EVANSVILLE - Buried beneath the landscape of election year 2018 are several explosive charges which, if detonated, could spark political fireworks in Evansville over the next 12 months.

Police Chief Billy Bolin has already gotten a glimpse of how easily emotions can be stirred in politically polarized 2017 -- and how quickly local partisans and true believers can rise to righteous indignation over the actions of opponents.

Inundated with complaints about a planned Sept. 9 rally of conservative organization ACT for America, Bolin sent officers to Four Freedoms Monument that day to make sure nothing bad happened. The national organization had canceled 67 rallies in other places that day "to contribute to the de-escalation of rising tension and violence in America."

But local ACT for America activists carried on with what they called a "Salute to the Constitution."

"I bet I received more complaints on that rally than anything we’ve had since I’ve been chief, as far as political," Bolin said. "A lot of people thought it was going to be this hate-filled event.”

Police talked to ACT for America about its plans and let the group know they would be present. There was no violence, but Bolin is ready to deploy officers at political events if necessary next year. It will be a mid-term election year, with offices from U.S. senator to township trustee on local ballots.

If 2018 is anything like 2017, President Donald Trump will be the overarching presence looming over it all. Bolin didn't need to hear his name to bring him up. The police chief said officers may be more likely to show up at local rallies next year if they hold the prospect of heated remarks about the controversial president.

"Trump is a lightning rod, obviously. So if you’ve got candidates running on Trump’s record or running against Trump’s record, possibly," Bolin said.

Shock and dismay over Trump's 2016 election was the rationale for Indivisible Evansville, a progressive advocacy organization that noisily challenged, interrupted and jeered Republican Rep. Larry Bucshon at several public meetings this year. The group is a local offshoot of national organization Indivisible, created this year to fight Trump.

Edie Hardcastle, president of Indivisible Evansville, said the group will continue to appear at Bucshon's town hall meetings in 2018, "if he has one." Indivisible also may place supporters outside Right to Life of Southwest Indiana's April 19 spring banquet to offer a counterpoint to the anti-abortion group, Hardcastle said.

Indivisible Evansville has more plans for Bucshon too. Supporters will join backers of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky on Nov. 30 to deliver petitions to the congressman's Evansville office in favor of legislation for federal funding of birth control. Hardcastle said the group "would love" to present them to Bucshon personally.

But Indivisible's already contentious interactions with Bucshon -- and the entire local political scene next year -- likely would become even more highly charged if Democrats manage to mount a strong campaign to oust him. Bucshon must first survive a GOP nomination challenge from Richard Moss.

Washington, D.C-based political handicappers said Bucshon is on track for re-election -- but that can change if a national wave of support for Democrats develops. In such a climate, Democrats could attract an experienced candidate with a significant political base and demonstrated fundraising ability.

Evansville resident Glen Miller dropped out of the congressional race last week, leaving the field for now to Terre Haute attorney William Tanoos. The candidate filing deadline is Feb. 9.

Vermillion County resident Joanie Kanizer, chairwoman of the 8th District Democrat Party, said last week's Democratic election victories in Virginia and New Jersey have fully engaged supporters dreaming of taking control of Congress in November.

"Every day I'm getting calls saying, 'What can I do? What can I do to help you?' And I'm going to tell you -- those calls I haven't received for years," Kanizer said. "I've felt people energized -- but I have never felt people who were more determined to make a change."

Indivisible Evansville, Hardcastle claims, has 100 "very active" members and several hundred who are less active. The group plans next year for voter registration, get-out-the vote training, staging debates and making endorsements.

The group is partnering with Ohio River Valley Beyond Coal, the Evansville branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Citizens Climate Lobby to host a November Town Hall Lecture Series on energy and the environment. It has reached out to several other groups, such as neighborhood activists in inner-city Evansville, to expand its network.

But not all the local political activism in the next year will come from progressives and left-leaning organizations angry at Trump. Local conservative organizations vow to be active -- although their activism likely will be far less confrontational.

State Sen. Jim Tomes said pro-gun rights group Second Amendment Patriots will continue to invite candidates and officeholders to its monthly meetings.

"Besides all of the media attention and all the internet play out there, I think people are talking more among themselves about different issues and sharing their thoughts," Tomes said.

Jim Bratten, a co-founder of Vanderburgh County Tea Party Patriots, said his group also will host candidates -- but he specifically disavowed Indivisible's noisy approach at Bucshon's town hall meetings.

"One thing we’re not going to do is, we’re not going to go around disrupting town halls like Indivisible does. We’re for free speech," Bratten said.

"We might (hold rallies next year). We'll take a look at it in January, but for right now we’ve been supporting different candidates, a lot of our members have, by going to their fundraisers and going to barbecues and cookouts and stuff like that," Bratten said.

And Randy Kemp, Southern Indiana coordinator for ACT for America? He's not sure he wants to participate in any more rallies after what he perceived as a lack of support from his national organization at Four Freedoms Monument on Sept. 9.

"That depends if I want to participate. I guess others might," Kemp said.