Colwell: About that so-called Democratic bastion, St. Joe County ...

A red wave sweeping along the banks of the St. Joe River washed away the long-held image of St. Joseph County as a Democratic bastion.

Republicans won control of the County Council and the County Election Board. They won the key county commissioner race to keep Republicans in all three seats on the Board of Commissioners.

Democrats, instead of retaining their usual solid hold on county offices, lost in the races for clerk and assessor and just barely staved off a seemingly hopeless Republican challenger for county auditor.

Rudy Yakym, Republican landslide winner in the 2nd Congressional District for the seat that was held by the late Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, actually carried St. Joseph County. Even Walorski in her big wins never carried St. Joseph County.

Indiana election results: A roundup of St. Joseph County sheriff, county assessor and other South Bend races

The county long was counted on by Democrats running statewide to provide a significant plurality to help offset some of the GOP strength elsewhere.  There was no Democratic plurality Tuesday as Republican Sen. Todd Young carried St. Joseph County by 6 percentage points. Republican nominees for state auditor and treasurer also carried the county.

Destiny Wells, regarded as the only Democrat with a chance to win statewide, something no Democratic candidate had done in a decade, did win in St. Joseph County, but only by about 1,000 votes, not enough to make a difference as she lost statewide for secretary of state to a Republican nominee whose resume and controversies would in the past have brought defeat.

Democratic bastion?

That definition has been questionable, especially with Republicans already in all three seats on the Board of Commissioners. Now, it’s about as accurate as defining South Bend as a bastion of support for Louisiana State University football.

So, why did Democrats do so poorly Tuesday? And is it a sign that there now is a Republican “machine” that’s likely to retain county control and even win the South Bend mayoral race next year for the first time since 1967?

The poor Democratic showing was because Republicans were energized, with superior funding and a game plan that worked, while many traditional Democratic voters didn’t turn out, didn’t care about the appeals from candidates or what was at stake in any of the races.

The St. Joseph County Republican Party reported having nearly half a million dollars in resources on hand back in April. How much more was raised and how much was spent? Post-election reports will show that. But it was far more than Democrats raised, a switch from most past county elections.

The Republican-controlled Board of Commissioners enacted a controversial gerrymander for their districts. The No. 1 goal was to make the 1st District − the one up for election Tuesday −“safe” Republican, even pushing a formidable Democratic challenger outside the district.

More:St. Joseph County gerrymander is a thing of beauty, politically speaking

It was clear. If Republican Carl Baxmeyer won the commissioner race Tuesday, the gerrymander would be a success. If he lost, it would fail.

Baxmeyer, who had come close to beating former Gov. Joe Kernan back when Kernan first ran for mayor of South Bend, shattered Democratic belief that he no longer would be an effective candidate. This time Baxmeyer won.

The plan also was designed to enable Republicans to win more County Council seats.  More gerrymander success.

Republican strategy also called for raising doubts about election integrity. TV ads claimed that the county clerk was throwing away votes and railed against the “crooked” clerk’s office. Nobody in the office has been convicted or even charged. But the negative TV ads helped to energize Republican voters, and there was no Democratic ticket-leader to speak out in defense.

Voters say they hate negative TV attacks. But they work.

Will St. Joseph County now be a Republican bastion in 2024?

Not likely. It will be more competitive than on Tuesday. But it isn’t going to bounce back quickly, if ever, as a Democratic bastion.

Jack Colwell is a columnist for The Tribune. Write to him in care of The Tribune or by email at jcolwell@comcast.net.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Republican wins Tuesday ended Dems' dominance in St. Joe County