Democrats to meet for convention Saturday in Indy

By Paige Clark
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Democrats will pick nominees for state treasurer, auditor and secretary of state this Saturday in downtown Indianapolis – although none of the nominations will be contested.

“Were going to have about 1,800 folks in attendance that are delegates,” said Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody. “I expect a lot of energy and a lot excitement moving this fall.”

The nominations will include:

Mike Boland, treasurer

Boland was a longtime Illinois state representative fromm 1995-2010. He is most known for speaking out about a scandal involving admissions at the University of Illinois. Boland left the Illinois House to run for lieutenant governor in 2010 but lost the bid. In 2011 he ran for the state senate and lost again. He moved to Fishers with his wife Mary to be closer to his kids and grandchildren. He said he is running to bring balance and accountability to the state.

Mike Claytor, auditor

Claytor graduated from Ball State in 1974 and became a licensed certified public accountant shortly after in 1979. In 1983 he obtained a law degree from the Indianapolis School of Law. In 1989, Claytor began work at Crow Chizek, now Crow Horwath. Three years later, he became a partner. Claytor said he is running to balance the books of the state auditor and balance the political power in Indiana.

Beth White, secretary of state

A Bloomington native, White is now the clerk in Marion County, the state’s largest county. She is also the secretary of the local election board and a member of the Indiana Public School Education Foundation Board. White created yVote!, a voter education program to encourage eligible high school students to vote and has registered more then 2,5000 student voters. She also attends naturalization ceremonies and has helped registered 6,000 new Hoosiers to vote.

Zody predicted Saturday’s nominating process will be a smooth one.

“We’ve got great candidates, people with professional experience running for statewide office,” he said.

Democrats will meet from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Indiana Convention Center following a number of caucuses and other meetings. Republicans are planning a convention later this month, where delegates will also nominate candidates for secretary of state, treasurer and auditor.

Neither party will have a statewide candidate seeking reelection in the fall – although Secretary of State Connie Lawson will be the incumbent in her race. She was appointed to the post after the GOP’s last nominee – Charlie White – had to resign after his election following a conviction on voter fraud charges.

“I think the playing field is a little more even than some people might think,” Zody said. “So we’ll keep the energy up.”

Paige Clark is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.