Dems help put GOP gov cand. on ballot

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Republican Jim Wallace is relying on the kindness of Democrats to get on the ballot in his run for governor.

The Indiana State Teachers Association, which has been a bedrock of support for Democrats, has been circulating petitions to help propel Wallace's run against the favorite -- U.S. Rep. Mike Pence -- in the May GOP primary.

ISTA lobbyist Nancy Pappas, who collected the signatures Tuesday, said the action shouldn't be viewed as an indication of support for Wallace but denied it was an effort to complicate Pence's run.

"You can't read anything into it," Pappas said, adding that the ISTA has occasionally supported Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar and former state schools Superintendent Sue Ellen Reed.

The Associated Press identified at least two names of Democrats in a petition obtained Tuesday. One of them said she was not doing it to undermine Pence but to support the principle that voters should have as many choices as possible.

"It's an issue of ballot access, I'm not going to not sign it based on political affiliation," said Angie Nussmeyer, a Marion County Democrat who signed the petition.

Indiana Republicans last year led a charge for a sweeping education overhaul that gutted the teacher's union and was opposed by House Democrats, who walked out for five weeks over that and right-to-work legislation.

Wallace said he believed the state teachers' were collecting signatures for him because he has reached out to teachers and not because they want to throw a wrench in the Republican primary.

"I don't think it's related to that at all," Wallace said Tuesday. "A number of teachers groups are pretty supportive of our campaign."

Robert Vane, a veteran Republican strategist, said the move is clearly an attempt by Democrats to artificially create a nasty Republican intraparty battle.

"It sounds like a Match.com ad: `Desperate Candidate Seeks Desperate Party,"' he said.

Pence has heavily outraised Wallace and has the backing of the state's Republican establishment. Pence spokesman Matt Lloyd declined comment.

Pence flexed some of that muscle Monday when he delivered more than 13,000 signatures to the state elections office. The amount is three times needed to get on the ballot, although candidates typically turn in at least twice as many signatures as needed because many are disqualified by local elections officials.

"I can tell you I knew nothing about it. It's news to me," said Democratic candidate John Gregg.

Gregg said he has also signed petitions for Republicans in the past because he believed they should have an opportunity to run for office.

Candidates for governor had until noon Tuesday to gather signatures from 500 registered voters in each of the state's nine congressional districts. They have until Friday to return the signatures, certified by local elections officials, to the state to make it on the ballot.