Announcement From Glenda Ritz About Political Future May Come Soon

State superintendent Glenda Ritz announced at the end of this year’s legislative session she might consider a run for governor. It’s looking like that announcement might be coming soon.

After a legislative session full of education bills, including a bill that originally aimed to remove Ritz from her role as chair of the State Board of Education, the superintendent expressed frustration with Gov. Mike Pence and said she might run for his office to make the education changes she wants.

But if she enters the race for governor, her opponents will likely use this narrow experience in the education field as a reason to not vote for her.

Director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics, Andy Downs says the constant fighting between Ritz and Pence since she took office could be a bigger determent to the entire race.

“We’re already looking at a fair number of non very exciting races," Downs said. "If people see not very exciting races, and then one race that might be exciting -- the race for governor -- between two people who can’t seem to get along, who can’t behave themselves, so to speak, voters might just say ‘forget it, I’m not going to bother.’”

If she decides to run, Ritz will face Portage senator Karen Tallian and former state representative and gubernatorial candidate John Gregg in the Democratic primary.