Melina Kennedy is touting support from Kip Tew this morning.

The Democratic candidate for Mayor of Indianapolis cites Tew’s involvement in the Obama campaign in calling it a key endorsement.  When Tew dropped his own bid for mayor he said that Kennedy had too big a head start.

BTW, Kennedy is using Facebook to spread the word.

Former State Democratic Chairman Kip Tew will not run for Mayor of Indianapolis in 2011.

Tew pulled the plug on his exploratory campaign tonight, much as Joe Hogsett did recently.  It helps clear the field for former deputy mayor Melina Kennedy, who continues to garner front runner status. 

Tew, meantime, may now be available for a White House appointment.  He was the point man for the Obama campaign in Indiana in2008.

Melina Kennedy will make the filing necessary to create an exploratory committee for the 2011 race for Mayor tomorrow.

The former deputy mayor and unsuccessful candidate for prosecutor joins venture capitalist Brian Williams in the category of formal candidate.  Kip Tew, Joe Hogsett, Jose Evans, and Woody Myers are other Democrats who see Republican incumbent Greg Ballard as vulnerable.   They have all been testing the waters.

Ballard is preparing for a re-election bid.

If Barack Obama wins Ohio some Indiana Democrats will have the right to claim credit, at least a little credit, anyway. 

Indiana Obama coordinator Kip Tew is one of more than 20 Indiana Obama supporters who traveled to Dayton on Saturday.  They went door to door passing out campaign materials and encouraging a vote for the Illinois Senator.

Both Tew and former Indiana legislator Bob Kuzman report being impressed by the level of organization in the Obama campaign. 

(Joe Hogsett says the Hillary Clinton campaign did an e-mail push to encourage similar activity by Indiana Clinton volunteers.  He doesn’t know how many took part, though some did.)