Lt. Governor candidate Simpson campaigns in Greencastle

Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Fresh off the campaign bus at Almost Home restaurant, state senator and lieutenant governor candidate Vi Simpson (right) chats with Nancy Michael of Greencastle. The two women were colleagues in the Indiana General Assembly for two years when Michael was a state representative.

The poet Robert Frost penned the lines "I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep," but the author could easily have been a road-weary politician.

Lieutenant governor candidate Vi Simpson has miles to go before the Tuesday, Nov. 6 election, and the campaign brought her to Greencastle Monday morning.

As part of a final push in the race for Indiana governor, Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg and Simpson are criss-crossing the state this week. The "Workhorse Tour" has them visiting more than 80 cities and towns before Election Day.

Nearing the end of a long campaign season, Simpson remains upbeat about her travels. "I don't think there's a community left (in Indiana) I haven't been in," the District 40 state senator said with a smile.

The campaign has literally been about covering new ground for the Ellettsville resident. She has represented the Monroe County area for more than 30 years -- first as county auditor, then as senator since 1984.

"It's been a different experience but it's been a great experience," Simpson said. "It's been a real gift to make some of the friendships we've made."

One of those friendships is with Nancy Michael, who accompanied Simpson through the restaurant both as an Almost Home employee and as a veteran of political campaigns.

Michael has successfully run for Putnam County clerk, Putnam County councilor, Greencastle mayor and District 44 state representative.

The purpose of this final push, Simpson said, is to make sure voters are out on Election Day and before. Debate season is over, the arguments have been made. Now it's up to voters.

"The election now is really about the ground game," Simpson said. "It's all about who gets out to vote, so we're trying to see as many people as we can."

While Simpson made her rounds at Almost Home on Monday morning, the lieutenant governor candidate also takes a moment to talk with Walker Gilmer of Greencastle.

True to that form, Monday's stop at Almost Home restaurant featured no stump speech, just Simpson shaking hands and talking individually with the two dozen or so gathered voters.

Almost Home was a brief stop of 30 minutes or so for Simpson. After starting the day in Crawfordsville, afternoon stops were yet to come in Brazil, Danville, Plainfield and Brownsburg.

It's a breakneck pace, but the candidate showed no signs of letting it get to her.

"We look forward to giving back to (the voters)," Simpson said. "After 28 years in the Senate, I look forward to serving as lieutenant governor."

For another week, though, the trail continues.

Rest assured, Nov. 7 will bring the peace of which the poet spoke, but for the winners, that's just when the promise keeping begins.