Ind. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gregg adds Simpson to ticket

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg announced Tuesday he has selected Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Vi Simpson of Ellettsville as his running mate.

Wednesday afternoon, Gregg and Simpson stopped in Bloomington as part of a statewide tour to introduce Simpson to Indiana voters as the Democratic Party’s new lieutenant governor candidate.

“I want someone who believes when we do education reform, that we have school teachers sitting at the table,” Gregg said, standing on the porch of the Monroe County Democratic Headquarters on South College Avenue.

“I want someone who shares my passion of keeping college affordable, and I found such a person. I want someone that connects with Indiana, someone in touch with Indiana, someone that is in Indiana.”

But Simpson, who said she lives about three miles from downtown Bloomington, is already a known figure in Monroe County’s political scene.

Wielding new signs supporting Gregg and Simpson for governor and small American flags, supporters stood on the lawn and sidewalk outside the white, two-story house converted into the Democratic Headquarters.

As Simpson spoke on the porch, supporters chanted “Vi.”

“We don’t always agree on things, and we will not always agree on things, but I believe in John Gregg because the day he talked to me about being the lieutenant governor, he said, ‘I do not want a yes-man,’ and he knows he will not get one,” Simpson told the crowd.

“He wants people who believe different things, who have different perspectives and different life experiences sitting at the table when he makes decisions.”

Before being elected to the Senate in 1984, Simpson served as Monroe County Auditor. In 2008, she was elected Democrat Leader by the State Democrat Caucus.

While in the Senate, Simpson authored legislation creating Indiana’s Children’s Health Insurance program, which has become a national model for delivering cost-effective health service to uninsured children.

Simpson said she considers that to be one of her largest accomplishments while serving in the Senate.

She also initiated the debate on tax restructuring and property tax reform, leading to legislation that revamped the state’s tax code.

More recently, Simpson was co-author of the Lifeline Law, which Gov. Mitch Daniels signed into law in March. The Lifeline Law gives individuals limited protection when they seek medical help for someone who is underage and intoxicated.

If elected as the state’s two top-ranking government officials during November’s general election, both Gregg and Simpson said their first priority will be job creation.
“(Gregg) does not want an administration that is focused on a social agenda,” Simpson said.

“He wants an administration that focuses on putting Indiana back to work and raising the vote for everybody, raising the income rate for people and making sure we have affordable education opportunities, making sure we have a secure retirement for our seniors and making sure women have access to health care.”

While tackling set agendas if elected, Gregg said he hopes to operate from a bipartisan stance.

“If people think cooperation, collaboration and being bipartisan is a bad word, they don’t want to vote for us,” Gregg said. “We want people who can bring people together, try to find a common ground and work together, concentrate on jobs, concentrate on education. We’re about ideas not ideology.”

From a democratic platform, both Gregg and Simpson said it will be a battle to win voters’ approval against Republican Candidate Mike Pence, who is currently serving in the United States House of Representatives in Indiana’s sixth district.

Pence selected Sue Ellspermann as his running mate. She is a current member of the Indiana House of Representatives.

Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Rupert Boneham is running in the general election with Brad Klopfenstein.

“We all know Indiana is a state that is difficult for Democrats to win, but we are always contrasting ourselves,” Gregg said.

“We call ourselves the Green Team against the Extreme Team. We like to show people we’re about jobs. We’re not about social issues, we’re about being inclusive and giving teachers a voice in education.”

If elected in November’s general election, Simpson will have to give up her Democratic nomination for her spot in the Senate.

“Some of you have been concerned about the fact that I am leaving the Senate, and I want you to know that it took a lot of thought, and I shared some of those thoughts with my dear friends before I made the decision,” Simpson said.

“After I had a conversation with John, I knew this was the right thing for me to do. It was the right thing for me to do because, together, we make a complete ticket.”

For Thursday, Gregg and Simpson scheduled stops in Lafayette, Fort Wayne and Hammond, Ind.

“If you can give us a big margin out of Monroe County and we can win a few other counties with a big margin around this state, you are looking at the next governor of the State of Indiana,” Simpson said.

“President Obama needs you, Shelli Yoder needs you, our Senate from top to bottom needs you and John Gregg and Vi Simpson need you more than ever.”