school buses across Indiana every day, and the safety of our families relies upon the maintenance of this infrastructure, but this critical funding could be threatened if left to Lugar’s opponent.

Senator Lugar is also among the most vocal supporters of the Keystone XL pipeline, which will create thousands of vital jobs for energy industry workers. In addition to employment, this project would increase domestic oil production and reduce our reliance on oil from volatile and adversarial nations.

Gridlock in Washington hurts middle-class workers and small businesses, and Senator Lugar has repeatedly shown his commitment to actively promote initiatives that benefit the State of Indiana. His opponent, however, appears to follow the drumbeat of the obstructionist movement that has stalled meaningful progress in our federal government.

We believe the hard-working men and women of the Lunch Pail Republicans fit securely into the traditional, powerful and broad Reagan Republican coalition that enjoyed enormous electoral success in the 1980s. It is also there where Dick Lugar has made his political home with great success and innumerable achievements for the State of Indiana and the United States of America for three and a half decades.

Hoosiers need problem solvers who can deliver results for our state, not put up more obstacles. For all of the above reasons and more, I offer Dick Lugar the endorsement of the Indiana Lunch Pail Republicans and vow to work tirelessly during the next several days to ensure that he continues to serve the hard working men and women of Indiana for another term in the United States Senate.”

PORTAGE, INDIANA – Of the 14 Republicans who opposed “right to work” in the Indiana State Senate and House of Representatives, not a single one faces opposition in a primary this May.

Lunch Pail Republicans chairman David Fagan issued the following statement in response:

The fact that “right to work” opponents are not being challenged by other Republicans says a great deal.

First, the majority of people in Indiana were not in favor of this anti-worker legislation. Second, and just as importantly, Republicans outside of Brian Bosma and David Long’s sphere of influence recognize that “right to work” goes against the Republican philosophy.

The Lunch Pail Republicans initially recruited eight candidates to run against incumbents who abandoned middle class workers and small businesses, and now we are building the offensive against these incumbents by supporting like-minded challengers in other districts.

Our numbers are on the rise, and so too will be the number of pro-worker/pro-business Republicans in Indianapolis next year.

Indiana was the first state to repeal its “right to work” law in 1965, and it will be the first state to repeal it twice when traditional Republicans take the power back in Indianapolis.

David Fagan is Chairman of the Lunch Pail Republicans, Financial Secretary of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, and president of the 14,000-member IUOE Indiana State Branch. A lifelong Republican, Fagan was appointed by Governor Daniels to the Indiana Port Commission in 2007. He was also appointed to the Law Enforcement Training Board by five Governors from both parties. He was twice elected to the Portage City Council and spent many years as a Republican Precinct Committeeman.

“Today is a sad day for the Republican Party. When this bill became law, the middle class became victims of Indiana’s Republican leadership.

I listened to all the debate on this bill, and was ashamed of the position that “right to work” supporters took on the issue. While the 14 Republican lawmakers who opposed this legislation deserve credit for their integrity and their courage, the 82 who brought government into the private sector abandoned the ideals of their party.

I do not recognize Indiana’s Republican Party today, and I am not the only one. We will not leave it, however. We will take it back.”

PORTAGE, INDIANA – This morning, Lunch Pail Republicans PAC chairman David A. Fagan announced that election petitions had been filed by four more candidates running as Lunch Pail Republicans against anti-worker incumbents, and that interest continues to grow.

“A time had to come where working Republicans said ‘enough’ and realized that runing for office is best way to alter the dangerous direction in which our state leaders have steered our party,” Fagan said. “I hear from more people every day who are glad that their party is finally standing up for workers, and they want to get involved.”

Cory Stith, a construction worker from Osceola, will run in the 5th District. Randall Conners, of Elkhart, will run in the 21st District. Randy Weinley, a concrete construction foreman from Bristol, will run in the 48th District. Wes Ortell, an equipment operator, volunteer fireman, and army reservist from Wolcottville, will run in the 82nd District.

These candidates join Diana J. Boersma, a teacher and entrepreneur running in the 16th District against House Labor Chair Douglas Gutwein; and Michael Scott, an electrician running against Robert Behning in the 91st District.

More candidates are expected to file before the deadline in February. “There are some elected officials in the State of Indiana who completely abandoned their constituents this session, so we will be focusing our attention on several high-interest districts leading up to the deadline,” Fagan said.

The Lunch Pail Republicans PAC was formed in December 2011 to draw attention to the anti-worker agenda coming from party leaders in Indianapolis and to run pro-worker, pro-small business candidates against those who voted for legislation like “right to work”, which chairman David Fagan says “is a clear violation of the Republican principle of small, non-intrusive government.”

We are the Indiana Republicans who are focused on providing for ourselves and our families, protecting our rights and our property from intrusion, and keeping our country on a path toward recovery and prosperity.

We are not being represented.

Too many “Republicans” are far more focused on pushing someone else’s agenda and playing politics to get re-elected than looking out for us, the working people who they are sent there to protect.

Our beliefs are simple.

We believe in freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and most of all, in limited government. Our parents’ and grandparents’ Republican Party would never stand for the type of overstepping that Governor Daniels, House Speaker Bosma, and Senate President Long are actively promoting through legislation like “right to work”. We are pro-business and pro-labor because neither one can survive without the other.

Hands off our unions.

If we work under a union contract, chances are we are paid better than we would be without it. That means something to us. If a union helps us earn more money to support our families, paying our union a little bit is only fair. We aren’t freeloaders, and we don’t want the government forcing our union to represent freeloaders, because it will just weaken our ability to bring home those better wages.

If you think you have the right to tell any union, business, or independent organization that it has to work for nothing, stop calling yourself a Republican. Stay out of it. It’s none of your business.

