IN-09 Challenger Andy Ruff Announces Summer–Fall Campaign Event Series
The Ruffhouse Tour is a series of online and in-person events and performances where 9th District voters can meet and ask questions of the U.S. congressional candidate and listen to his music
BLOOMINGTON, July 6, 2020 – Indiana 9th District congressional candidate Andy Ruff today announced “The Ruffhouse Tour,” a series of summer and fall campaign events throughout Southern Indiana, set to include several socially distanced public appearances and virtual town hall meetings. This November Ruff faces current Rep. Joseph Albert Hollingsworth III, who has received criticism for failing throughout four years in office to hold town-hall style meetings with 9th District residents.
“Hoosiers deserve better than an empty shirt who won’t speak with real voters,” Ruff said. “A lot of you know me in the 9th District, and a lot more are going to start knowing me this summer and fall, I promise. By November 3, there won’t be a voter from Greenwood to Jeffersonville who hasn’t had the chance to meet me nearby and ask me anything they want.”
The tour kicks off on Thursday, July 9, with a healthcare-focused virtual town hall and continues throughout the summer and fall. See current schedule below; more events to be added periodically.
The Ruffhouse Tour upcoming events:
A Town Hall Meeting on Healthcare: Andy Ruff and Dr. Rob Stone
Virtual town hall meeting with IN-09 candidate Andy Ruff and guest expert
Time: Thursday, July 9, 8:00–9:15 PM EDT
Location: Zoom, https://zoom.us.j/7177866275
Event Link on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/303305240713975/Freetown Freedom Festival
Andy performing with The Dew Daddies and greeting Jackson County voters
Time: Saturday, July 11, 10:00 AM EDT – evening
Location: 4696 W Columbus Pike, Freetown, Indiana
Event Profile on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freetownfestival/Additional events TBA at Andy Ruff for Congress on Facebook.
About Andy Ruff
A fourth-generation Hoosier with decades of public service, Andy Ruff was raised in Monroe County, Ind., and makes his living advising students at Indiana University. He worked as a staffer for 5-term 9th district congressman Baron Hill and was elected 5 times to Bloomington City Council from 1999–2019, including 2 terms as president. His many important contributions while in office include passing the first municipal living wage ordinance in the state and fighting for greater local control on behalf of Indiana’s city governments.
Andy spends his free time performing with his country music band, The Dew Daddies, fishing and exploring Indiana’s beautiful parks, lakes and rivers with his wife and three children. Andy believes the American way of life is defined by prosperity and community and that what matters is how Americans take care of each other when trouble threatens our nation most.
Source:
Andy Ruff for Congress
Resources:
- https://www.newsandtribune.com/news/despite-requests-rep-hollingsworth-not-meeting-constituents-in-town-hall/article_a318dc3a-f892-11e6-a6aa-a764d0d3c0af.html
- https://hollingsworth.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=67
- https://advocate.goodwill.org/app/document/20174107
Hashtags:
#ruffhouse
#intunewithindiana
#wherestrey
Event Contact:
Phone: (812) 661-0806
Email: events@andyruff.org
Media Contact:
Phone: (812) 391-6381
Email: media@andyruff.org
Prominent Indiana Democrats Endorse Andy Ruff in IN-09 Congressional Primary Race
Baron Hill, Terry Goodin, Liz Watson, Dan Canon, John Gregg, Mark Kruzan, and Matt Pierce all voice their support for former five-term Bloomington City Councilman in Democratic Primary.
BLOOMINGTON, May 28, 2020 — Momentum continues to build for Indiana’s 9th District congressional candidate Andy Ruff. Heading into the June 2 election, with 5 candidates on the ballot, several prominent Indiana Democratic leaders have formally endorsed the former Bloomington City Councilman.
“I know Andy, and I know he’ll be a great representative. He’s qualified, hard-working, has an outstanding record as a community leader, and is a lifelong Indiana Hoosier.”
— John Gregg, former Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives and 2-Time Governor Nominee
“As a former congressman, I know what it takes to get things done for Hoosiers. That is why I’m supporting Andy Ruff for 9th District Congress. He has lived in Southern Indiana his whole life and has been getting things done as an elected leader in Bloomington for years. Andy offers the right skills and experience to move the 9th district forward and understands the challenges facing Hoosier families.”
— Baron Hill, five-term U.S. Representative of IN-09
The two lead candidates from the 2018 IN-09 Democratic primary (won by Liz Watson) also endorsed Ruff.
“We need a representative who cares, and that’s Andy. He’s spent his entire life looking out for all the people in our district, not just wealthy campaign donors and giant corporations. He’ll do the same in Washington D.C.”
