By TARA HETTINGER
Tara.Hettinger@newsandtribune.com
November 05, 2008 05:02 pm
—
A tight race to the end, Republicans Tony Bennett and Greg Zoeller celebrated victory after their opponents conceded the races, even before the final votes were counted following Tuesday’s election.
The two men with strong Southern Indiana ties won the seats of superintendent of public instruction and attorney general with 51 percent and just more than 50 percent respectively, according to The Associated Press.
Bennett said he knew the race for the state’s highest education office would be close from the beginning.
“This was an open seat. We knew this was going to be tight from start to finish,” he said.
He described the hours of waiting as a “roller-coaster.” He said he started off strong with the numbers edging closer to his opponent — Richard Wood, a retired superintendent from Tippecanoe County — as the night wore on.
Wood said he believes the closeness of the race could be in part because of Indiana going Democratic in the presidential election.
“I think certainly Barack Obama helped a lot of us out that are further down on the ticket,” he said. “He helped to get more voters out and he certainly helped to create more excitement with the Democratic Party.”
Hours after the polls closed, Wood conceded the race, saying it looked as if he was going to come up a few votes shy.
Bennett, who is superintendent at Greater Clark County Schools, said he is looking forward to transitioning to his new position.
“I’m excited, I’m anxious and I’m looking forward to getting started,” he said.
As for when that transition will start, Bennett said that is undecided. He said he will enjoy the moment and celebrate with his friends and family. Bennett said the details of the transition will be worked out soon with the school board.
Bennett credited his time at Greater Clark for helping train him for his new position. He also spent time as an administrator at New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corp.
“When I came to Greater Clark [over one year ago], I really believed in my heart of hearts that it would be a job where I would retire,” he said. “No one in their wildest dreams would have thought this would have happened ... I want Greater Clark County Schools to be the best. My hope is that, with the work at the department of education, I can help them to get there.”
Attorney General
Zoeller, who was born in New Albany and raised in Clarksville, defeated his opponent, Democrat Linda Pence.
He credited his victory in part to Clark and Floyd counties, where he won with 52.4 percent and 55.6 percent, respectively.
“I can thank Southern Indiana for making me the attorney general,” he said. “I think my vote totals down there really helped.”
Zoeller said during the campaign that he would work with Gov. Mitch Daniels, who won his bid for re-election, and Bennett to protect teachers who work to restore order in their classrooms.
“I think it’s going to be a strong team,” Zoeller said of the trio getting elected.
He said they will work to make sure Indiana schools are the best in the country.
Zoeller said he will start his transition from deputy attorney general to attorney general Thursday.
Editor’s note: Linda Pence was not able to be reached for comment.
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Photos
Tony Bennett
Greg Zoeller