Simpson pulls from governor's race

Democratic state Sen. Vi Simpson upheld a promise Monday, saying she will officially withdraw from the gubernatorial race. The decision stems from a promise to pull out of the race if current Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan announced his candidacy for governor, which he did Friday.\nIn a press conference at the Indiana Press Club, Simpson said she entered the race to energize the state's economy, invest more into education and make health care more accessible and affordable to all.\n"From the very beginning, I have told (Kernan) that I would support him -- without question, without hesitation," Simpson said in her speech. "And I am a woman of my word. I will do everything I can to see that he's elected in 2004."\nSimpson prided her campaign on opening another door for women and helping them break through the glass ceiling.\n"This campaign made a difference and, I hope, made it just a little bit easier for every woman from this point forward," she said. "The next time a woman wants to run for higher office, I hope the three words she hears are 'Come on in,' and not 'You can't win.'"\nJeff Harris, Simpson's press secretary, said the state senator plans to take a few weeks off to reflect on her 10-month long campaign, as well as the recent deaths of her friends, Gov. Frank O'Bannon and former Bloomington mayor and U.S. Congressman Frank McCloskey.\nSimpson will then help Kernan with his campaign, starting by speaking on his behalf at functions or attending rallies, Harris said. She also would like to spend her time working on her three main goals -- health care, the state's economy and education.\nKernan's announcement to run for governor achieved one of the original goals of the "Draft Kernan Committee." The group's first step is to gather 500 petition signatures from each congressional district, which is required to place each candidate on the ballot, said committee member Dan Roy. Petitions can be downloaded from the committee's Web site www.draftkernan.com. \nKernan's platform includes more funding for education, an issue the committee supports.\n"While most states have cut education funding during the last few years, the O'Bannon-Kernan administration passed, with bipartisan support, increased K-12 funding," Roy said. "That really stands out. We think the Kernan-Davis administration will continue that same commitment to education."\nDan O'Neill, vice president of politics for the IU College Democrats, said the group had an enthusiastic response to Friday's announcement.\n"Joe Kernan is a proven leader with a solid record of public service to state of Indiana," O'Neill said. "He has years of experience in Indiana government and a life long record of service to America. Now with the passing of the late Gov. Frank O'Bannon, he has stepped up and rallied the state."\n-- Contact staff writer Julia Blanford at jblanfor@indiana.edu.