Candidates for governor are meeting with people around the state as they try to gather support.
John Gregg, a lawyer in Vincennes, and U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, a Columbus Republican, talked with voters as they campaigned across the state over the holiday weekend.
Far apart as they are on many issues, they both frequently mention what seems to be a common goal: bringing more jobs and supporting education.
Pence started the day in Linton, a community of about 5,400 people 40 miles southwest of Bloomington. Greene County supported Republican Dan Coats in last year's Senate race and also voted Republican in 2008 in the last presidential race, and Pence was out to gather support at the community's Fourth of July Parade.
"I think he can keep our conservative values that are important here in Indiana," said Mark Raper of Linton. "I think he can use them to keep government going in the right direction. I think he's going to keep that tradition with the Republican Party."
Raper said he doesn't follow Pence closely, but he knows he's got a lot of support and that he wants to continue what Gov. Mitch Daniels has started — avoiding a state budget deficit, supporting competition in schools and encouraging other options like charter and alternative schools, and keeping social and fiscal conservative values.
"Every Hoosier I talk to, including one conversation I had this morning, the person said, 'We've just got to keep it going,'" Pence said. "We've made great progress under Mitch Daniels. There's still Hoosiers that are hurting in this economy — 8 percent unemployment.
"People are struggling, so we should feel good about the progress, but know there's more to be done to implement good jobs and keep school reforms."
Pence's wife, Karen, said campaigning is a family business. Their children Charlotte and Michael were among the group of about 20 troops in navy blue "Mike for Governor" T-shirts. A third daughter wasn't present at the parade.
"We've been doing this since 1988," Karen said. "Back then, the kids were riding tricycles with streamers."
Michael is now a physics student at Purdue, and Charlotte will be a senior at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Va. She wants to study film and cinematography.
Gregg spent Friday night at the Madison Regatta — one of the state's largest summer festivals — before grabbing dinner with old friends in the area.
He was headed to Kokomo, Highland and Indianapolis later in the weekend, before wrapping up in Vincennes near his hometown of Sandborn.
Gregg said he enjoyed walking in the parade where he shook hands and answered questions for people.
"You never know how these are, but you always feel they're good," he said.
Gregg, who like Pence is a former talk show host at an Indianapolis radio station, was speaker of the House for six years during his eight-term career in the state legislature. He said he wants to unite Hoosiers and work with Republicans to solve the state's problems.
He may be making progress already.
"I had a guy come up and say, 'I'm a Republican. I can't have a sticker, but I'll vote for you.' That kind of makes your day."
Gregg, smiling under his distinctive handlebar mustache, whistled to parade watchers who lined Jefferson Street in Madison, a history Ohio River town about 50 miles northeast of Louisville.
Sherri McCutcheon jumped up from her lawn chair when Gregg passed by. She recognized him from his talk show on WIBC-Indianapolis.
"We've been waiting for you to run," she said, as she shook his hand.
"He's the best," she said of the candidate. "I think he can do a lot. I think he can do jobs, and I think he can benefit the real people — help the regular Hoosiers."
Gregg said he began exploring a run for governor in January. Since then, it seems all he's heard about is the economy.
"I'm not going to tell you for a moment that government can create a job," Gregg said.
"It's the business of government to try to create an environment that allows Indiana's existing businesses to expand, to grow, to add employees, to increase their square footage. The governor needs to work with the legislature to do that."
Pence said he too had heard from Hoosiers anxious to see improvement in the state's job prospects.
"I really think it all comes down to focusing on good jobs, great schools, safe streets and strong families," Pence said.
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