Kelty Beginning to Surge at the Fort
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V13 N33 Thursday, April 19, 2007 Kelty beginning to surge at the Fort By BRIAN A. HOWEY FORT WAYNE - With the primary just over two weeks away, a number of in- dicators point to a surge for architect Matt Kelty in his Republican primary mayoral race against Allen County 07 Commissioner Nelson Peters. The HPR Election Horse Race is mov- ing this contest from “Leans Peters” to “Tossup,” with, perhaps, a slight advantage to Kelty, a former aide to U.S. Sens. Richard Lugar and Dan Coats. Multiple sources tell HPR that Kelty is running an energetic, grassroots cam- Republican mayoral candidate Matt Kelty at his Fort Wayne headquarters. Polls and paign, similar to his 2002 challenge to State other indicators point to a surge in his campaign. (Fort Wayne Observed Photo) Rep. Winfield Moses Jr., a race Kelty lost by less than 100 votes. One source told HPR, “You go to past week, Peters called for a public referendum, saying Peters’ headquarters and it is solemn and you find one that he is working with Fort Wayne legislators to get the person working. You go to Kelty’s headquarters and it’s a referendum passed in the Indiana General Assembly. beehive of activity.” In a Wednesday Fort Wayne Journal Gazette But beyond that, Peters has reacted badly to the editorial, the newspaper wrote, “Nelson Peters’ last-second, Harrison Square project that would build a hotel, baseball short-sighted attempt to force a referendum on Harrison stadium and condos in downtown Fort Wayne. Peters origi- Square comes across as a desperate, crass, political at- nally supported Harrison Square and Kelty is opposed. This tempt to have it both ways on a controversial, polarizing Hoosier ‘roads scholar’ By CHRIS SAUTTER WASHINGTON - On election eve in 1974, Jim Jontz, who was all of 22 years old and making his first bid for po- litical office, wandered into a Monti- cello Laundromat where he encoun- tered two solitary customers. Jontz “The Supreme Court’s decision was in the final hours of his long- shot challenge against the Indiana represents an awakening of the House Majority Leader, Republican Jim Guy. Jontz spent an hour or so conscience of a nation. This is the talking to them about the election and the issue which drove him to first true judicial victory for the run: an environmentally damag- unborn since Roe v. Wade.” ing dam project sponsored by the - U.S. Rep. Mike Pence Page 2 Thursday, April 19, 2007 incumbent. After all the ballots were The Howey Political Report is The Howey Political Report counted, Jontz was declared the win- PO Box 40265 published by NewsLink Inc. It Indianapolis, IN 46240-0265. ner by two votes. Jontz later said the was founded in 1994. incident taught him the lesson that www.howeypolitics.com you never know who may account for Brian A. Howey, Publisher [email protected] your winning margin. Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington Indianapolis Office: 317-506-0883. Jim Jontz, who lost his two- Writer year battle with cancer Saturday at Indianapolis Fax: 317-254-0535. Mark Curry, Washington Writer Washington, DC Office: 202-256-5822. age 55, made a career out of winning Beverly Phillips, associate editor Business Office: 317-254-0535. elections political odds-makers de- Jack E. Howey, Editor clared “unwinnable” for a Democrat. ©2007, The Howey Political Report. But though his campaign style became Subscriptions: All rights reserved. Photocopying, Internet legendary, for Jim Jontz holding public $350 annually HPR via e-mail; forwarding, faxing or reproducing in any office was simply the most effective $550 annually HPR & HPR Daily Wire. form, in whole or part, is a violation of way for him to champion the causes Call 317-254-0535. federal law. he believed in most — protecting the environment and improving the lives expressed frustration that Jontz was and ‘90s farm crisis and the beginning of everyday people. not using his time as efficiently as he of the era of plant closings when thou- Indiana’s 5th Congressional should. But the Jim Jontz way paid off, sands of Hoosiers were losing their District was a sprawling, mostly rural as Jontz won, even carrying Howard way of life. Jontz became a strong and heavily Republican district held by County, Jim Butcher’s home, after voice for positive progressive change Elwood “Bud” Hillis, an 8-term Re- knocking on every door at least twice. that appealed greatly to working fami- publican who decided Jontz introduced a lies in his district to retire at the end number of wacky visibili- As a congressman, Jontz was of 1986. Jontz, then ty techniques in the 1986 indefatigable. He often stayed in his a first-term state campaign