In an unexpected move Sunday morning Portage Township Assessor Alta Neri, who won her third term as an unopposed Democrat in November, was sworn in as a Republican and welcomed by the Porter County Republican Party. She cites national Democratic outlook on transgender issues regarding children as her main contention.
“I felt the Democrats had become too progressive in the sexualization of children. And with my values and my family’s Christian values I could no longer support the Democratic Party,” Neri said. “It was nothing personal against anyone locally.”
Neri was welcomed with open arms and introduced to the standing-room-only crowd present Sunday morning at the county commissioners chambers for the Porter County Republicans being sworn into office. “I think it’s great,” said Porter County Republican Chair Michael Simpson of Neri joining his party. “Alta put a great deal of thought into it in the last year because she doesn’t feel the Democratic Party espouses her values any longer.”
Neri said transgender issues regarding young children and drag queen story hour at libraries were some of the national issues she was uncomfortable with. “It was just a little too much for me,” she said. “I have a 7-year-old granddaughter and all she’s interested in is playing, and I don’t want the teachers teaching her anything like that because I believe it’s up to the parents.”
While the Republicans are thrilled to welcome Neri and her husband into the fold, Simpson said it doesn’t give his party any special edge to now have a Republican assessor in her office. “On a local level it’s about representing all the citizens,” he said.
Neri agreed. “It’s pretty cut and dry,” she said of the role of the township assessor. “I’ve been doing my job for 16 years.” Neri was chief deputy assessor for four years before being elected assessor, and deputy assessor for four years prior to that.
Simpson said there is no legal barrier in the state of Indiana to Neri switching parties after the election. “The head of the Democratic Party here in Porter County wished us the best, which is good, because I want to work with both parties,” Neri said of Porter County Democrat Party Chair Brendan Clancy.
“Brendan is a really good person so I would have been shocked if Brendan did less than that,” Simpson said, adding that he would be equally gracious if any of his Republican Party members felt an ideological need to switch to the Democratic Party.
For his part, Clancy said he was unaware on Sunday that Neri had switched parties. “At the end of the day she’s a good friend of mine and I appreciate her decision,” he said.
“I think that’s a true statement of any Democrat,” he added. “We believe that anyone has the right to think what they want to think and believe what they want to believe.”
Regarding Neri’s concern with the national Democratic Party’s outlook on transgender issues and young children Clancy said, “My Democratic Party is one that believes that we’re a big umbrella party that works with different people of different beliefs.”
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.