By Bud Herron
For The Republic
Over the past year, many people have approached me about running for high office at either the state or national level.
(Well, to be perfectly honest — a hard practice for a fledgling politician to learn — three people have brought up the subject with me since last fall. All three were readers of my Sunday writings in this newspaper, but only two of them had ever submitted “onions” in the daily “Around Town” column about my views.)
The other person — who is possibly the campaign manager for a person who already has announced candidacy for one of these offices — was effusive in his encouragement. He said he has “prayed to God” someone of my caliber would enter the race against his candidate.
However, flattered as I am about all the support and encouragement, I have had a very difficult time deciding where I could best serve my state and nation — as a senator or representative in the Indiana General Assembly or as a congressman from the Sixth Congressional District in our nation’s capital. (I have not considered a run for U.S. Senate because I am not a Marine, which according to ads on TV is the main qualification.)
I also have had to decide whether I would file as a Republican, a Democrat, a Libertarian or an independent. My bookie at Churchill Downs suggested I run as a Republican, since the odds of a Democrat winning any of those seats in the general election in November are traditionally about the same as Mr. Ed (television’s talking horse in the 1960 sitcom) winning the Triple Crown.
To qualify for the Republican primary election on May 3, I have to be a Republican. (No differentiation is made among Trump Republicans, Reagan Republicans, Hoover Republicans and Lincoln Republicans, so that is not a stumbling block.)
In many states, all I would have to do is fill out a few papers online to “register” myself as a Republican. In Indiana, however, no one can register as a member of any party. You become a member of the party of your choice by establishing a record of having voted in that party’s primary election in the past.
Truth is, I have voted in each party’s primaries through the years — depending on which had the most interesting races. Most often and most recently I have voted in the Democratic primaries, then just madly “scratched” my November ballot with a few votes in each direction.
Voting most often in the Democratic primary is a family thing, going back to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s defeat of Herbert Hoover in 1932. (My grandfather thought Hoover looked like a guy who stole one of his chickens, so he picked FDR. Most of my family has leaned to the “anti-chicken wing” of the Democrat party ever since.)
So, all through January, I struggled with the challenges of launching a campaign. I wanted to enter the Republican primary, but wasn’t sure I could qualify.
And, if I did quality, which office would I seek?
A run for the U.S. Congress seemed to be the least time consuming. Obviously, from the 2018 and 2020 elections, the eventual winner doesn’t have to talk to the press, answer any hard questions or debate other candidates.
Then, after he wins, he just votes with fellow representatives against any legislation proposed by the Democrats. If the legislation passes and people praise it, he then takes credit for it. I can do that.
A run for the General Assembly as a Republican also is a pretty safe bet for victory. And if I win, I just line up with the GOP supermajority and vote as they vote. I might even have enough spare time to go off to sunny Arizona to lend moral support to recounts of the recounts of the 2020 Presidential election.
I love the idea of being elected, and have been leaning toward running for state office. Indianapolis is a lot closer to home than Washington, D.C., and the job is listed as just part time.
The pay also is pretty good. Base pay would be $22,616 a year, plus an extra $155 a day and $62 for expenses any time I have to be at the Statehouse for a session or a committee meeting. According to a survey by The Indianapolis Star, this all adds up to about $65,000 a year, on average, for each legislator.
But alas, it appears I will not be able to run in any party’s primary this year. I had planned to drive to Indianapolis on Monday to sign up.
Then I discovered the flaw in my planning. The deadline for filing candidacy for these offices was last Friday at noon.
I am so sorry my procrastination and lack of attention to detail has let my many supporters down. I will have to wait for 2024 to make my bid to save the nation — or at least the state. Very sad indeed.
Bud Herron is a retired editor and newspaper publisher who lives in Columbus. He served as publisher of The Republic from 1998 to 2007. Contact him at [email protected].