which became office until 2 or 3 in the morning read- senator, squared off Jim Jontz trademarks. ing and signing constituent letters. against another state Jontz began riding his According to those who served on his senator, conservative sister’s bicycle in small- staff, Jontz read every single constitu- Jim Butcher. With no town parades, waving ent letter and signed every response central media market to the crowd in a kind himself, often sending the drafted covering the district, goofy but charming way. response back to the staff member Jontz launched an Jontz also set up sand- for re-writing. Jontz also established old-fashioned shoe wich boards and Burma a “Call Your Congressman” program leather campaign that shave signs during rush whereby once a month he would was a throwback to hours. The stunts were directly take calls in Washington from another era. guaranteed to gener- constituents, as many as 50 in a single In 1986, ate a photograph in the night, staying late to make certain he Rahm Emmanuel was local newspaper. Then spoke to each person who had taken the Midwest political there were the Jim Jontz the time to call. director for the Demo- REP. JONTZ potholders which be- Jontz was always near cratic Congressional came a campaign staple the top of the Republican target list. Campaign Committee. at county fairs. And, to Christopher Klose, Jontz’s campaign Emmanuel was enormously impressed remind voters that he was the hardest manager in 1986 and later his chief of by Jim’s intelligence and work ethic. working candidate, Jontz placed the staff, felt that Jontz tried to accomplish Emmanuel felt with Jontz’s hard- design of a worn-out shoe with a hole as much as he could in Congress be- charging approach he had found a kin- in the sole at the corner of his yard cause he knew he was “on borrowed dred spirit. But Jontz drove Emmanuel signs. time” in a district that would eventu- to fits by his insistence on doing things Jontz always believed he ally revert to its Republican roots. the Jim Jontz way rather than the could outwork his opponent. But Jontz Jontz’s 1992 defeat to Steve Buyer DCCC way. To Jontz, precinct target- integrated his hard work and personal was a preview of the 1994 Republican ing was helpful to ordinary candidates. one-on-one politics with a progressive sweep. Jontz had championed the But since he intended to knock on populism that demonstrated to voters preservation of the ancient forests in every door, targeting was superfluous. he was on their side. Jontz ran and the Pacific Northwest, and members of Throughout the campaign, Emmanuel served in Congress during the 1980s the Carpenters Union from the north- Page 3 Thursday, April 19, 2007 west burned him in effigy. Jontz’s Indiana labor support re- receiving a stream of visitors and telephone calls from mained loyal, but the publicity hurt. And Buyer’s attacks on friends and well-wishers. In a classy move, Senator Lugar Jontz’s scholarship fund endowed from Jontz’s share of the called him, as did former Senator Birch Bayh. Bayh had congressional pay raise cast doubt on Jontz’s integrity. The inspired a generation of Hoosier Democrats including Jim doubts about the fund combined with the publicity over the Jontz to public service, just as Jontz would inspire so many spotted owl were enough for some Republicans to defect. who had worked for him. Jontz tried to come back by running against Rich- Two of Jontz’s former staffers, Tom Sugar, ard Lugar in 1994, a match-up of two Eagle Boy Scouts. No now Evan Bayh’s chief of staff, and Tom Buis, now presi- longer an incumbent, Jontz could not raise the resources dent of the National Farmers Union, visited Jontz in Oregon to compete. Nonetheless, he approached the race with his on what turned out to be his last good day. When they usual sense of humor. Lugar had been a Rhodes Scholar, arrived, Jontz was dictating a law school recommendation but Jontz claimed he was the real ‘Roads Scholar,’ having letter for a young former assistant before taking a call from traveled every back road in Indiana in his red pickup trick. AFL-CIO’s Rich Trumka to discuss strategy for an up-com- After his race against Lugar, Jontz moved to ing labor rally. Then Jontz, Sugar, and Buis reminisced and Oregon and worked with environmental groups. He became laughed about those frenetic, unpredictable early cam- president of Americans for Democratic Action and worked paigns. Before they left, Jontz admonished them that there with the Alliance for Sustainable Jobs. As Tom Sugar point- was much work still to be done. ed out, Jontz was way ahead of his time on the environ- Those who knew Jim Jontz will miss him greatly. ment and the effects of globalization on working families.