When the New Year arrives, can you honestly say that you will be happy with whoever takes charge of our state?
If not, then now would be a good time to look at the candidates who are running to serve in top state offices such as governor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction and Supreme Court judge, among others.
Governor
Three candidates are running to replace outgoing Gov. Mitch Daniels, who cannot run again due to term limits and will leave office in January.
Nominees include Democrat John Gregg, an attorney from Sandborn and former speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives; Republican Mike Pence, a congressman from Columbus who represents a district east of Indianapolis; and Libertarian Rupert Boneham, an Indianapolis business owner best known for his appearances on the CBS reality show “Survivor” and as founder of Rupert’s Kids a mentoring foundation for at-risk children.
All three candidates have pledged a commitment to lower taxes, keep the state budget balanced, improve education and workforce training and enhance Indiana’s presence on the international economic stage.
What separates the three men, however, is the different proposals they have presented.
Gregg, for example, has said his first priority will be to “create jobs and strengthen the economy,” but he has also called for stronger policies to enforce equality for women in the workforce.
“It is hard to believe that in this day and age wage discrimination is still something that exists, but the sad truth is that women in Indiana still only make 74 cents to the dollar that men make,” Gregg said. “It is even less if that woman happens to be African-American or Hispanic. We know we can do better.”
Pence would like to reduce regulations on businesses, increase agricultural exports to help create jobs, strengthen vocational training and build on the growth he said Indiana has experienced under Daniels.
“This election is about a choice of whether we’re going to continue on the path that we’re on, a path of fiscal responsibility, economic growth and education reform, or whether we’re going to go back,” Pence said.
Boneham, among other ideas, has called for a fairer state tax code, transparency in state fiscal matters and a review of policies regarding ex-offenders. He believes non-violent drug offenders, for example, should not be put in prison, but treated and trained for a job.
“We need to teach these people how to go to work so they can become productive members of the workforce,” he said.
For his running mate as lieutenant governor, Gregg chose Bloomington state Sen. Vi Simpson; Pence selected Sue Ellspermann, a state representative from Ferdinand; and Boneham is running with Brad Klopfenstein, a small business owner from Indianapolis.
Attorney General
Incumbent Republican Attorney General Greg Zoeller is running for his second term against Democrat Kay Fleming.
The attorney general serves as the state’s chief legal officer. Republicans have occupied the office since 2001.
Zoeller, a native of New Albany, is asking voters for another term based on the results of his first one, including protecting consumer rights, combating fraud and fighting federal laws that he believes encroach on states’ rights, such as the sweeping health care reform legislation spearheaded by President Barack Obama.
“Whether it is protecting seniors from identity theft, safeguarding children online or helping struggling families avoid foreclosure, I have fought to be a defender of our state’s most vulnerable,” Zoeller said in a statement.
Fleming, an Indianapolis attorney who once worked for the Indiana Gaming Commission and clerked for two federal judges, has called for changes to the attorney general’s office. She believes more should be done to help improve the Department of Child Services, overhaul the state’s consumer Do-Not-Call list and set up regional offices around the state for better citizen access and coordination with law enforcement.
“There are different needs in every area of the state, and having deputy attorney generals in different parts of the state would give them a better feel for what is needed,” Fleming said.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Improvement of public schools and the debate over private school vouchers has been one of the hot topics this election year. The superintendent of public instruction, as the state’s senior education official, plays a key in crafting solutions.
The office has been held by Republicans since 1973.
Incumbent Republican Tony Bennett is running for a second term against Democratic challenger Glenda Ritz.
Bennett has received national recognition for his sometimes aggressive support for controversial education reform efforts in Indiana, including the launch of a private school voucher system, introducing a system that grades school performance, policies that make it easier to open charter schools, reduction of teacher bargaining rights and the use of state authority to take over underperforming schools.
“We have made impressive gains through the hard work of students and educators,” Bennett said. “By every measure our students are achieving more today than they were four years ago.”
Ritz, a 33-year veteran educator who currently serves as a media specialist and teacher in Indianapolis, believes the superintendent’s office should take a different approach.
She would help ensure students have more time in the classroom and less time testing, give more local control to school districts, and make sure teachers and parents have an opportunity to share their concerns on major reforms before they are enacted.
“We need to review the Common Core Standards, provide early learning opportunities, and accelerate the focus on reading K-12 because reading proficiency equalizes the chance for job opportunities and closes the gap between socio-economic levels,” Ritz said.
State judges
In Indiana, Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges are appointed by the governor, but voters have the right to decide whether they get to keep their jobs. This election, voters will have the option to retain two Supreme Court justices and four Appeals Court judges. They will be able to vote “yes” or “no” on each judge.
Among the judges on the ballot this year are Justice Robert Rucker, a Gary native who in 1999 was appointed by Gov. Frank O’Bannon as only the second African-American to serve on the state’s high court.
Also on the ballot are Supreme Court justice Steven David of Boone County, and Appeals Court judges John Baker of Bloomington, Nancy Vaidik of Portage, Michael Barnes of South Bend and Paul Mathias of Fort Wayne.
No judicial officer has been denied retention since the system was established in Indiana in 1970. State judges do not actually campaign to keep their position unless they face organized opposition to their retention.
Voters are encouraged to visit the state’s website to review information about each judge at in.gov/judiciary/retention.
Mary Kay Price, communications director for the Indianapolis Bar Association, said surveys have shown that two-thirds of Americans cannot name a single U.S. Supreme Court justice, and the number could be higher when it comes to state judges.
“While judicial retention votes are not usually the most exciting part of an election, they are an important step in helping the public become more educated about the judiciary,” Price said.
Where they stand
For more information on statewide candidates, visit the following sites
Governor
Mike Pence
mikepence.com
John Gregg
greggforgovernor.com
Rupert Boneham
rupertforgovenror.com
Attorney General
Greg Zoeller
gregzoeller.com
Kay Fleming
kayfleming4inag.com/
media.html
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Tony Bennett
tonybennett2012.com
Glenda Ritz – ritz4ed.com
Don’t forget legislative races
Voters are strongly encouraged to remember that they will also be able to choose candidates for Indiana House and Senate.
Most analysts agree that not much is likely to change in the Senate, where Republicans hold a solid 37-13 majority. Republicans are looking forward to holding that majority and tightening their grip on the House, where they have a 60-40 advantage.
Democrats have pinned their hopes for a “balanced state government” on the House this year. They warn voters that if Republicans get 67 seats this year, the GOP will have a “supermajority” that will allow them to pass legislation even if Democrats don’t show up.
To read the priorities of House Democrats and House Republicans, visit indianahousedemocrats.org/ and in.gov/legislative/house_republicans/.
