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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz, who ended her gubernatorial race last week, says she is supporting fellow Democrat John Gregg for the party's nomination for governor.
Ritz dropped out of the governor's race on Friday and told WRTV of Indianapolis on Monday that Gregg is "in tune" with the needs of public education. Gregg endorsed Ritz's re-election bid for schools superintendent shortly after she ended her rival campaign.
Ritz had trailed Gregg badly in fundraising as they both sought the Democratic nomination for governor. Ritz ended June with about $110,000 in total campaign funds, far behind the $1.8 million Gregg had in the bank as he seeks a rematch of his 2012 campaign loss to Republican Gov. Mike Pence.
However, Ritz says fundraising totals did not play a role in her decision to drop out.
"I just felt in my heart that I needed to continue the work that I started," Ritz said.
Ritz, 60, was a little-known suburban Indianapolis school librarian before upsetting Republican schools Superintendent Tony Bennett in 2012. Her campaign was largely run on social media and driven by teachers' anger over education changes pushed by Bennett under former Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Though she is no longer running for governor, she did not rule out a future run for a higher office.
"Future is the future, so I don't even want to speculate on that. For now, my heart is in what I do," Ritz said.
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