Coleman Thinks He Can defeat Walorski In 2nd District
Coleman Thinks He Can defeat Walorski In 2nd District
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Dan Spalding-dspalding@timesuniononline.com
Coleman Thinks He Can defeat Walorski In 2nd DistrictDemocrat Congressional candidate Lynn Coleman shared his campaign themes and strategy with local Democrats recently in Warsaw. Coleman was a longtime police officer in South Bend and served as assistant to the city’s former mayor, Steve Luecke, for 12 years. Coleman said he wants to be a voice for everyone in the 2nd Congressional District. Education and criminal justice are two central issues he cares about. He supports early childhood education, saying it’s extremely important to give all children a fair chance at a good educational foundation. The lack of a strong start increases the chances of problems, he said. “We know those kids are more likely to end up in the system, so you end up paying for it one way or another,” he said. Many of his themes touch on equality. “It’s important for us to know that all of us should have the same opportunity, the same chance and a level playing field to have an opportunity,” Coleman said. “It shouldn’t be based on your economic status or what side of the tracks you live on or your race or your gender or your sexual orientation or religious persuasion. It should be based on you being a human being.” Coleman contends his election opponent, two-term incumbent Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, does not represent the entire district. He’s pledging to visit each of the counties every three months if he is elected. He noted that Walorski has shied away from hosting town hall meetings and has only agreed to debates in safe environments, including Wabash. He said he’s willing to negotiate with the Walorski campaign about possible debates. With his visit to Kosciusko County, Coleman has now visited all counties in the district and he’s pledging that a district-wide approach will be a key part of his campaign. The 2nd District encompasses 10 counties, including the western and northern-most parts of Kosciusko County. The city of Warsaw falls in the 3rd District, which includes all of northeast Indiana. Coleman met with local Democratic Party faithful last week, including Kosciusko County party chairman David Kolbe, at an area restaurant before heading out the county fair. Coleman said he sees a scenario for victory, especially given the political climate now affecting the presidential and the Indiana gubernatorial races. Coleman pointed out that Brendan Mullen came within a few thousand votes of defeating Walorski. The margin of victory four years ago was less than 2 percent. “With the landscape of the electorate, the presidential candidates and now the governor’s race … we think there’s 4,000 votes out there that we can get.” Coleman said much of it depends on improving voter turnout in LaPorte, St. Joseph, Elkhart and Kosciusko counties – “if we do that, we win the election,” he said.
