SYRACUSE — Kosciusko County Democrats were fired up Sunday afternoon during its seventh annual Lillypad Cruise.
The party members gathered to hear four female candidates: Jennifer McCormick for governor; Dr. Valerie McCray, U.S. Senate; Lori Camp, U.S. Representative, District 2; and Kylie Adolph, U.S. Representative, District 3.
McCormick, who spoke to the local party during last year’s cruise, excited the group with her opening remarks: “People ask me why I am doing this. Because it is time we have a governor who will use common sense, stability and bipartisanship to get things done. We’ve talked to a lot of Hoosiers across this great state and regardless of political affiliation, they do not have any interest in Mike Braun or Micah Beckwith being any where near the governor’s office. The only way we can do that is for all of us on this boat to go tell our family and our friends that it is time we have a governor who will restore women’s reproductive rights and freedom.
“It’s time we have a governor who will fight for affordable health care for all. It is time we have a governor who will take public dollars to public schools. It is time we have a governor who will tell us that child care universal-pre-K matters. … It is time we have a governor who will say the annual wage is not good for any one. It’s time we uplift our unions. Unions are strong. We are stronger. It’s time we are going to fight back against fear, frustration … time we go for optimism and opportunity.”
McCormick talked about education. She stated the state is “at a critical pivotal point. We have 3,300 teaching openings today and we will never fill those … we will not fill them because of the situation Indiana has created … said no worries, we’ll just make sure you can teach in Indiana without a high school diploma. They also came out as long as you have an eighth-grade education and show 4,000 hours worth of work, we’re good.”
She added the state just came out and said no more arts, band, or fine arts, no more world history, economics, no math beyond algebra. “Think about the message … it is sending to kids … we are going to be uneducated and unhealthy and as a state we’re in trouble.”
McCormick promised her constituents she is going to get in there and work hard. “Because it is our time! Our recent poll looks good … we’ve got candidates up and down the ballot. Our poll shows us we have a path to victory.”
She encouraged people to get involved, writing letters and postcards, donations, volunteering and promoting the candidates.
McCray, whose speech was interrupted by a downpour of rain, talked about former President Donald Trump’s recent statement calling Christians to vote this last time and that it will be the last time they will ever have to vote.
“If that doesn’t scare everybody, it should … case of treason if ever heard in my life,” she stated.
She referred to McCormick getting in the governor’s office, Kamala Harris being the next president.
“She is going to need a Senate that supports women’s rights, wages … supports medical care … a Senate that is going to make sure our rights are protected.”
Continuing her speech in the lower deck of the Lillypad, McCray talked how Banks was “putting his nose into things that make no difference at all for the state of Indiana. So we need someone who is going to represent us and make sure we have national policy that fights for what we need to have in place.”
She stated the need to get women’s rights restored, mentioning a recent bill to get Roe vs. Wade codified but was abandoned and the need to get it in the Constitution “so we’ll never have to deal with this question again.” She noted the need to raise the $7.25 federal minimum wage which is still paid in Indiana.
“It’s a shame that Indiana is at $7.25 … we have to move that. People have to be able to breath between paychecks … have to be able to pay the basic bills and still have money to breathe …”
Camp took advantage of the sudden rainstorm by stating, “I’m not upset about this rain at all, because I tend to take Congress by storm.”
She talked about the need to take back the U.S. House, restore women’s rights, stop the gerrymandering. She focused on her platform about “doing good for all the people. … Kiley and I are going to take names and we’re going to kick butt!”
Kiley summed up the speeches noting how all the women were running to restore reproductive rights, support public education, support of unions.
“I’m excited to ensure that every member of our community has access to affordable care — health care, child care, elder care … up and down the ballot we’re running for women, we’re running or our economy, we’re running or our rights and we’re running for our unions.
Vicki Morton, county chair, outlined the need for party members to get involved and listed the various ways people could assist. She also announced upcoming events for the party, which included parades, participation in Third Friday events, informal meetings and the county meeting. Morton also recognized the top supporters for the days event.
Brian Smith, county vice-chair and District 2 chair, introduced each of the speakers and recognized two town officials present.