Not your typical Candidate

As I paid attention to the things going on in our country it became more and more apparent that what we have isn’t working. I realized that if we keep doing what we have always done we will keep getting what we have always got. As a young man who planned to raise a family and have a future in southeastern Indiana, I knew it was time to get involved. I refused to make the mistake of not doing anything. I decided to do what I could. So I did some homework. I looked into national, state and local politics and I found a campaign that I thought I might be able to get involved with. It was Jud McMillin’s campaign for State Representative in District 68. I quickly learned that Jud wasn’t your typical candidate. He is not the type to offer lip service and then stand idly by. Way too many of our elected officials don’t say what they mean and mean what they say, and that my friends, is one of many things that I believe needs to change. When Jud says he cares about our area and is ready to work hard for us, he means it. Jud, along with everyone working with us, regularly demonstrates that we are not just providing lip service, but that we’re willing to “put our money where our mouth is”. On many occasions I have heard Jud say “I am not a politician”. From what I have seen he definitely does not run this campaign like most “politicians” typically do. Rather than giving big speeches, waving from a convertible in a parade, rubbing elbows with career politicians, or patting himself on the back for things that are in the past, he spends his time WITH future constituents, not AROUND them.

A prime example of doing what you say and saying what you mean when it comes to working hard to help our area comes in a simple form. Each Saturday throughout the summer there is a 5K race in a different town in southeastern Indiana. All of them are run as benefits to help various worthy causes and at each one you will find a team of orange JUD shirts running in the crowd. Now it would be one thing for someone running for office to say that I am “a regular guy,” or that I’m, “just like you,” and show up to watch the race and congratulate the runner at the finish line. It is another to actually show it by running the race. By running some of the most difficult 5Ks in the district, the team that we bring exemplifies the energy and enthusiasm that it will take to turn our problems around along with the leadership that is blossoming throughout Southeastern Indiana. And at the end of the race, as people gasp for breath and search for water in their sweat-soaked shirts, they’re not the only ones who have sacrificed and persevered through the miles and the heat… so are the people in orange.

Many politicians follow what is called decorum. Decorum is acting how you are supposed to act to fit yourself into a stereotype, regardless of whether or not it’s who you really are. I believe that people should be themselves. While some politicians try to uphold a certain image and act towards certain expectations, Jud is always simply being himself. Sometimes that means discussing important issues with concerned people, or working on issues that need addressed. Sometimes that means playing softball on a Friday night in Brookville or at a tournament in Bear Branch. I’ve seen it mean volunteering his professional time and doing legal work pro bono for clients that really need help, even when doing so means burning the lights at his office until 2:00 a.m. Sometimes it means singing karaoke at a class reunion in Vevay or Main Street Nights in Brookville while being a Ride Arranger. And sometimes it means putting all the hard work at the office and the campaign aside to work on causes close to our hearts like the Relay for Life. I guess what I should say is that in the time I’ve been on the campaign I’ve seen it mean a lot of things, but regardless of what the situation is, you can be sure that the way Jud handles it is in accordance with the way he feels it should be handled. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him do anything because he believed it was “politically correct”. Rather than decorum, he practices integrity, and being true to himself. When you meet him, you can be confident that what you see is what you get.

My point is that it is so easy to say one thing and do another. It is easy to say that you are working hard. It is easy to wait for a result to occur and then claim credit for it. And it is easy to say that you represent a group, rather than spend time within it, and get to know its strengths and weaknesses and what needs they have that must be addressed. Our campaign is different, and Jud is not your typical candidate. We don’t run for an office, we run for a cause. We don’t just shake hands and kiss babies, we talk less and listen carefully. We want to spend time WITH those we represent, not just make an appearance AROUND them. We want to participate and see the highs and lows, and strive to constantly bring out the best in people. We want to help. Fortunately for us here in southeastern Indiana, Jud really cares about this area and is willing to work hard and sacrifice for us. I’ve seen him do it daily. On November 2nd we have the chance to put him to work for all of us.