Published: July 03, 2009 01:50 pm      

Wiseheart throws name in for Indiana Senate seat

NA-FC School Board member will give up position for a shot at Connie Sipes’ District 46 spot

New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corp. board member Lee Ann Wiseheart is giving up her chance for re-election for a shot at the Indiana Senate District 46 seat, which represents Floyd and part of Clark counties.

State Sen. Connie Sipes, D-New Albany, was appointed to that post in 1997 and has since won three elections. However, she has not yet announced if she will seek a fourth term.

Meanwhile, Wiseheart admits that she’s coming out months early, already filing this week to start a campaign finance committee. She said she can’t officially file for her candidacy until January.

That would put her on the ticket in the Republican primary in May. If she wins, she would go on to compete against whoever wins the Democratic ticket in the November 2009 election.

“I really feel like this is a path that God has opened doors in areas [for me], and we can see where this is a calling for me in this time in our life,” Wiseheart said with her husband, Jim, and her friend and fellow board member, Rebecca Gardenour, sitting by her side.

Wiseheart said she’s ready to head out and start meeting people and finding out their needs.

“I like to call it an interview because that’s what it is. For the next 10 month, I’m in the first interview and the six months after that would be the second interview,” Wiseheart said of campaigning. “I’m interviewing for this position, because I feel I have the passion, the freshness, and most importantly, I have a calling to lead Indiana in this position.”

Gardenour, who is serving as Wiseheart’s campaign manager, said Wiseheart is the person for the job.

“She is a person to hold people accountable and to also be financially and fiscally accountable,” Gardenour said.

Wiseheart said she feels that education and small business issues are some of her strengths, given her background as a school board member and a small business owner.

If elected, she said she hopes to get the community involved with what the state senate is doing.

“We have a community that wants to be engaged, but we have to engage them,” she said.

Wiseheart said she cannot wait to get out and get started.

“I’m so excited,” Wiseheart said, grinning.



SO YOU KNOW

• For more information on Lee Ann Wiseheart, go to www.teamwiseheart.com