Monroe County Democrats react to local election results

Monroe County Democrats celebrated the end of a historic election Tuesday night by watching the election results at the county headquarters and at Rachael’s Café on East Third Street.

Local Democrats were pleased, but not surprised, by incumbent House representative Baron Hill’s big, early lead against Republican Mike Sodrel.

“Baron Hill’s ads were much more effective in every single way,” said Jen Campbell-Allison, a Bloomington resident and “concerned citizen” watching the results at the Democratic headquarters.

Her husband, Monroe County recorder Sam Allison, wasn’t surprised by the lead.
“Sodrel is tied to Bush in every single way,” he said.

Bloomington resident and volunteer for the local Democratic Party, Obie James, said he is unhappy with the governor’s race between Democrat Jill Long Thompson and Republican incumbent Mitch Daniels. Daniels also won early in the night.

“For it to be called so early, I’m disappointed,” James said.

He said he wondered what would happen if he worked more on local elections.
People are busy with their jobs and families, James said, so they have trouble keeping track of the local elections.

Election workers and Democratic supporters said early voting and student voting had a big impact on the local elections.

Bloomington resident and Democratic volunteer Dana Carpender said she felt the local elections had been neglected in favor of the national election, with money, support and volunteers going to Barack Obama’s campaign.

However, the major push to get students to vote for Obama for president has led to record student voting rates, said Moore Don, a local Democratic political strategist. With the increase, he said he hoped students would vote Democratic straight down the ballot because of Obama’s party – a trickle-down effect.

Peggy Welch, who ran unopposed for the District 60 state house seat, said some Bloomington residents fear the influence of all the thousands of student voters – many of whom will only stay in Bloomington for a short time.

“How will students affect our lives?” Welch asked.

Valeri Haughton, who ran for Monroe County judge, seat 6, said she had a good feeling about the election, with many people predicting this year a “Democratic year.”
Haughton said if she wins, she’ll probably hear, among several other cases, small claims suits – many of them involving students and their landlords. She said local politicians can have more impact on students’ lives because they create local laws involving tenants and taxes, among other things.

She said she campaigned hard, knocking on many doors, but said she hoped people would ride on Obama’s coattails, taking advantage of the trickle-down effect.

She said she talked to people on Election Day, and some students knew very little about the local elections.

“I heard one woman say, ‘I just want to vote for president,’” she said.