Mike Vonderheide

03/16/2020

To my friends and neighbors in the midst of this Corona virus emergency. Remember we are all in this together. Please don't forget our neighbors trying to keep their businesses afloat. Look up our local restaurant's on their website or Facebook and view their menus and Order your lunches and dinners from them. If you would normally eat out on a Friday night call them and pick up your dinner. These folks need your help to stay in business until this emergency is behind us. We'll need these partners in our community so don't forget them.

02/27/2020

My son had 175 young people at this retreat.

170 Students.. 53 Adults.. 17 D- Groups.. One room full of people worshipping ONE God. This Discovery weekend was one of our biggest weekends yet! We had such a dedicated group of volunteers that helped pray, play and prepare for this weekend.

01/03/2017

Wake up Indiana!
It's time we to hold our representatives accountable for what they say during a campaign. We deserve representatives that do as they say, not just say what voters want to hear.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Indiana Democratic Party
Contact: Drew Anderson, 765-432-3231
[email protected]
January 3, 2017
Indiana GOP Silent on Vote to Remove Independent Ethics Office
INDIANAPOLIS – John Zody, Chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, released the following statement after House Republicans gutted the independent ethics panel aimed at holding congressional members accountable while serving in Congress.
“On the eve of a new Congress, House Republicans last night voted in secret to gut the independent Office of Congressional Ethics and any sort of accountability for the next two years. This comes just eight years after Democrats created this new office to hold all Members accountable to the highest standards of ethics. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, the Republican majority wants to avoid any sort of ethics standards moving forward. How did Jackie Walorski, Luke Messer, and the rest of the Indiana Republican Delegation vote on this? We don’t know, and while they continue their silence, they are now opening the doors to the same practices they campaigned against just months ago. We encourage Hoosiers to call their Republican Congressional Delegation offices today and ask how they voted behind closed doors last night. Hoosiers deserve transparency.”
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Paid for and authorized by the Indiana Democratic Party, John C. Zody, Chair, www.indems.org. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

The Indiana Democratic Party is seeking talented and dedicated individuals to fill internship roles at its headquarters in Indianapolis. This is an outstanding opportunity to get hands-on experience working in the exciting office of a state political party.

07/23/2016

Elizabeth Warren summarized the goals of the Republican Party 4 months ago. After watching the RNC this week it is even clearer that the RP wants to tear the country apart to further their divisive goals. Their nominee's speech sounded like the fascist speeches of the 20's and 30's that lead to the rise of a dictator that also said his country didn't win anymore. That the borders should close. That the unclean foreigners should be removed from the country. History is repeating itself before our eyes. Those of us that believe in less control by government over our own bodies, education of our people is EVERYONE's responsibility, Social Security MUST be made solvent, and police power must be strictly regulated, must stand up and be counted or the majority of our citizens rights will be trampled over in the name of Make America Great Again. Really? I believe America is the greatest country on earth! That reference must refer to pre-civil rights, pre-Rowe Vs. Wade, and for a NY billionare pre-Dodd-Frank.

04/16/2016

The Ripley County Democrats will have their annual Jefferson- Jackson Dinner on April 21st, at the Sunman Legion. This is the main fundraiser for our local Democratic organization. This group helps our local Democrats run for office and last year they helped financially with several races around the county. For our democracy to work we need 2 viable political organizations or people will take advantage of their positions, and we all lose when that happens!

Ripley County Democrats Jefferson-Jackson Dinner

Thursday, April 21, 2016 American Legion Hall
Sunman, IN

5:00 Reception~6:00 Dinner~7:00 Speakers
$30 per person

Contact Janice Wittich at (812)667-7617 or [email protected]

11/04/2015

I'm proud to have been able to represent the Democratic Party in my bid for Batesville's Mayor. I thank you all for voting Tuesday since that right is the very foundation of our great country. The best quote I have is from a total stranger who said in a post on this Page, "Don't like to be publicly political...so, a political statement I am not making. However, I would like to say that as a human, this man's politeness and sincerity at my doorstep was astonishing."
Thank you all for the humbling opportunity I was given to run for office in the best little City in Southeastern Indiana!.

