| Last week, I was contacted by Ball State University Students and members of the African American Community about legitimate voter registrations, turned in on time, not being processed and people not being on the voter rolls for the primary election in Indiana on May 6th. I was asked to come and stand up with them for voter rights and I went to the Election Board meeting.
One of the Republican Officials attacked a newspaper reporter after the meeting and I jumped in to stop the attack. I got punched in the eye but stopped the attack.
Yesterday at the close of business, was the final deadline for getting the new registrations processed. There were almost two thousand new registrations turned in on that final day alone, and 25 of them were Republican.
I am proud to be posting this and informing all, that thanks to the heroic effort of the Democratic voting board members and despite the obstruction of the Republicans, ALL OF THE NEW REGISTRATIONS HAVE BEEN PROCESSED!
No voter will be left behind! Allow me to caveat that as there might have been a handful that were ineligible or otherwise not legitimate, but that happens each time, and is expected and justified.
Mr Statom, the Republican who launched the attack, was suspended for three days.
The Reporter who was the victim of the attack, continues to do his job, and gets interviewed by other media daily.
As for me, all the registrations were processed and that was the goal, but we received an unbelievable amount of free media, and the poll numbers reflect that. With your continued help and support, I am going to be the next Congressman from Indiana's 6th District.
A long time Republican and City Council member stopped me on the street in Connersville, Indiana yesterday and told me he was with me 100%. I said "But Richard you are a " and he stopped me before I could say Republican, and he said "I know, but watching you on TV the other night, my wife said, you think Mike Pence would have jumped in to save that reporter or would he have just watched? And I laughed at first, then I got to thinking, and I don't think he would have jumped in.
We need someone not afraid to fight for us, so get me some of your yard signs for November."
We shook hands and he walked away.
The times they are a changing, and it is because people like you and me are not going to take it anymore. We are standing up all across this great land and I thank each of you for all that you do.
No voters will be left behind in this district, and I don't know if we could have accomplished anything more important than that at this time.
Barry Welsh |
