Crunch time for candidates

During an election year, however, the day also marks the beginning of crunch time for political campaigns.

Dyngus Day is the official start of the political season in St. Joseph County, but campaigns are won or lost after Labor Day, said Chris Riley, chairman of the county Republican Party.

“You can build a foundation up to Labor Day by going door to door and raising some money and getting your base behind you,” Riley said, “but after Labor Day is when the undecideds start to pay attention, and you have to persuade them.”

So far this year, races for federal offices have attracted the most attention in north-central Indiana. The battles between U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, and Republican Jackie Walorski in the state’s 2nd Congressional District and the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Brad Ellsworth and Republican Dan Coats have even made waves nationally.

With less than two months until Election Day, Nov. 2 — and less than a month before absentee voting begins Oct. 4 — both Donnelly and Walorski seemed upbeat about their chances when interviewed Monday before the Blueberry Festival Parade in Plymouth.

“We’re just going to focus on working nonstop,” Donnelly said. “It’s been seven days a week all year long. It will continue to be the same. The best campaign is to do my job well, and that’s what I’m going to try to continue to do.

“It’s about jobs and creating more jobs, and continuing to work to help northern Indiana, and that’s what our focus is,” he said, wearing a red polo shirt with a Plymouth Basketball logo on it. “It’s such a privilege to represent this district. I just love the chance to do this.”

Walorski, a three-term state representative from Jimtown, said she continues to hear from voters who are frustrated with Democrats because of federal spending, government debt, corporate bailouts and massive health care legislation.

“I think we’re in really good shape,” she said of her campaign. “Our momentum hasn’t even peaked yet, and it grows every day.”

Residents in the 2nd District can expect to see plenty of television advertisements for and against Donnelly and Walorski in the run up to Election Day. Both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee have indicated they plan to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into the district to air TV ads.

The NRCC’s first ad of the season debuted Monday, attacking Donnelly’s reputation as an independent, moderate Democrat. The congressman has run four ads that criticize Walorski on free trade, tax policy and Social Security.

Several polls have projected Coats to be leading Ellsworth in the Senate race for the seat Evan Bayh is leaving, but Coats said Monday he’s not taking anything for granted as he enters the final two months of his campaign.

“It is the home stretch, but I’m taking it one day at a time. That’s the way I’ve always campaigned and always will,” he said as he walked toward the start of the parade route.

“Nothing counts until November 2nd when they count the votes,” he said. “So we’re out working just as hard as ever without paying any attention to polls or where you think you might stand or whatever. You just do the best you can every day that you can and leave it up to the people.”

Voters also will choose the winners for seats in the state legislature and county government.

Gov. Mitch Daniels has been working to help Republicans win a majority in the Indiana House of Representatives, so the party can control both houses of the General Assembly during Daniels’ final two years in office.

Dwight Fish, an Elkhart Democrat running for the seat Walorski is leaving in District 21, is hoping he can turn a Republican seat over to the Democrats. He said activity in every campaign is going to ramp up in the coming weeks.

“It always gets busier (after Labor Day),” he said, wearing a T-shirt bearing his campaign slogan, Go Fish! “It always gets more involved because, as the window of time closes, everybody has to do more in less time. But we’re organized, the volunteers are coming out, the response is positive and the people are saying, ‘I can’t wait ’til November 2nd.’æ”Staff writer Kevin Allen: kallen@sbtinfo.com 574-235-6244
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