Thomas McKenna officially announces 2010 run for Indiana Secretary of State

By Stephen Parker, on December 3, 2009, at 9:11 pm

Press release from the McKenna campaign:

McKenna launches campaign for 2010 Democratic Party nomination
for Indiana Secretary of State

(INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, DECEMBER 1, 2009) This week in 11 cities across Indiana, Thomas F. McKenna is announcing his candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination for the office of Indiana Secretary of State in the November 2010 election.

Announcements are planned for:

Madison, Jeffersonville, New Albany, Evansville and Terre Haute on Tuesday, December 1

Fort Wayne, South Bend, Michigan City and Crown Point on Wednesday, December 2

Noblesville and Indianapolis on Thursday, December 3

“I’m running for Secretary of State because free access to the ballot – the bedrock of our democracy – is under attack in Indiana,” McKenna said. “Throughout our history, individuals, as well as groups, have made economic and human rights progress by exercising their right to vote. For our democracy to work as intended, all citizens must be engaged fully in civic life. I call on all concerned Hoosiers to join me in this quest to have an active and engaged citizenry. Let us work together to maintain the integrity of the ballot while rejecting false restrictions on access to that ballot.”

McKenna was the executive director of the Indiana Department of Commerce for five years under then Lt. Governor Joe Kernan, after serving one year as the lieutenant governor’s executive assistant for operations. Later during his eight years in the O’Bannon and Kernan administrations, he served as Lt. Gov. Kernan’s chief of staff, then as Gov. Kernan’s deputy chief of staff for policy.

His public service also includes two years as a member of the five-person Indiana Parole Board, and two years as an administrative law judge for the Indiana Department of Labor.

Most recently, McKenna was vice president of labor relations for AK Steel Corporation (West Chester, Ohio). His business experience includes five years in human resources and labor relations for the Midwest Steel division of National Steel (Portage), six years in marketing and tenant support for Browning Investments (Carmel), and one year as vice president of Executive Assets Corp. (Indianapolis).

McKenna’s experience in private law practice includes one year as managing partner for the law firm of Bamberger and Feibleman (Indianapolis), and five years as a member of the firm of Kenefick, Brennan & Gilmore (Michigan City), during which time he also served for one year as deputy prosecuting attorney for LaPorte County.

A native of Madison, Indiana, and a graduate of Shawe Memorial High School, McKenna returned to Madison after college. While teaching at Shawe for three years, he also served as head coach in basketball, track and cross-country, as well as athletic director.

McKenna earned B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Notre Dame. He currently serves on the board of trustees of Martin University (Indianapolis) and is a former member of the board of trustees of the University of Southern Indiana (Evansville). He resides in Carmel.