Battle of Endorsements Continues in AG’s Race
The endorsements continue to pile on for the two republican candidates for Attorney General still standing before next month’s state GOP convention. Valpo Mayor Jon Costas can now add Lt. Gov Becky Skillman to the list as well in addition to a slew of statewide elected officials.
Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas today received the endorsement of Lt. Governor Becky Skillman (R-Bedford), Secretary of State Todd Rokita (R-Munster), State Auditor Tim Berry (R-Ft. Wayne) and State Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R-Evansville).
Becky Skillman went on to say:
“Jon Costas is the candidate we support to serve as a partner in state government,” Lt. Governor Skillman said. “The combination of his successful executive experience as Mayor of Valparaiso, his nineteen years of private legal practice, and his track record of proven results are just what we need to keep Indiana moving forward. We enthusiastically endorse Mayor Costas and urge his nomination at the State Convention.”
So what do you readers and potential delegates think of these endorsements? Does it bolster the Costas Cred? These are elected officials from around the state. All I can say is, this is shaping up to be an interesting race.
May 17th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Jon has been the best thing to happen to Valparaiso. When going through Valparaiso prior to his taking office you saw buckling sidewalks, boarded up windows and a dying city. Now when you go through town people are walking down the beautiful sidewalks, visiting the local businesses and generally enjoying the scenery. Valparaiso is absolutely beautiful. By Jon taking the reins he has changed what was a bad situation and turned it into a positive one. Hopefully you will get a chance at the convention to talk to him he is warm, charming and intelligent and always willing to take time out for anyones question. You will see that when he speaks people like to listen. Definitely a candidate that will do well in the fall campaign. You see in the fall it is not only the Republicans that will making the choice and I believe Jon can get the independent and Democrat vote. Zoeller is a nice guy I just don’t believe that he can appeal to the independent and Democrat vote like Jon can.
May 17th, 2008 at 8:17 am
I like what I’m hearing about Costas. My concern with Zoeller is that he served in the Carter administration. Carter has not been accessible to taxpayers, and I don’t want to take a chance on getting more of the same. We need new players in the AG’s office to weed out unhealthy political alliances.
May 17th, 2008 at 9:27 am
In dealing with the AEPA/Wilson/Tremco school roofing “scheme”, I witnessed many conflicts-of-interest at the statehouse. I was amazed that so many elected officials who swore an oath to uphold and defend the constitution could be so easily persuaded to look the other way when certain lobbyists from Indy lawfirms went to the defense of a multi-billion dollar corporation from Ohio. If it were not for a small handful of men with integrity, it would have continued to be swept under the rug. Money talks, integrity walks. I’m looking for change.
May 17th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
valerie and divi1960, thansk for the positive comments for Mayor Costas.
The convention is shaping up as “old GOP” vs. the Daniels vision of “new Indiana”. Are we the party that promotes the next guy in line? I don’t think that’s what we really want. We want the best candidate in the entire state, the one that helps us hold the statehouse.
All the hub bub about the southern indiana delegates vs the northern indiana delegates was overblown, we all want to hold the Governor’s office and the statewide elected office holders that make up the rest of the slate. This isn’t regionalism.
May 17th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
That’s about the most tepid and sorry endorsement quotation that I have ever seen. Whoever wrote it should be sacked.
May 18th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Endorsements from elected officials works? Look at what it did for Nelson Peters in the mayoral primary last year. He had elected officials from all over the state endorse him, while Kelty had -zero-
Kelty won.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Scott, were you suggesting that Becky’s endorsement was in some way forced or she didn’t actually mean it?
White Boy, agreed, endorsements don’t vote just like yard signs don’t. But endorsements so help delegates understand what parts of the party are lining up on each side. In this case do you agree with my suggestion that it’s the “old GOP insiders” vs. “Mitch’s new vision”?
Scott has suggested that at least in the south there is a bit of an anti-Mitch movement, and that these types would prefer an AG that will stand up to him or something along those lines.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
If Jon is the candidate from up North, why is his campaign office address in Indianapolis?
May 19th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I think we’re starting to see which folks in the party are on which side.
And I think that the division here is becoming more the establishment, the big Indy law firms, and the Indy Republican organization (on one side) against the conservatives (on the other), and there simply is no more dangerous fault line in the Hoosier Republican coalition.
Nothing good will come of this.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
scott, I can’t say that I disagree–it certainly seems to be shaping up that way…