House race a main focus for area Democrats (10/09/06)

The Democrats are looking for power.

Power in the people, power in preparation, power of imagination, and power of big politics.

The featured speaker at Saturday's 2006 Jefferson-Jackson dinner was Ron Liggett of Redkey, who is the Democratic nominee for the District 33 seat in the Indiana House of Representatives.

He is hoping to take back he seat he lost to Bill Davis in 2004.

"It's gonna be about what we do and don't do," Liggett told the crowd. "Let's take back the house!"

Michael Griffin, candidate for the Indiana State Treasurer, excited the crowd in the Women's Building at the Jay County Fairgrounds Saturday evening.

Griffin energized the nearly packed room, encouraging everyone to vote.

Griffin, who has served as the clerk-treasurer of Highland for the past 14 years, encouraged every Democrat in attendance to bring another Democrat to the polls in November.

"We have 31 days left to take our cause to the people," he said.

Congressional candidate, the Rev. Barry Welsh, also excited the crowd when he said, "I'm running for Congress and I'm not Mike Pence!"

As Welsh continued to draw applause from the crowd, he said, "I don't know which is more dangerous - going hunting with Dick Cheney or being a page in Congress."

"Have you had enough?" State Senator Vi Simpson asked the excited crowd.

"I'm not running for anything except running around the state working for you," she said, encouraging Democrats to get out and vote. "We need your help. No candidate stands alone."

Local candidates as well urged Democrats to get out and vote in November.

"It's always good to be a Democrat," said Gerald Kirby, a candidate for Jay County Council, "but it is really good this year."

Other speakers during the evening were rural Redkey resident, Clayton Phillips, who is hoping to gain a seat on the State Senate, and Joe Pearson, who is running for Secretary of State.[[In-content Ad]]