Niederberger conducting write-in campaign for the U.S. Senate

Ken de la Bastide, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
·2 min read
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Aug. 19—PENDLETON — Republican Danny Niederberger isn't giving up easily in an attempt to win the party's nomination for the U.S. Senate.

Niederberger announced last year that he was running against incumbent Todd Young, but he was disqualified in February by the Indiana State Election Board.

Niederberger explained at a Madison County Tea Party meeting Thursday that state law requires a candidate for the U.S. Senate to provide 500 certified signatures from each of the state's nine Congressional Districts.

"I ran into trouble in Marion County," he said.

Facing a Feb. 4 deadline to submit the signatures to the Indiana Secretary of State's office, Niederberger said on Feb. 1 he was informed the Marion County Clerk's office didn't complete verifying the signatures from the 7th Congressional District.

Niederberger said there was a winter storm that impacted Marion County and the Clerk's office was closed for two days.

That certification was not obtained before the deadline, he said.

"The State Election Board wouldn't accept the Marion County signatures without the official seal or the signature of the Clerk," Niederberger said.

He decided following the GOP convention in June to run as a write-in candidate for the seat in the U.S. Senate against Young and Democrat Tom McDermott.

"I was told the campaign would go nowhere," Niederberger said of a write-in campaign. "It almost never happens."

He claimed after his announcement that Young's campaign and the state Republican Party asked him not to go forward with the campaign.

Niederberger is opposing Young for his vote on the 2022 gun measure bill that includes red flag laws and enhanced background checks.

He also mentioned Young's voting to add $10 trillion to the national debt; Young's failure to be endorsed by former President Donald Trump; and his voting to confirm Hoosier Pete Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary.

Niederberger ran for the GOP nomination in 2020 for the 5th Congressional nomination receiving less than one percent of the vote.

Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.