Press release from the Derek Pillie campaign:
Pillie announces candidacy for 84th District Seat
Derek Pillie announced his candidacy this morning for the 84th House District seat today and expressed his determination to fight for effective, results-oriented government policies.
Pillie said, “My fellow Hoosiers have spoken loudly, clearly and repeatedly that they want government to be smarter about the ways it spends their money. They want us to spend less of their money and they want us to spend it… on the tasks that government should be doing and nothing else. I understand that, I believe that and I will fight for that at the Statehouse.”
Citing his conservative credentials and commitment to smaller, local government, Pillie announced his candidacy with his family before a group of supporters at Allen County GOP Headquarters in Fort Wayne.
Fort Wayne City Councilman Tom Didier (R-3rd) offered his endorsement of Pillie’s candidacy. In a statement read at the press conference Didier said, “I’ve known Derek Pillie for the last seven years and I believe he would do the best job for the residents of the 84th District. He is the kind of person that cares about his community and we need to send to the Statehouse.”
Pillie answered questions from reporters after reading from a prepared statement. He indicated he plans to file the paperwork necessary to fill the vacancy in Indianapolis on Friday. He is the third candidate to enter this caucus following the resignation of former State Representative Randy Borror.
About Derek Pillie:
Derek A. Pillie, 34 (born June 9, 1976), has worked on behalf of the citizens of northern Indiana for nearly a decade. Since 2000, Derek has served on the staff of Indiana’s Third Congressional District, most recently as District Director. In that role, he oversees Indiana operations of the office, including constituent outreach and helping taxpayers solve problems with federal agencies. He also worked on crucial economic development projects including the preservation of hundreds of jobs at magnet wire facilities in Fort Wayne, protecting veterans’ access to local inpatient care and ensuring the long-term survival of the Air National Guard presence at Fort Wayne International Airport.While attending The George Washington University, Derek developed an interest in public service while interning for a member of Congress. Prior to joining Indiana’s Third Congressional District staff, Derek worked in the offices of Congressman Ken Calvert, R-Calif. and former Congressman Jon Fox, R-Pa.
Derek, a native of Sellersville, Penn., married his wife Janay in September 2000. They are the parents of Emma, 8, and Nathan, 6, and live in the Blackhawk neighborhood in northeast Fort Wayne.
In addition to his professional involvements, Derek is President of the Serra Club of Fort Wayne, a member of the Redeemer Radio capital campaign board and active in Allen County Right to Life. The Pillies are members of St. Charles Borromeo Parish.
Pillie Statement announcing run for 84th House District
Thank you everyone for coming!
Tom Didier asked me to extend his apologies for not being here. When you do these things on short notice there will be conflicts and unfortunately Tom’s day job had a conflict that prevented him from being here, but wanted me to say “I’ve known Derek Pillie for the last seven years and I believe he would do the best job for the residents of the 84th District. He is the kind of person that cares about his community and we need to send to the Statehouse.”
You’re all here because last week a number of people contacted me asking if I wanted to run for Randy Borror’s seat. Living in the 84th District has almost been a luxury… you always knew that with Randy in Indianapolis you were going to be well-represented!
I’ve asked my family to join me up here because this decision was one we made together. Given the challenges and strains of the political world, we wanted to be sure we were all prepared to re-enter that world.
I don’t need to treat you to a detailed examination of the process we followed to come to this decision, but trust that we worked hard to be sure we came at this question from every conceivable angle. I am sure there may be some small facet of this question we may have overlooked, but I would be hard-pressed to identify one.
So, today, I’m pleased to announce that I will be filing as a candidate to become your next 84th District State Representative.
I started in this line of work to stay close to my community. I’ve had the good fortune to work for elected officials who had a mission and believed in serving their communities. I am truly humbled when I reflect on the opportunities this work has afforded me over the last decade.
When you work for politicians, the expectation that others will see you as a political candidate down the line is an occupational hazard. You get used to the question, “So when are you going to run for something?” The answer to that question is: “Today.”
The next question each of you should ask is “Why?” Public service is a privilege that should not be taken lightly or pursued for anything but the most noble of reasons.
Some people believe you should have an objective when you draft a resume that identifies the kind of opportunities you are looking for. When I think about what I wanted to do with my life, it would be to take the things I’ve learned and the skills I’ve developed over years of serving the taxpayers and orient them toward a cause or organization with a mission I support.
It has become clear to me as we discerned whether this was the right opportunity for me that serving in the legislature would be a way to do just that – serve the people I care about most, my family, friends and neighbors in the 84th District.I enter this race today because my state is at a crossroads. My fellow Hoosiers have spoken loudly, clearly and repeatedly that they want government to be smarter about the ways it spends their money. They want us to spend LESS of their money and they want us to spend it very precisely, on the tasks that government should be doing and nothing else. I understand that, I believe that and I will fight for that at the Statehouse.
Elsewhere in this nation, spending is out of control. Hoosiers know that and we have tried to set an example here of lower taxation, investment in our future and a limited scope of government. House Republicans need a majority in Indianapolis to make sure we do the work our neighbors have asked us to do. I have the desire, the ideas and the wherewithal to keep this seat in Republican hands and to contribute to a strong Republican majority in 2011 and beyond.
I do not take this challenge lightly. If we are successful I will be joining a legislature that will be facing an even more challenging budget cycle than two years ago. The state government and local units of government will be challenged more than ever before to decide how much government do we really need.
My basic approach to these challenges is one our Founding Fathers embraced and is a major tenet of the social teaching of my faith tradition. Subsidiarity – or that which can be done at the closest level is often done best – will be the lens through which I evaluate what role and which level of government should deliver services that Hoosiers are required to receive under the Constitution or over time have decided are in the public interest.
Building community is the heart of the greatest challenges we face as a society. I understand that the government isn’t the first resort and in many cases should be the last resort to solving a problem. As a public servant, your greatest hope is the development of an active citizenry. The policy debates in Washington have mobilized unprecedented numbers of citizens to take an interest and get involved in the public debates facing our country. I hope that we can harness this energy to develop good public policy solutions that will empower communities and establish sound government practices.
We face many challenges as a state and I will not pretend that I will be able to solve these challenges single-handedly if I am elected. I do hope that if given the opportunity to serve I can bring a fresh perspective, a clear conservative voice and a determination to find solutions to these challenges rather than fight over who gets the blame when things go wrong.
This isn’t just another vacant seat to fill…this is an opportunity to continue our state’s forward momentum. We are held up as an shining example in a sea of states floundering in debt, deficits and doubt. We know where we want to go…we only need to elect leaders who will do what the people have asked them to do. I am such a leader.
Thank you for being here. I look forward to earning your support in the next few weeks and to being your voice in Indianapolis very soon!
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