NEW PALESTINE — They walked to the podium one by one, leaned into the microphone and began. Each was given enough time to introduce themselves, to run through their resume for the crowd, before they were clapped off the stage to make way for the next.
More than 30 candidates running for various political offices came to New Palestine High School Sunday to make what might be their final public pitch before the May 8 primary.
The event was orchestrated by two New Pal seniors and turned out to be one of the largest gatherings of candidates this political season, with Democrats and Republicans entangled in races from Congressional seats to township trustee showing up to participate.
Alexzander Mohr, 18, and Ethan Fairbanks, 17, planned the forum from start to finish as part of a class project.
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They began planning in the fall and contacted the local election office for help getting in touch in candidates. Throughout the school year, they held voter registration drives and started spreading the word of their plans for the forum.
They could have done their project on anything; but a mutual interest in politics inspired them take on work that was election-based, that would boost engagement, especially in local elections, Fairbanks said.
Fostering interactions between candidates and the community is an important part of democratic process because it ensures residents have the chance to meet and learn more about their future leaders, Mohr said.
This election season is one of the busiest Hancock County has seen in recent memory, election officials said. About a dozen local races are hotly contested, and state and national offices have gotten heated as well.
But Sunday afternoon was a civil gathering. Each candidate was given about five minutes to address the crowd, to tell voters why they should be the one picked to head their respective office.
Backstage in the auditorium, where the curtain hid them from the crowd, candidates could be seen reading over notes and chit-chatting with friends and foes alike.
Many took a few seconds at the start of their stump speech to thank Mohr and Fairbanks for planning the event, each commenting on how proud they were to see young people getting involved in the political process.
And once the forum had concluded, the candidates mingled with residents at a meet and greet in the high school’s cafeteria, where they handed out pamphlets, shook hands with supporters and got into more in-depth discussions on certain local issues.
Mohr and Fairbanks said they purposefully planned their event to take place just days before the primary election because they hoped it would draw undecided voters.
And it did.
John and Mary Begovich of New Palestine sat in the auditorium Sunday afternoon with a pad of paper and a stack of pamphlets, unafraid to admit there were a fair few races they were undecided on.
They jotted down notes as the candidates made their remarks, flipped through the literature the candidates provided and said they’d probably head home to do even more research before they head for the ballot box.
There were things they’d heard during the forum that swayed them both toward and away from certain candidates. There were some speakers who impressed them, they said, and others whose talks raised eyebrows.
But they were thankful for the event, thankful for this one last chance, this one stop shop to hear from so many candidates at once. So, truly, they said, it was Mohr and Fairbanks who dazzled them the most.
“I’m more impressed with them than anyone else,” Mary Begovich said. “They’re incredible.”