Candidates vie for top position

Current Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez (Dem.) is seeking election as Secretary of State. \n"Hoosiers have a right to be protected -- and it's the job of their elected officials to fight for their interests," Fernandez said in a press release.\nAs a two-term mayor in Bloomington, Fernandez said he plans to carry his mayoral experience into the state office, which is being vacated by Sue Anne Gilroy (Rep.).\nAs mayor, Fernandez has seen property taxes decrease by five percent and has increased the number of neighborhood police officers by 25 percent. \nFernandez said he hopes to make his top priorities election reform, reforming the securities division-which investigates corporate fraud and protecting investors from fundraising scams. \n"I'll make fighting corporate crime and protecting Hoosier retirees, workers and investors my top priority," Fernandez said.\nFernandez also said he hopes to create a centralized voting system in Indiana, rather than having individual county registration lists. He also called for a voter education program to increase voter turnout.\nFernandez said he is an I-69 supporter who hopes to see the interstate connect Indianapolis and Evansville via Bloomington. He said it would help create jobs in the region. \nFernandez resides in Bloomington with his wife and daughter. He grew up in Kokomo and then earned his undergraduate, graduate and law degrees from IU. \nFor more information about Fernandez, see www.johnfernandez.org.