Indiana architect Schellinger announces governor candidacy

INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis architect Jim Schellinger, a Democrat who said he wants to make a great state better, established a candidate committee Monday that will allow him to run for governor in 2008.\nThe 46-year-old South Bend native, who described himself as a moderate to conservative Democrat, has been active in state Democratic politics but has never run for public office.\nHe filed his official paperwork with the Indiana Election Division and Secretary of State’s Office, then spoke briefly with reporters, joined by his wife, Laura, and older brother Bob, who will chair his committee.\n“I’ve given this a lot of thought and I’d like to believe that this is a 46-year calling for me,” said Schellinger, who has been president of the multimillion-dollar firm CSO Architects since 1996. “I believe that in Indiana we can do better. I believe that the citizens of Indiana deserve good leadership, and I believe I’m prepared to do that.”\nSchellinger said that being a chief executive of a major firm has given him a great deal of experience and that he has focused his career on listening and bringing diverse groups together. His lack of public office experience was a plus, he said.\n“I think that is a good thing because I come to the table with no hidden agendas,” he said. “I come to the table as a non-elected official in the past, so I’m not going to be your traditional politician, and I think people are ready for that.”\nIndiana Senate Minority Leader Richard Young, D-Milltown, also is seeking the party’s nomination for governor, and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Jill Long Thompson said she is considering a run and would decide by this summer.\nRepublican Gov. Mitch Daniels said he would wait until the legislative session ends to announce whether he will seek a second term. The regular session is scheduled to end April 29.\nA report Daniels filed in January showed him with nearly $2.6 million in campaign cash on hand. Most of that money – more than $2 million – was raised last year.\nDaniels was in Greensburg, Ind. Monday to attend a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new $550 million Honda Motor Corp. plant that will employ about 2,000 when it opens in fall 2008 in the city 50 miles southeast of Indianapolis. Four other states – Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois – vied for the plant and its jobs after Honda announced in May it would build a plant in the Midwest.\nSchellinger said the state should pay attention to some businesses that are struggling but landing the Honda plant was a great accomplishment.\nIn response to reporters’ questions, he declined to criticize Daniels.\n“I don’t want to focus on the governor’s mistakes,” he said. “The governor is a patriot, his heart is in the right place, he works hard to lead our state and I don’t think that is what today is about.”\nHe also did not give the issues or stances he would run on, saying there were 21 months to do that.\n“Most of my thoughts and most of my work so far has been focusing on reaching out to people seeking their counsel, seeking their advice in order to make an informed decision on whether or not to run,” he said. “I’ve made that decision and we’ll move forward with the issues and there will be plenty of time to dig into all those.”\nSchellinger has support from some of the state’s top Democrats. Honorary co-chairs of his committee are U.S. Rep. Julia Carson, Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson and former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg.\nButch Morgan, the party’s 2nd District chairman, said he knew Schellinger’s family in the 1970s and got reacquainted with him a few years ago. He had encouraged him to run.\n“He looks first at how to help people before he looks at how it will benefit him,” said Morgan. “I think he’s prepared to work very hard and travel the state and he is a very good listener.”\nState Democratic Chairman Dan Parker has said the party leadership is taking a neutral stand among the Democratic candidates and potential candidates for governor, but hopes the party can coalesce behind a single candidate to avoid a costly primary.\nSchellinger said he grew up as the sixth of eight children in a working class family in South Bend. He and his wife have three children.