Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Suzette Clayton, Sherry Krull and Paul and Kay Croyle were the recipients of three awards handed out during the Kosciusko County Democrats annual Salute to Service gala held Saturday night.
Secretary of State candidates Beau Bayh and Blythe Potter, along with Jamee Decio, congressional candidate for the 2nd Congressional District, and Kelly Thompson, congressional candidate for the 3rd Congressional District, were the featured keynote speakers.
"I would like to give a special welcome from longtime Syracuse Democrat activist Opal Miller, who moved out of state to live with her son," said Vicki Morton, county party chair, during her opening remarks. "She sends her greetings to you all. She left me with some of her possessions, including this signed copy of the 25th Amendment."
The copy of the 25th Amendment, which was sponsored by Congressman Birch Bayh in 1965, was on display by the podium. Morton noted when Miller moved out of her condo she had to consolidate. "She had materials from every campaign she worked on," Morton said.
Before presenting the awards, Morton encouraged everyone in the room to sign up to canvas and to vote early if they hadn't already. “With all the horrific things coming out of Washington, D.C., we need a blue wave in Indiana," she told the crowd.
Clayton received the Dale Tucker Award, which is given to someone who not only gives their time and talent to the Democratic Party but to the community as well. In addition to her work with the Democrats, Clayton is a volunteer with Stillwater Hospice and was recently appointed to the board of directors for The Watershed Foundation. Later that evening, Clayton told Morton she was very surprised at receiving the award.
Krull received the Opal Miller Award, which has been presented since 2017. Morton noted Krull has been out protesting and assisting with activities at Beaman Home while battling cancer. Morton told the crowd Krull usually asks her what more can she do to help.
The Salute to Service Award is not given out every year. This year's recipients were Paul and Kay Croyle, who have sponsored every Salute to Service Gala since moving to the area from Starke County in 2023. The two have been active Democrats. When Kay's father died, Birch Bayh gave the eulogy. The couple moved to Kosciusko County to be closer to a daughter and grandchildren. Unfortunately, their daughter recently moved to LaPorte County and, due to increasing health issues, they feel it's important to live closer to her. They will be moving out of the county soon.
Keynote speakers
Potter was the first candidate to speak. As a veteran and "proud public school grad," she has an MBA in conscientious capitalism. "We're going to bring the boring back to the Secretary of State," she told the crowd. When she decided to run for office, she decided to run a strictly grassroots campaign. "People are tired of the status quo," she said.
If elected, her first order of business will be to empower voters by providing an online guide to assist them. She noted Indiana has next to nothing about voting available on any of the state websites. This online guide would offer where and when to vote, who the candidates are and information about the offices they are running for.
She stressed the need to modernize the websites the Secretary of State is responsible for overseeing. "Make sure you tell people to vote," she said.
Bayh noted his grandfather, Birch Bayh, authored the bill to lower the voting age to 18. The elder Bayh felt it was unfair someone could enlist or be drafted into the military, but couldn't have a say in who represented them in government.
He is running for Secretary of State because rural hospital systems are closing and public schools are not getting the support they need. He supports public education because public schools don't shut their doors to special-needs children.
"The supermajority hasn't done anything to make life more affordable in the state," he said. He noted Indiana has a multibillion-dollar surplus yet is handing out universal vouchers worth $10,000 to the richest residents in the state.
He noted the corruption and insider trading currently taking place in the Secretary of State's office have not been reined in. He noted the $92,000 SUV — "More than most individuals make in a year," he said — and the hiring of family members as key issues. Bayh promised if elected his first act will be to audit the office and stop the corruption.
He noted early voting needs to be protected and straight-ticket voting eliminated. He said straight-ticket voting is the biggest factor as to why people won't vote. He would also work to have a citizen statewide ballot referendum so voters have more say on important issues that impact them.
Morton noted with three northern Kosciusko County townships in the 2nd Congressional District, Decio's Democratic challenger has not reached out to her yet.
Decio said she wanted to represent the part of the state where she grew up. A native of Elkhart, her father, Arthur, was someone who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and became successful. He then spent most of his time helping others, and she wants to honor him.
She told the crowd she wanted to go to law school after realizing her brother had more rights than she did. While attending law school at Notre Dame, she worked with Elkhart Legal Aid representing clients at Logansport Mental Hospital. "I became their hope and I did my best to measure up," she said.
If elected, she will propose a bill eliminating tariffs and a 10% reduction in taxes, as well as raising the federal minimum wage. She believes health care is a right, not a privilege.
She said she believes the priorities of Congress should be the people. "We must never forget we are a nation of immigrants. We must find a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants with a clean record," she said. She stressed the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
"Together we can make America great for the next generation," she said. "We need to win back the House so the needs of U.S. residents can finally be met."
Thompson started her speech by placing a sign asking if people were tired of the incumbent Republican. She spoke of making her announcement to run last year. "When I get to Washington, D.C., I will be fighting for each and every one of you," she said.
She spoke of the importance of not being a divided people. "We've been pitted against each other on purpose," she said. "We have the wrong people in power." She noted government should be run by regular working people, not billionaires and corporations.
She said there is a need for candidates who are running for the right reasons. She ended her presentation with stories of hope, where she had conversations with people who had different political ideas. One said she gave him a lot to think about, while the other, acknowledging she and he didn't agree on much, despised the Republican incumbent.
