The Democratic nominee for Indiana’s 6th congressional district will share her message in the hometown of her Republican opponent at a dinner hosted by local Democrats.
Jeannine Lee Lake will speak at the Bartholomew County Democratic Party’s quarterly dinner at 6 p.m. July 31 at Donner Center in Columbus.
Lake’s appearance is part of her effort to visit all 19 counties in the district. She has traveled to Columbus a few times already, said Bob Hyatt, local Democratic Party chairman.
“She reached out to us and we had reached out to her because we’re anxious to support her campaign,” Hyatt said. “She’s an excellent candidate for Congress.”
Lake, who lives in Muncie and heads a media company, is a first-time candidate, just like Republican nominee Greg Pence, a Columbus businessman.
The Nov. 6 general election will include three other 6th District candidates: Libertarian Tom Ferkinhoff and write-ins Heather Leigh Meloy and John Miller.
Lake said she understands she is facing an uphill battle to win the Republican-leaning Bartholomew County and 6th District, the latter once served by Pence’s brother, Vice President Mike Pence, a former six-term congressman and one-term Indiana governor.
“I don’t mind being an underdog,” Lake said.
The path to victory is daunting, will require a strong grass-roots effort and starts with her being a good candidate, she said.
Lake said she’s disturbed with things happening with the United States under President Donald Trump’s administration. The most recent, she said, was the president siding with Russia over the FBI regarding Russia’s meddling in U.S. elections, and no rebuke from Vice President Pence or Greg Pence.
Lake said the message she will share with dinner attendees will touch on her core topics:
School safety — Exploring ways to make schools safer, such as hiring resource officers and metal detectors is important and something Greg Pence hasn’t addressed, Lake said.
Opioid crisis — “We need to look for non-traditional ways to use government funding to decrease the problem, such as drug courts and rehabilitation in lieu of prosecution,” she said.
Women’s issues — “Women’s reproductive rights are being threatened,” Lake said. “I’m pro-choice, but I’ve never been pro-abortion. The question is how can we bring together the entities on both sides and for all of us to reduce the number of abortions.”
Jobs and the minimum wage — Lake said she supports increasing the minimum wage, probably in increments.
Infrastructure — Fixing crumbling roads is a priority, Lake said.
Tariffs — President Trump’s tariff policies are hurting farmers and those who make and use steel and aluminum, she said.
The uphill battle Lake faces is evident in campaign contributions. According to Federal Election Commission reports, Lake’s campaign had raised $11,711 through June 30, while Greg Pence’s campaign had raised $1,677,867. Pence’s total is 150 times more than Lake’s.
However, Lake received an unexpected boost from a famous television talk show host less than a week before the May 8 primary.
Lake said she tried to add gas to her car on the way to a meeting with supporters at a coffee house in Muncie, but her campaign credit card was declined because of lack of funds.
After heading to the coffee house, she spotted a man who looked like David Letterman, a Ball State University alumni like Lake. After taking a closer look, it became apparent it indeed was Letterman.
Lake said took the opportunity to approach the celebrity and see if he could offer support to her campaign.
“When he found out I (might) run against Greg Pence, Mike Pence’s brother, he said, ‘How can I help?’” Lake said.
What he did surprised Lake, she said. Letterman went to his car and returned with a wad of cash and gave her 58 $20 bills — totaling $1,160.
Lake said she took that as a good sign. The primary was May 8 (5/8), the general election is Nov. 6 (11/6) and her favorite Scripture passage is Romans 1:16, she said.
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What: Jeannine Lee Lake, Democratic nominee for Indiana’s 6th congressional district, speaking at the Bartholomew County Democratic Party’s quarterly meeting
When: 6 p.m. July 31
Where: Donner Center, 739 22nd St. in Columbus.
Cost: $15 per person. Attendees can register on the party’s website, barthdems.org, or by calling its headquarters at 812-418-8594.
Notable: A special private event with Lake is at 5:30. People interested in attending should contact the headquarters for details.
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Jeannine Lee Lake” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
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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