Democrat Indiana governor candidate John Gregg visited Warsaw Saturday morning.
Gregg, Indianapolis, visited the Kosciusko County Democrat headquarters.
There were approximately 50 people who met with Gregg.
Gregg faces Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence in the November election.
Gregg, 57, who is an attorney, was a state representative in the Indiana House of Representatives from 1986 to 2002.
He served as Speaker of the Indiana House from 1996 to 2002 and Majority Leader from 1990 to 1994. Gregg was named “Public Official of the Year” in 2002 by Governing Magazine.
He served as president of Vincennes University from 2003 to 2004.
Gregg said he is running for governor because he saw things starting to deteriorate in Indiana like they have in Washington, D.C.
He said he is proud to say he is not a member of Congress, and is not a career politician.
“I knew we needed to have someone who could bring people together and I’ve always been someone able to do that,” Gregg said.
He said it concerns him when Pence wants to shut the entire federal government down over the defunding of Planned Parenthood.
“When you want to shut down Planned Parenthood you are against women’s access to health care,” Gregg said.
He said Indiana is a Republican state, but he has found a lot of disgruntled Republicans he calls “Lugar Republicans.”
He said the “Lugar Republicans” do not identify with Pence and what Gregg calls Pence’s extreme agenda and career politician ways.
Gregg said job creation is important to him.
“It’s important that Indiana has good paying jobs because we want our young college grads to work here,” Gregg said.
He discussed the important of life sciences, energy, advanced manufacturing and farming.
Other Democrat candidates that attended Saturday’s event in Warsaw were Jim Ball, Democrat District 12 state senator candidate; Brendan Mullen, Democrat U.S. District 2 Representative; and John Bonitati, Democrat State Representative District 22 candidate.
Mullen, South Bend, faces Republican Jackie Walorski.
Mullen graduated from John Adams School, South Bend, and the United States Military Academy at West Point.
He served in the Iraq War as an Army combat pilot.
Mullen said he is running for the seat because he wants to work with the other Democrat candidates who attended Saturday’s event to work across the aisle.
“Every single day young men and women put flags on their shoulders and walk in harm’s way, and they work for the common good,” Mullen said.
Bonitati faces Republican Rebecca Kubacki.
Bonitati is employed as a technical product director of knee marketing for DePuy Orthopaedics. He currently is the Kosciusko County Democratic party treasurer.
Bonitati said he is running for the seat to help improve the educational system, workers’ rights and funding Child Protective Services and Cardinal Services.
“I see issues with education in our public schools being defunded and privatizing schools and handing out vouchers that puts strain on public education,” Bonitati said.
Ball, who faces Carlin Yoder, in the District 12 state senator race, is a railroad engineer who said he is seeking office for the first time. He served in the Gulf and Iraq wars.
“Right to work legislation and protecting the middle class was a top priority of why I decided to run as well as making sure we fund public education,” Ball said.