We are looking for a few good working men and women.

Too many of our leaders have forgotten what is important to working people, so it is time for them to go.

The reason this bill has been rushed through is that the more people hear about this, the more they realize that the only ones who will benefit are legislators who receive campaign contributions for passing it and the businesses who will benefit from the depressed wages that have resulted in every state that has passed this legislation.

Indiana workers will earn less money. Small business owners will be restricted in negotiating with their employees. Unions will be forced to serve individuals who pay nothing for their services. This legislation will hurt Indiana, and the fact that it is Republicans leading the charge is a travesty.

This law violates what true Republicans stand for. The middle class is being sacrificed to attract campaign dollars and poverty-level jobs.

Do these lawmakers represent you? It is time to take our party back.

PORTAGE, INDIANA – This morning, Lunch Pail Republicans PAC chairman David A. Fagan sent a letter thanking the nine Senate Republicans who voted against “right to work” legislation and restating the PAC’s promise to target incumbents who voted to pass the bill by running candidates against them in the upcoming primary.

The Lunch Pail Republicans have already introduced two candidates for the House of Representatives, and promise several more this week. Fagan stated that as the effects of this legislation become apparent and the supporters’ rhetoric is debunked, “constituents must have another choice when they go to the ballot boxes this spring and in the future.”

The nine Senate Republicans who voted against the legislation, and supported Republican policies, small businesses, and Hoosier families were: Vaneta Becker, Richard Bray, Ed Charbonneau, Johnny Nugent, Sue Landske, Brent Steele, Jim Tomes, Brent Waltz, and John Waterman. The Senate version of the legislation must now be passed by the house before it can go to Governor Mitch Daniels for approval.

David Fagan is Chairman of the Lunch Pail Republicans, Financial Secretary of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, and president of the 14,000-member IUOE Indiana State Branch. A lifelong Republican, Fagan was appointed by Governor Daniels to the Indiana Port Commission in 2007. He was also appointed to the Law Enforcement Training Board by five Governors from both parties. He was twice elected to the Portage City Council and spent many years as a Republican Precinct Committeeman.

PORTAGE, INDIANA – This morning, Lunch Pail Republicans PAC chairman David A. Fagan announced that the organization, which is pledging to run candidates against anti-worker Republicans, has identified two candidates for the Indiana State House of Representatives. Fagan added that more filings will come in the next few days.

Diana Boersma, a high-school technology teacher from DeMotte, and Michael Scott, an electrician and chaplain from Plainfield, will both run for House of Representatives in the upcoming primary. Boersma, from DeMotte, will run in the 16th District; and Scott, from Plainfield, will run in the 91st District.

Boersma, a lifelong Republican with an MBA, has grown fed up with the Republican attack on the middle class. “Growing up, I always believed in what Republicans stood for, but over the years, something about the party changed,” Boersma said. “Today, our leaders are blaming Indiana’s problems on the middle class workers who built this country, and we have got to stick together to protect regular, working class people from these political attacks.”

Scott, an electrician who has been laid off since October of 2010 due to the economic slowdown, felt he had to step in to stop the downward spiral for working class Hoosiers. “Everyone I know – our paychecks are getting

smaller, and it is getting harder to survive. Families cannot get by on one salary, or in many cases, two salaries. When parents are struggling to put food on the table, it is the next generation that suffers.”

Fagan said he expects several more candidates to come out in the coming days. “In just a period of weeks, we have received such an outpouring of support from working people, and many of them understand that with the radicalization of our leaders, the only way to return to pro-worker Republican fundamentals is to run for office and take our party back,” said Fagan.

David Fagan is Chairman of the Lunch Pail Republicans, Financial Secretary of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, and president of the 14,000-member IUOE Indiana State Branch. A lifelong Republican, Fagan was appointed by Governor Daniels to the Indiana Port Commission in 2007. He was also appointed to the Law Enforcement Training Board by five Governors from both parties. He was twice elected to the Portage City Council and spent many years as a Republican Precinct Committeeman.

In the past several weeks, I have heard increasing reports of threats against Republican members in the House from party leadership over the controversial “right to work” legislation. I have heard reports of threats ranging from committee assignment removal to the use of party war chests against representatives who vote against the legislation.

Many representatives who have taken the time to study the effects of this legislation in other states have seen that it has not boosted employment, it has reduced average wages, and it has reduced the percentage of working families with health insurance. This legislation is bad for Indiana’s workers and small businesses, and what is bad for them is bad for Indiana.

Aside from the damaging effects this law has been proven to deliver are the clear violations of Republican fundamentals present in it. As a lifelong Republican who has held both elected and appointed positions, I find it impossible to reconcile these violations.

The Republican Party is the party that opposes overreaching government, yet this bill brings the government directly into private organizations’ everyday operations. We should never support government limiting the types of contracts that a private business can enter into with its employees. We should never support government forcing a private organization to provide services and make it criminal to collect revenue for those services. This is not who we are.

Though the Lunch Pail Republicans PAC was formed to run candidates against incumbents who vote for overreaching legislation like “right to work”, we are prepared to use our resources to protect incumbents who are attacked for voting against this bill in accordance with their beliefs and those of their constituents. “Right to work” has serious negative consequences for working families and small businesses, so for it to be framed as a confidence vote is appalling.

I implore you to vote based on the merits of the bill, and while it may be nearly impossible to ignore pressure and threats leveled against you by your leadership, I assure you that you will not be alone if you choose to vote against this bill. Please take this pledge seriously as you consider this legislation, and if I can be of assistance to you, do not hesitate to contact me.

Respectfully,
David A. Fagan
Chairman