PORTAGE | As Porter County Democrats gathered Saturday morning to celebrate the opening of a new headquarters in the Portage Mall, there was guarded hope their local candidates will benefit from the party's momentum at the national level.
Porter County Democratic Party Chairman Jeff Chidester said nothing will happen without hard work, but he is encouraging voters to cast straight Democratic tickets for change.
"I've got good candidates from top to bottom," he said. "It's a good, solid ticket."
Porter County Republican Party Chairman Chuck Williams is offering just the opposite advice to voters.
"At the local level, it's important to pick the most qualified candidates," he said by telephone Friday.
He too laid claim to having the most qualified ticket and went on to blame county government's many woes on the 2006 elections where several local Democrats are believed to have been swept into office as a result of national momentum in favor of their party.
Chidester said county government's problems date back to Republican control and his party's fixes are going to take time to have an impact.
"You don't change things like a light switch in Porter County," he said.
Three members of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama's campaign team were on hand Saturday to rally the local forces and describe some of their plans to help tilt the county's traditional GOP support in favor of their candidate.
Chidester said he believes Obama can win Porter County.
"They're waiting to come out to vote for Obama and Jill Long Thompson," he said.
Long Thompson, who he said has strong ties to Porter County, is a Democrat challenging Republican incumbent Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Williams said polls are showing that Republican presidential hopeful John McCain is doing well in Porter County, and he expects local voters to favor the GOP candidate.
He said the local Republican Party is offering office space to help the McCain campaign and will be hosting a celebration of its own at the Valparaiso headquarters, 212 Lincolnway.
The Democratic headquarters is located next to the Rosewood Family Restaurant in Portage.
