Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg says Governor Mike Pence’s departure from the race to run instead for vice president will not change his message or his strategy, even though he has been shifting away from talking about Pence.
Even before Gregg announced his gubernatorial run, the message out of the Democratic Party was “Fire Mike Pence.” Gregg, though, says his message as a candidate has never involved the governor.
“It’s been about the economy, it’s about low-paying wages, it’s about pre-kindergarten, it’s about our infrastructure," he says. "It is one hundred percent been about having an Indiana that’s inclusive.”
Yet a recent Gregg ad attacked Mike Pence over Carrier’s decision to leave its Indiana facilities for Mexico. And Gregg’s three-minute video announcing his candidacy mentioned Pence in the first 13 seconds. Still, Gregg insists his focus is the economy.
“That’s what I’ve been doing for the last couple of years and that’s what I’ll continue to do. I’m the only candidate that’s always been running for governor and I’ll continue to do that," he says.
The Indiana Republican Party will choose a replacement for Pence on the gubernatorial ticket next week.