As the Democratic nominee for Indiana’s 6th Congressional District spoke at Donner Center, Jeannine Lee Lake’s message was largely a calm plea for bipartisan cooperation and Christian compassion.
But anyone who suggests to the 48-year-old Muncie newspaper publisher that she’s likely to lose the congressional race to her GOP opponent, Greg Pence of Columbus, shouldn’t be surprised to receive a loud and fiery rebuttal.
“With his name and legacy, Greg Pence may have thought he had an opponent he didn’t have to deal with, but he picked the wrong girl,” said Lake with a passionate voice while concluding her speech to about 200 local Democrats Tuesday. “Because I’m coming for him. I’m going to win, and I’m going to win big.”
While Lake received three standing ovations during the fundraiser, the reception she has received to date from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — the body that works to elect Democrats to the House — has been less warm and enthusiastic.
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On June 14, The Atlantic magazine reported Lake was one of five African-American female Democrats who won their respective congressional primaries that had not heard a word of support from the DCCC.
Responding to questions prior to her address, Lake also displayed a strong and defiant voice after confirming she has still not heard from the committee nearly three months after the primary. “The DCCC relies on African-American females to go vote for their campaign, but they will not support black female candidates,” Lake said. “I’ll tell you what. I think they’ve got one more election cycle before there is a revolt. And I’m going to lead the revolt, because I’m tired of it.”
In its story, the magazine quoted an unnamed DCCC aide who said the organization was focusing time and resources on the most competitive districts.
In response, Lake accused committee officials of simply looking at the district, instead of individual candidates such as herself who might become transformative figures in states that are Republican strongholds.
Lake said she is aware of factors that lead many to assume Pence will win on Nov. 6, including:
- Financial reports showing Pence raising $1.7 million for his campaign by the end of June compared to Lake’s $11,711.
- The Donald Trump/Mike Pence ticket winning the 6th District by 41 points during the 2016 presidential campaign.
- Greg Pence garnering 47,756 votes in this year’s GOP primary, while Lake got support from 8,887 Democratic primary voters.
Greg Pence’s support has been weakened by the impact that President Donald Trump’s tariffs are having on farmers, as well as by published statements from Cummins Inc. CEO Tom Linebarger warning that aluminum and steel tariffs could result in layoffs by the end of this year, Lake said.
Greg Pence, the older brother of Vice President Mike Pence, has voiced strong support for Trump’s policies, including the tariffs.
These developments have been factors in her rising poll numbers, said Lake, who claims to now have about 35 percent support. On Tuesday, she predicted her support will rise into the low 40s by early October.
“I know it’s going to take lightning striking for me to win,” Lake said during her address. “But you know, I believe I’m going to.”
Besides the DCCC, Lake is also not getting the support she deserves from Indiana Democratic Chairman John Zody, said former county party chairwoman Nancy Ann Poynter, who became the first female mayor of Columbus in 1980.
“Right now, she needs financial assistance to get her through the fall campaign,” Poynter said. “She’s a new candidate who has to introduce herself to the whole 19 counties within the district. But she’s willing to put her personal life on hold and willing to do it.”
In her speech, Lake did not mention her complaints with the DCCC or any other examples of possible disharmony within her party.
Instead, Lake said now is a time for local Democrats to reach out to moderate Republicans, independents and previously apathetic voters because many are “repelled and repulsed” by what they are seeing and hearing coming out of the White House.
That includes not only the president’s rhetoric, but also policies such as the separation of children from illegal immigrant parents that most people find cruel and disgusting, Lake said.
“A lot of Republicans are tired of the mess, and they want change,” Lake said. “Now is the time to take advantage of that. Do we decide that we are going to reach across the aisle and shake a hand that we may not have shaken two or three years ago?”
The most recent Democrat from Muncie to represent Columbus in the U.S. House of Representatives was Ball State political science professor Phil Sharp. He represented most of Bartholomew County from 1983 to 1995 in the former 2nd Congressional District.
But for the past 23 years, Republicans have kept that seat firmly in their grasp. David McIntosh succeeded the retiring Sharp in 1995. He was followed by Mike Pence in 2001, who was succeeded by Luke Messer after Mike Pence became Indiana’s governor in 2013.
Messer decided not to seek a fourth term, choosing instead to run as a GOP nominee for U.S. Senator. Both Messer and Todd Rokita lost in the May primary to businessman Mike Braun, who is challenging incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly in the general election.
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The next event sponsored by the Bartholomew County Democratic Party will be Sept. 18.
Ann Delaney, who is perhaps best known as a panelist on the “Indiana Week In Review” television program, will speak at the 2018 Democratic Dinner.
Delaney is also a former prosecutor, Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor, and a nonprofit director.
Information: 812-418-8594 or online at barthdems.org
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Political party: Democratic
Age: 48
City of residence: Muncie
Occupation: Publisher and CEO, Elite Media Group
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Ball State University, 1992; graduate school, coursework for master’s degree in journalism completed except for thesis.
Previous offices held: None
Previous offices sought: None
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