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Ellsworth kicks off re-election campaign
Congressman Brad Ellsworth announced Tuesday morning his intent to run for re-election. Ellsworth represents the 8th District that includes Putnam County.
Ellsworth made his announcement outside the Greencastle City Hall.
Mayor Sue Murray escorted Ellsworth into the Mary Rogers Field Park that lies directly east of City Hall where she introduced him. To a crowd of about 30, Ellsworth began speaking about how he hopes to continue taking Hoosier values to Washington.
"We've made a good start, but there's more work to do. And it's going to start with this election and this campaign," Ellsworth said. "Together, slowly but surely, we're beginning to change the way Washington works."
Ellsworth also told the crowd how he has started new legislation known as "PayGo" designed to curb government overspending. PayGo is a program that causes officials to pay-as-they-go rather than borrowing.
"People go to Washington for money as they should. But the problem is, Washington doesn't have any money either," Ellsworth said.
He also spoke about how there are people in Washington who are paid to look into how Congressmen vote to use it against them.
"When it comes to votes in Congress, there are only two options: Yes and No," Ellsworth said. "There is also a present button, but you guys don't send me there not to vote. From that, people in opposing campaigns will have someone go through the votes and be able to have a 'gotcha vote' piece for advertisement. You know what I mean. You've seen it in the Primaries that just happened."
Ellsworth continued by stating how some officials in Washington get caught up in this game. By doing that, they lose sight of what is important and why they are really there: to represent the people who put them there. More commonly these people are known as the voters.
"From the day I took office, I've believed very strongly that this is your seat. Too many people in Washington forget that. They start talking at you instead of listening to you," Ellsworth said. "I need to hear about what's keeping you up at night and I will always respect and listen to your opinion.
This statement is in accordance with Ellsworth's Open Door Policy for the 8th District constituents. In the 18 months since taking office, he has held over 400 meetings in the district, helped resolve 3,000 constituent problems with federal agencies and responded to over 75,000 constituent inquiries.
He concluded by telling the crowd, "You deserve someone in Washington you can count on. Someone you can trust to tell you the truth and represent your values.
"Someone who listens to you, stands up for you and does what's right."
Ellsworth is the United States Representative for the 8th District in Indiana.
He will visit three other cities today including Terre Haute, Vincennes and Evansville where he will promise to continue his work to bring change to Washington in a second term.
He serves on the Armed Services, Agriculture and Small Business Committees.
He is also a member of the conservative, fiscally responsible Blue Dog Coalition which works to eliminate the national debt and keep America's fiscal house in order.