Woody Myers has no interest in fueling speculation about what he might run for next. 

Dr. Myers called from Washington where his son graduates this weekend to say that there is nothing to speculation about a run for mayor or a desire to be named Jill Long Thompson’s running mate.  Much of that speculation is sparked by a $25,000 Myers donation to Thompson.

Dr. Myers supported Jim Schellinger in the primary and says he just wanted to be a good Democrat.  He didn’t rule out a run for office in the future but says none is planned.

Its my normal practice to give my read on the races that matter on the day before, so here goes with my predictions for the Indiana Primary:

-President:  I said on Indiana Week in Review Friday that it leans Clinton.  I think it did.. on Friday.  I no longer do.  I think its up for grabs.  I don’t know who will win.

-Governor (D):  Jill Long Thompson.  She didn’t run much of a campaign and read (repeat: read) a terrible speech at the Jefferson Jackson Day Dinner but I still think she wins.  Infer what you like about how that reflects on Jim Schellinger’s campaign.

-7th District (D):  I think André Carson gets through.  Woody Myers needed to go negative to get over the top and didn’t.  The fact that he and David Orentlicher did battle with one another over the final weekend is good for André.

-5th District (R):  John McGoff’s effort to take out Dan Burton fails.  McGoff fell short on money and the attention given to the Presidential race hurts him.

-Incumbent Lawmaker (D&R):  Nobody falls due to the property tax furor.  Check back in the fall.

Is it too late?

David Orentlicher hit the air with negative ads today.  He goes after both André Carson and Woody Myers.  By the way, those are the two guys in the lead in the 7th Congressional District in case it wasn’t obvious.

Here are some thumbnail sketches from my perspective on the candidate performances in the 7th District debate last night:

David Orentlicher–He was over prepared and over caffeinated.  Nevertheless, he gets points for being aggressive, drawing contrasts, and challenging the other candidates.

André Carson–He held his own against a group of challengers who are all more experienced.  He needed to make sure he didn’t stumble and he did that.

Carolene Mays–She got stronger as the debate went along, but probably wasn’t strong enough.  More than any of the candidates, she needed to hit a home run and didn’t.

Woody Myers–His was a strong performance.  He demonstrated a firm grasp of the issues  while displaying confidence and gravitas.

The four leading Democrats in the 7th District Congressional race (André Carson, Woody Myers, Carolene Mays, and David Orentlicher) debate tonight at IUPUI and on MyNDY at 7 pm, the only televised debate of the campaign.

It will be an hour-long event.  I will serve as moderator and pose all of the questions, though questions solicited from viewers will also be included.  We have a “lightning round” scheduled which calls for short answers to a series of questions.  Answers to the other questions are just one minute each to encourage candidates to be direct.

Look for questions on issues that include jobs, healthcare, war, immigration, and religion.  I intend to make this about issues but also about some of the things being said in this campaign.

One of the lasting images from last night’s 7th District debate is the sight of Woody Myers sitting in the back row of the auditorium.

The former State Health Commissioner is a candidate in the May Primary in the 7th and his presence signalled to everyone that no matter what happens in the March 11th special election, its a just a preliminary event (in some respects) to a larger contest around the corner.  Myers is a former Republican, now a Democrat, who is part of a crowded field that will challenge André Carson.

Look for Myers to start airing TV ads in the days immediately following next week’s election.