10/26/2015

On the Campaign Trail.
I've been meeting a lot of Batesville's residents and listening to their concerns these last few months. Please post some of yours below.
Vote for experience and integrity and please vote on November 3rd.

10/19/2015

All interested in learning more about our candidates for Batesville City offices should come to the "Meet the Candidates" Tuesday October 20th at 6:30 pm at the Middle School Commons. After the presentations are done, you will have the opportunity to talk to the candidates one on one. This event is sponsored by the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce, Batesville Young Professionals, WRBI, and Herald Tribune.

10/11/2015

2015 Mayoral Debate Statement Delivered 10-6-2015 at Batesville Middle School
I found out yesterday that a group purporting to represent the Batesville Democrats called a meeting of the candidates without inviting me and decided that I should not be included in any literature that was to be passed out for the Clerk Treasurer and Council races being conducted. I find this offensive, not just to me, but also to our electoral process. It is a spiteful use of power by a political machine that’s only reason for being was to keep our former mayor in power. A machine that would have our citizens think that I had only one reason for running. Well I do have one reason. Let me explain.
There’s a young lady who works at McDonalds. She is a sweet innocent young woman with her whole life ahead of her. The subject came up about voting this fall and she said that she was registered but had never voted. That all the fighting and name calling politicians do was so confusing she just never voted. I looked her in the eye and moved closer to her as I told her that she must understand that the right to vote was a sacred responsibility purchased by those that served and died for our country. She absolutely must take advantage of the privilege to vote.
Now what I didn’t tell her, because I didn’t want to cause her discomfort, was that the right to vote was purchased by the lives of men and women like my friend Rick Ariens. Rick was on his second tour of duty in Vietnam standing in a chow line in Saigon. He was a staff sergeant in logistics, a pretty cushy job, by all accounts, standing in that chow line, when life was ripped from his body by a snipers bullet.
I was the last draftee taken from Franklin County. Which was a conscious decision I made because I had a wife and a baby son to care for. The man who was killed, a classmate of mine, didn’t get to come home. His parents didn’t get to watch him get married and bring grand babies home for them to play with and watch grow up. Those people paid and are paying, the price for this democracy to exist. At the funeral of my friend rick I vowed to serve any way I could and I have spent 30 years in public service. My education and experience has lead me to this place and time, all I want to do is serve my community.
Because I had the gall to oppose the previous mayor in a primary, I am being vilified by the very machine we the voters were able to defeat last spring. I ask you all here tonight, and all those that may hear this appeal, to vote on November 3rd because we owe it to those no longer with us and those still paying the price for that privilege. I hope you’ll allow me the pleasure to be of service to Batesville and the larger community I am proud to call home.
Thank You.
Elmer Mike Vonderheide, Democrat Candidate for Batesville Mayor

10/07/2015

Batesville 2015 Mayor Debate

10/03/2015

Gayla and I are having our Open House at the St. John's Hall on Vine Street this Sunday October 4th from 3 to 6 PM. We want to hear what you think can make Batesville even better! Please let us know what you think here on this page and in person.

It's Yard Sign Season for the City elections. Let me know if you are willing to put one of my signs in your yard. You can message me here or email requests to: [email protected]. I appreciate all the support I've received so far. Now with your help we can carry this campaign to the finish line.

09/28/2015

What a beautiful weekend. We went to Versailles and took my old truck to the Pumpkin Show Parade. I saw many Batesville residents and made some connections with our southern neighbors. Batesville and Ripley County need to be partners if we are going to build this area's industry. Gayla and I also were at the Apple Festival on Saturday and Sunday. It was a great crowd and the music was much appreciated.