Two former radio personalities square off in 6th District
Indiana’s 6th District hasn’t sent a Democrat to Washington is a quarter century. However, in a year when Indiana might go blue for the first time since the Johnson administration, neither Mike Pence nor Barry Welsh feels secure.
“We have probably [our] most aggressive campaign,” said Bill Smith, a spokesperson for the Pence campaign. He sees this election being particularly hard for any incumbent, much less republican, nominee.
Pence has served in Washington since 2000, making this election a run for his fourth term. Welsh, a virtually unknown before running against Pence in 2006, won 40 percent of the vote that year. According to Welsh, his run two years ago was 12 percentage points higher than any other Democrat had previously won.
“We’re poised to shock some people,” he said.
Welsh, a former pastor of the Laurel United Methodist Church and the Metamora United Methodist Church, went to college at Ball State, in Muncie, Delaware County and United Theological Seminary in Dayton. He has taught government and economics at New Palestine High School and was a radio personality at WIFE 100.3.
Similar to Welsh, Pence also has history in radio broadcasting. After graduating from Hanover College in 1981 and earning his law degree from the Indiana University School of Law in 1986 he ran twice for Congress. Then he hosted a statewide radio show titled “The Mike Pence Show.”
Though they have certain similarities, their campaigns are expectedly different.
Welsh ranks the economy, health care and education as the most important issues of his campaign. The current financial crisis, he said, tops that list.
Pence also ranks the economy as his first concern, then energy independence, then government accountability.
“In my opinion we have to build from the bottom up not the top down,” said Welsh. Welsh says that he wants to revitalize manufacturing and keep jobs in Indiana.
Pence is for cutting taxes and keeping money local.
“The congressmen believes that the best way to turn around the economy is to put more money in the hands of the people,” said Smith.
“There are no easy answers, but the American people deserve to know there are alternatives to massive federal spending,” Pence said during a speech on the floor of the U.S. House at the end of September.
Welsh also stressed the importance of health care and the power of doctors and patients.
“Health care is becoming more and more corporately managed,” said Welsh. “[I want] more control given to the patients and the doctors.”
Smith focused on different aspects of the congressman.
“[Citizens] appreciate his integrity, part of the success we’ve seen is him sticking to his word and principles.”
This year’s race is all the more charged because of presence the presidential election. Welsh attended Sen. Barack Obama’s Indianapolis rally on Oct. 8.
“I am very proud to have him as our party nominee,” Welsh said. “I think we [Indiana] are going to go blue for the first time in 44 years. And the better [Obama] does, the better we do.”
The 6th District encompasses much of eastern Indiana including Columbus, Anderson, Muncie and New Castle.
