Hoosiers Elect O'Bannon Governor

Democrat Frank O'Bannon is moving into the Indiana governor's mansion after a come-from-behind victory over his opponent, Indianapolis Mayor -- and privatization zealot -- Stephen Goldsmith (R). O'Bannon served in the state Senate for 18 years and as Gov. Evan Bayh's (D) lieutenant governor for eight.

AFSCME members came out for O'Bannon in force. Local 661-03 Pres. Danny Thomas served as a team captain in the get-out-the-vote effort. He made sure that all his local union's members were registered.

"I expect the governor and the general assembly to be responsible to public employees in particular and to pass legislation for collective bargaining," said Thomas, a public school bus driver.

He and fellow AFSCME members ran an aggressive voter registration program which included: canvassing people at work; encouraging them to vote by mail; and putting together several mailings which may well have tipped the scale in O'Bannon's favor. One mailing was a pink slip telling AFSCME members about Goldsmith's tendency to privatize jobs like theirs.

O'Bannon's victory also means that he gets to appoint the Speaker of the Indiana House, since Democrats and Republicans have equal numbers. That appointee will cast the deciding vote in case of ties.