"And They're Off!"

Our local election races are fully underway! February 10 was the last day to file as a candidate in the primary election and I'm excited about our candidates and our chances for victory! I encourage all of our members to find a candidate and get involved in the campaign by volunteering, by hosting a meet and greet with your friends and neighbors, or by supporting through financial means.

We have some very crucial races this year that will need all of our attention from the beginning if we are to be successful in November. There are two County Commissioner seats up for election. Commissioner Andy Kostielney is currently the lone Republican and is also president of the Board of Commissioners. Bob Kovach, commissioner from District 3, has decided not to run for reelection .  With a lot of hard work, we have the potential to win that race. We have three people running for that seat in the primary. One of them is Marsha McClure. She brings the desire and the experience to be an extremely well-qualified candidate. Marsha has served 12 years on the Mishawaka City Council. She is a true fiscal conservative and is renowned for putting community first over politics. She currently is a branch manager at Mutual Bank. The other candidates are former South Bend mayoral candidates Wayne Curry and Bill Davis.
The other Commissioner seat up for election is District two and is currently held by Democrat Dave Thomas. We have another outstanding candidate for that race. It is Michael Thomas ( no relation), a native of the south side of South Bend and a 1980 graduate of Riley High School. He, too, is a fiscal conservative and ,as a previous small business owner, knows the importance that sound fiscal policies have in attracting new and growing existing businesses. Michael currently works for Westfield Insurance. He has worked on several campaigns in the past (the most recent being Jim Pingle from Mishawaka), but has never run for office before. I know he would appreciate any and all help.

The other newcomer I am excited about is Mark Telloyan. He will be running for State House 7 against David Niezgodski. Mark is an attorney in partnership with longtime GOPSJC supporter Jaimie O'Brien and is passionate about keeping Indiana on the right track following the path set forth by Gov. Daniels.
Enclosed is a complete list of everyone who has filed to run for office in the primary election in May. As you can see, we have some excellent candidates, including those running for reelection. Please notice those who have filed for precinct committeemen and delegates for State Convention. To help our candidates succeed, we must have a strong grass roots effort. If you are interested in serving as either a precinct committeemen or a delegate, call Jake Teshka at headquarters (574-299-1388). More importantly, find a candidate to support. With our excellent candidates and your grass roots support, we could truly make history and make 2012 " The Year of the Elephant"!

From the Party of Possibilities,

Deb Fleming, Chair GOPSJC