Monroe County Democrats watch numbers

At 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Bob Molnar and his wife Anna Bednarski sat at the last of 12 tables watching the 144-square-foot TV broadcasting election results at the front of the room.\n"Sometimes it feels lonely," Bednarski said, "being a Democrat in Indiana."\n"Yeah," Molnar said. "Monroe County is the only beacon of hope in the state."\nMolnar and Bednarski had no reason to feel lonely Tuesday night as they joined their fellow Democrats at the Democratic Election Night Party at AMVETS Post 2000 to watch the election results unfold and celebrate the Democratic victories.\nEarly into the party, newly elected Monroe County Auditor Sandy Newmann said she was nervous when she arrived because local elections don't have polls. Newly elected County Counselor At-Large Michael Woods echoed Newmann's concern.\n"Because I'm at the local level, I have no access to polls of any kind," Woods said. "But if the response I've received is any indication, I feel confident."\nIn the room's back corner, a group gathered around a dry erase board covered with the names of candidates and their tallies.\n"With 38 percent of precincts reporting, it looks like (Monroe County Commissioner candidate Iris) Kiesling and (judicial candidate Stephen) Galvin will win. The others are too close to call," one of the women writing on the whiteboard yelled over the crowd to loud cheers.\nA woman wearing a blazer covered in Democratic campaign buttons turned away from the crowd around the dry erase board and dialed a number on her cell phone.\n"I'm here at AMVETS," said Cathy Hughes, a volunteer for local Democratic candidates, to her daughter who had to stay at home with her son, "I thought you might like to know it looks like Galvin will win."\nCandidates weaved in and out of the crowd that congregated around the buffet, tensely smiling and shaking the hands of their supporters.\n"So far so good," said District 40 State Senator Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington. "I've run before, and that helps. But on election day, the minutes just crawl by."\nBy 9:05 p.m., attention was focused on the TV at the front of the room where the channel had been switched from coverage of national elections to local races. The crowd cheered as the numbers changed in favor of many of the Democratic candidates with over 80 percent of precincts reporting. Monroe County Democratic Chairman Dan Combs introduced the newly elected officials, who thanked the group for their energy and support.\n"I will do the best I can for this county," said newly elected Judge Mary Ellen Diekhoff as she handed the microphone back to Combs. "I need to quit talking before I cry."\nCombs said while the results weren't yet official, he was confident in the majority of the races.\n"Before I get too cocky, there are absentee ballots that still need to be counted," Combs said. "But I will say it's a good day to be a Democrat and it's a good night to be a Democrat."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen \nQuilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.