I downloaded my candidate form and I am anxiously awaiting Wednesday, when the filing begins for the 2010 election. I'm not running for office this year, but I will be running for delegate to state convention. I have won twice and lost three times in delegate races, winning in 2002 and 2006 and losing in 2000, 2004 and 2008. I might have won in 2004 had I ran in my district instead of trying my hand at the one delegate spot selected county-wide in a three-way contest against Kathy Ellington and John Shean. I finished with 15% of the vote.

This is by far the toughest of the three districts to win because we have a lot of big names here. It's not unrealistic that I could slide in by claiming one of the last two or three spots, though. Todd Rokita will be forced out of office by term limits, so we will be picking our candidate to be the next secretary of state. With the excitement of the "tea parties" and the enthusiasm to oppose Barack Obama, the convention should be very exciting this year. I hope that I win.

2008 Delegate Results WinnerNameTotal Votes WPat Jeffries1,309 WJeff Ellington1,265 WHope Ellington1,043 WDoug Bruce987 WJim Billingsley966 WRandy May946 WSteven R. Hogan906 WMark Freeman860 WFranklin Andrew851 WBrad Freeman781 WJohn M. Arnold720 WLes Compton701 WJacob Franklin656 WAnna Ivey629 LBenjamin Blair582 LNick Ivey580 LSuzann M. Owen502 LScott C. Tibbs490 LJessica Merkel440 LMatt Wolf415 LClint Merkel388 LJoshua Patrick Kelley367 LChristopher D. Noel307 LJohn Warkentin299 LNicole Wieber288 LGreg Knott239 LNets Hawk Katz177 LPatrick K. Mcaleer166 LCalvin Tussey162