Published: June 16, 2008 10:41 am            

Southern Indiana's Oxley to be Long Thompson running mate

INDIANAPOLIS — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson planned to travel around the state Monday to introduce state Rep. Dennie Oxley of southern Indiana as her running mate.

Long Thompson, who will face Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels in the November election, scheduled a series of news conferences to introduce the lieutenant governor candidate. The fly-around began in Sellersburg, which is close to Oxley's district.

The 37-year-old Oxley is from the Crawford County community of English about 50 miles west of Louisville, Ky. His district consists of all of Crawford County and parts of six other southern Indiana counties.

Long Thompson, who is from northern Indiana and served in Congress from 1989 to 1995, carried only six counties south of Interstate 70 in her May 6 primary victory over Jim Schellinger.

Oxley was first elected in 1998 and is the majority whip for House Democrats.

"Dennie's legislative career demonstrates that he is an effective leader and a champion of working people," Long Thompson said in a news release. "He is known as a tireless and dedicated legislator who can get the job done."

Oxley said he wants to help boost the economy, lower the cost of health care, strengthen schools and overhaul the state's tax structure to make Indiana more competitive.

"After four years of Mitch Daniels' failed policies and shortsighted leadership, we have a lot of work to do, but both Jill and I are looking forward to it," he said.

The Associated Press left a message seeking comment with the Daniels campaign. Daniels' running mate is Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman.

Oxley does not have a long track record of taking the lead on major legislation. But he carried a bill for House Democrats in 2007 that initially was aimed at repealing the state sales tax on gasoline. The House passed a scaled-back bill capping the tax at anything above $2.25 per gallon, but the legislation died in the Senate.

Long Thompson wants lawmakers to cap the sales tax on gasoline at any price above $2.75 per gallon.

Oxley, a former assistant school superintendent, is project coordinator with the Indianapolis-based engineering firm Beam, Longest and Neff, LLC., which performs engineering services in Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.

He lives in English with his wife, Jayme, and two daughters, Demi and Audrey.

        

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