<p>INDIANAPOLIS — One of the candidates to become the Indiana Democratic Party’s next leader has withdrawn, citing a family death.</p>
<p>The decision by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/campaigns-indiana-joe-donnelly-archive-elections-0c71349bb5c379755ba7acd339d97844">Trish Whitcomb</a> likely clears the way for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indianapolis-elections-pete-buttigieg-campaigns-south-bend-e63d25a7fa3be39decf0fa2638712578">Mike Schmuhl,</a> who was Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign manager, to take over the state party with Saturday’s leadership vote. </p>
<p>Whitcomb said in a statement Monday that she made the decision with “deep sorrow” after her son unexpectedly died on Sunday.</p>
<p>Whitcomb was the manager of Democrat Glena Ritz’s successful 2012 campaign for state school superintendent and the daughter of former Republican Gov. Ed Whitcomb.</p>
<p>Schmuhl is being challenged by Tom Wallace of Martinsville, who was an unsuccessful state Senate candidate last year, in Saturday’s election by the state Democratic central committee.</p>
<p>The winner will replace <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-60e8bde255f92c9a68af490a6c65582d">state party Chairman John Zody,</a> who announced in November he wouldn’t seek reelection to the position he’s held for eight years through <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-health-eric-holcomb-8d742a6a85888a154585dc6931bfeaa4">devastating election losses</a> for the party.</p>
<p>Schmuhl was Buttigieg’s chief of staff in the South Bend mayor’s office before Buttigieg launched his longshot presidential bid in 2019. Buttigieg outperformed expectations, finishing the Iowa Democratic caucuses in a virtual tie with Sen. Bernie Sanders, and has been confirmed as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-climate-cabinets-transportation-adaccf75c41ecf0b1628c009521d425f">President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary.</a></p>
