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January 9, 20218562 Kimblewick Lane NEWarren, Ohio 44484Trumbull County Republican Party1195 Niles Cortland Road SEWarren, Ohio 44484RE: ResignationDear Officers and Members:Four years ago, I was asked by a group of active members to assume the role of chairman for the county party after literally decades of disorganization, inadequate leadership, and insufficient participation by the party in local politics, marked by few viable candidates, even fewer successful campaigns, and a complete lack of credibility or respect by the general public, media, and even the state party. This condition was further deepened by the unrest and divisiveness of the local party present in 2017. I reluctantly accepted the position, agreeing only to serve out the remainder of the term, and was unanimously approved by the committee. Upon expiration of the term, I observed the progress we had made in such a short time, but we were not yet in a stable position, so I agreed to serve another term, again enthused by unanimous support from the membership, and I respect that endorsement and support. Upon taking office, I immediately made my objectives known and clear – establish a viable two-party system in Trumbull County by bringiing the party together to work as a productive entity. This was to be accomplished through several efforts. Clean out the drama and non-productive members, and grow our active membership. Our army was small and resources scarce; we did not have the time or energy for non-productive activities. I said from the beginning “an empty seat was better to have than an empty person”. I also have said repeatedly, we need to “grow our army”. As a result of our efforts, we have the most productive membership in years, people have come back to the party, and life-long residents of the county that were never invested in the party now participate. The party is growing, and empty precinct seats are filled with deliberation and consideration at every meeting. We have great monthly breakfasts which have triple the average attendance they did just four years ago, and to many peoples’ astonishment, we sold out the hall for our spring fundraiser. We needed financial resources. When I assumed office, we had literally $62 in the bank account, and books that were not even capable of being audited. We now have over $20,000 in the bank, several thousand dollars in the restricted account, have paid all our bills, and in good standing with all our vendors. In addition, we have raised over $100,000 through 2018 and 2019 for Congressman Bill Johnson, raised over $50,000 for Christina Hagan, and raised over $10,000 for the headquarters. We were also able to provide more financial support for candidates than ever before, and thousands were raised and donated by members to local and state candidates. We needed a headquarters. Although I resisted until we had our finances in order, as I did not want to raise money just to support a brick and mortar location, I realized we needed a physical presence to further our objectives and provide a resource for the membership and county. We now have that location which meets all our requirements – safe location, high traffic and visibility, sufficient parking, and enough space to conduct typical activities. Since opening, we have have welcomed candidates, hosted candidate training, held meetings, provided space for the Trump field organizer, hosted flag wavings, and greeted guests from throughout the county to distribute literature, signs, and sell merchandise. The location provides a great resource to further our objectives and provide stability to the organization, and we are poised to make that our home until 2022, and possibly beyond. Develop viable candidates. I stated initially we have to start grooming candidates for races 1-2 years in advance, not 6 months before an election. This has finally started to develop. Interest in running for offices from the general public is better than it has been in decades. We even had contested primaries for the first time in years in 2020. We hosted a ORP-sponsored candidate training, and have identified potential candidates for 2022 and beyond. Need to score wins down-ticket. Personally I felt we failed by not being able to ride the coattails of the Trump victory in 2016. I knew it was possible when we again fared so well supporting state candidates in 2018. One of my main objectives was to make sure viable candidates were competitive and hopefully victorious in 2020 – especially when the internal polling showed Trump winning by an even bigger margin than in 2016. With candidates O’Brien, Loychick, and Frenchko scoring wins, and Martha Yoder coming within one point of defeating a long-time incumbent, Trumbull County carrying for Hagan, newcomer Larry Woods in a very competitive race, and of course helping Trump win by a much bigger margin than in 2016, it is safe to say we have been successful.Restore Credibility. We are nothing without credibility. You can’t raise money; you can’t recruit members or candidates; you can’t be taken seriously be the media, the public, or even the state party. More than any of the efforts previously-stated, and because of successfully accomplishing those efforts, we, as a party, now have the credibility to move forward for the betterment of the county and the party itself. Personally, I have endured a lot over the past four years - a stroke, a divorce, a 5-week bout with Covid, along with continuing to carry out my responsibilities with Lewis Construction and Servicemaster, and most importantly, parent a teenage daughter through high school. Serving successfully through this period would not have been remotely possible without a dedicated, loyal band of officers and volunteers who have worked constantly, consistently, and cohesively for the continual improvement of the party, not distracted by the noise that so often distracts groups like ours from its focus, and ultimately derails success. Without these people - too many to mention - we would not be where we stand today. But, at this time, I humbly and respectfully submit my resignation as your chairman effective February 1, 2021. It is time for me to move aside to afford a new chairman to bring new ideas, renewed energy, and lead this organization into the 2022 state elections and beyond. As most of you know, I never aspired to this position; I have no political aspirations. My only agenda has been to help make it as good as I could while I am here and leave it better than when I arrived. My father always said “leadership should not be become entrenched or the body becomes entrenched’, and I stand by that axiom today. We are at a critical junction and must keep moving forward – we must not become complacent; we must not be idle; we must not become entrenched. I wish nothing but greater success for the Trumbull County Republican Party. Keep in mind, these recent victories are only the first battles of a continual war. We have only just begun the rebirthing of a two-party system for our county. Thank you goes to each and every one of you for your commitment of time, energy, and resources for the continued success of this party. It goes without saying, but we each need to be reminded, that it takes all of us working together to be successful. Remember why you got involved; remember why you are here; never forget what’s at stake. God Bless you and God bless the United States. Kevin Wyndham ................
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