Hoosiers switch to Mitch

INDIANAPOLIS -- Hundreds of supporters chanted 'Our Man Mitch' inside a packed Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler University as they welcomed their new governor, Mitch Daniels.\nTaking the podium Tuesday night, the newly elected Governor accepted his position at the same spot where he started his campaign 16 months ago.\n"I started my campaign in the parking lot here at Hinkle Fieldhouse," Daniels said, "and there is no better place to finish it tonight." \nHundreds of volunteers, supporters and staff were on hand to cheer on their candidate and celebrate.\nNewly elected Lt. Governor Becky Skillman was also in attendance and thanked fellow Hoosier and her man Mitch.\n"I thank all volunteers. Without your support, we couldn't have done this, and my heartiest thank you to Mitch Daniels," Skillman said. "I will forever be grateful to get the opportunity to help fellow Hoosiers."\nAs soon as Daniels' victory was announced, supporters distributed hundreds of buttons with the slogan "Our Gov. Mitch."\nLisa Naville, a Daniels volunteer, jumped up and down as the crowd cheered for Daniels.\n"We're so excited he's won," Naville said. "I've been a volunteer for three months, and I worked the phone booth this weekend in Hamilton County. I think Indiana can expect incredible changes to come."\nDaniels let Hoosiers know what the next four years would be like, but also reminded people about what his campaign focused on: aiming higher.\n"To the members of the next Indiana General Assembly, congratulations on your election. Buckle up," Daniels said. "We have important work to do, big changes to bring, courageous decisions to take, working together, across all boundaries of parties and geography and philosophy. We must tackle Indiana's problems and achieve Indiana's potential in a way that brings honor to our state and progress to all 6.1 million of our fellow citizens."\nPress Secretary for the Daniels campaign Marc Lotter also said the level of support for Daniels had been building throughout the week.\n"I think Mitch was encouraged, and he felt good all day, the overall show of support was vast and was followed by a week of support," Lotter said. "I think the high amount of enthusiasm showed the grass roots support for Mitch. Volunteers were overwhelming in the amount of work, and we couldn't have gotten this far without them."\nDaniels' victory ends a 16-year Democratic rule over the governor position. Daniels said although Tuesday night was about celebration, Wednesday morning would be "time to get back to work."\n"To my fellow friends in the Indiana Republican Party, welcome back from wilderness," he said. "After 16 years, I think we're entitled to a party ... tonight, get a good rest and be ready to work starting tomorrow."\nVolunteer Lane Ralph has known Governor-Elect Daniels since 1973 and thinks he will do the best job to get Indiana back on track.\n"I think he'll be a tremendous governor to the state," Ralph said. "Bottom line: This campaign brought people from all over, especially younger voters.\nDaniels also reminded supporters his campaign wasn't only about winning but making a change for the better. \n"I want to tell you one more time what I have told you over and over for 16 months now: All that we have done, all the miles we have traveled, all the people we have visited, all the doors we have knocked on and phone calls we have made were not about something so relatively minor as winning an election," he said. \n"They were about the chance to lead a comeback for 6.1 million Hoosiers who deserve better. They were about our dreams of bringing this state, this large and diverse and too often fractured state that I have traveled and traveled, together in a way it ought to be, together in a way we'll need to be if we are going to make all of our dreams real."\n-- Contact senior writer Lindsay Jancek at lmjancek@indiana.edu.