Indiana House 34 race set

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN -  The race to succeed Mayor-elect Dennis Tyler as state representative has a couple of well known partisans wanting to be Muncie's lawmaker.

 Mike White, 61, a longtime campaigner and Democratic Party insider, filed for the seat vacated by Tyler last week. And Lewis Coulter, 66, owner of Red Dog Saloon and the End Zone, also plans to run in the party caucus set for 5:30 p.m. Dec. 29 in downtown party headquarters at 214 N. Walnut St. Tyler, who announced more city leaders on Thursday, did not indicate he had a favorite and then mentioned that Coulter had been at headquarters, talking about  running.

 Coulter, who heads the Delaware County Licensed Beverage Association,  just led the charge, filing suit with local American Legion halls against the county's no smoking ban. Delaware Circuit Court 1 Judge Marianne Vorhees just upheld the ban this week, which have put smokers outside local bars and restaurants. Coulter said Thursday his main issue was jobs and about the state doing more to put people back to work.

 White said he would pursue Tyler's agenda of restoring money to public education, maintaining benefits to those of age and need, and also fighting that Right to Work law that Republican lawmakers and Gov. Mitch Daniels wanting to impose on working people. White has never run for public office, but did seek the 6th congressional district Democratic Party chairman's seat this year, but lost to Mike Jones of Switzerland County. He runs a computer company and was a former Community Development director.

 This race could be a no contest, given the Democratic Central Committee generally supports it own, and Coulter has been considered an outsider in recent elections. He also ran for the Indiana Senate seat that former Sen. Sue Errington eventually won, and also offices like mayor and county commissioner. Coulter still has a passion for politics and does have some support in the party. The deadline for filing with the state election office is Monday for the Thursday caucas. 

 And Errington plans to run for the seat in 2012 when its new boundaries take effect. She lives in the new district but not the current district. And she now hangs with Team Democrat, that dissident group that operates on their own and barely supports the national and state tickets. Republicans have no candidate in the predominately Democratic  House district.

 White said he planned to seek the seat if elected by the caucus and was looking for a committee to help him. The bottom line of whoever goes to the Statehouse with a Democratic banner will be in the minority and a short session guarantees little if anything done except what Republicans want to do.   The GOP has a 60-40 majority in the House and a 37-13 margin in the Senate. Whoever represents Muncie at the Statehouse, whether it is White or Coulter and Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, they will still be Democrats just like local government.