— Dan Canon, Southern Indiana civil rights lawyer and former IN-09 congressional candidate
"Andy Ruff is in the race because he knows people in Southern Indiana deserve better. He knows that affordable, guaranteed healthcare and education, living wages, and a livable planet are within reach, but only if we fight for them. His service on city council and as an educator have prepared him well to take our fight to Washington. Andy is someone we can count on, who won’t sell out Hoosiers for his own political gain.”
— Liz Watson, labor attorney and executive director of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
“I’m supporting Andy Ruff for Congress because he has Hoosier common sense and compassion. Andy will fight hard for all Hoosiers and not forget us when we send him to Washington D.C. We need a real Hoosier representing us in Congress, and I believe Andy Ruff is that Hoosier.”
— Terry Goodin, State Representative IN-66
“During my terms as Mayor of Bloomington, I saw Andy Ruff consistently demonstrate principled, thoughtful service and representation for our community on the city council. Andy listens and leads. He’s the kind of person we need more of in Congress.”
— Mark Kruzan, former Mayor of Bloomington and Indiana State Representative for 16 years
“Andy Ruff has a solid record of fighting for working families. We can count on him to be our voice in Washington.”
— Matt Pierce, Indiana State Representative and educator at Indiana University
Ruff said he is tremendously appreciative and humbled by the support and confidence of all of these respected, committed Hoosier Democratic leaders and outstanding public servants. If he wins the primary, Ruff says he is more than ready to challenge current Representative Trey Hollingsworth in the fall general election, and he believes the people of Southern Indiana are ready for a real Hoosier to reflect their voice and their concerns and priorities in Washington D.C.
For more information on Ruff’s campaign and platform, please visit andyruff.org, send him a message at info@andyruff.org, or check out his Facebook page, Andy Ruff for Congress.
About Andy Ruff
A fourth-generation Hoosier with decades of public service, Councilman Ruff was raised in Monroe County, Ind., and makes a living advising students at Indiana University. He worked as a staffer for 5-term 9th district congressman Baron Hill and was elected 5 times to the Bloomington City Council. His important contributions while in office include passing the first municipal living wage ordinance in the highly conservative state and fighting for greater local control on behalf of Indiana’s city governments.
Andy spends his free time performing with his country music band, The Dew Daddies, fishing and exploring Indiana’s beautiful parks, lakes and rivers with his wife and three children. Andy believes the American way of life is defined by prosperity and community and that what matters is how Americans take care of each other when trouble threatens our nation most.
Indiana Congressional Candidate Andy Ruff calls for Rep. Trey Hollingsworth to Reverse COVID-19 Death Comments or Drop Out
BLOOMINGTON, April 16, 2020 — Andy Ruff, the five-term Bloomington City Council member and Democratic candidate for Indiana’s 9th congressional district, has called for a reversal from incumbent Rep. Trey Hollingsworth, who in an interview with WIBC (FM, Indianapolis) on last Tuesday described possible American deaths from COVID-19 as “the lesser of two evils” if ending stay-at-home orders reboots the economy. The 9th wealthiest member of Congress, Hollingsworth said because harm is inevitable, Americans should get “back to work.”
Son of wealthy Tennessee real estate developer Joe Hollingsworth Jr., Trey changed his official residence to Indiana in 2016 and won the 9th district Republican primary, narrowly upsetting a crowded field of seasoned Indiana Republicans and succeeding Todd Young as representative of a now-highly gerrymandered district that Republicans have controlled since 2010. His 2016 campaign was criticized by Indiana Republicans and Democrats alike for outspending the field by millions using family money funneled through super PACs and having insufficient ties to the state, with his political rivals collectively dubbing him “Tennessee Trey.”
Discussing the COVID-19 pandemic with WIBC host Tony Katz on Tuesday, Hollingsworth lamented annual GDP losses from pandemic safety measures and framed the nation’s options as a choice between “dramatic economic harm or the loss of lives.” It was the responsibility of legislators, he said to Katz, to “put on our big boy and big girl pants” and protect “our way of life as Americans.”
In asking for repentance from Hollingsworth now, Mr. Ruff hopes to draw attention to the congressman’s record of putting the interests of 9th District residents beneath those of corporations and the very wealthy.
“I call on Trey Hollingsworth to apologize to healthcare workers for his callous, reckless remarks,” Mr. Ruff said in a statement on his campaign website. “[Hollingsworth’s] comments disqualify him as a leader. Doctors, nurses, and first responders are putting their lives on the line to protect ours. Healthcare workers in our district are preparing to use rain ponchos if critical medical supplies run short. Nursing homes in Lawrence and Clark counties are reporting mass infections. Individuals struggle to get tested. Where is Hollingsworth’s leadership on these issues?”
About Andy Ruff
A fourth-generation Hoosier with decades of public service, Councilman Ruff was raised in Monroe County, Ind., and makes a living advising students at Indiana University. He worked as a staffer for 5-term 9th district congressman Baron Hill and was elected 5 times to the Bloomington City Council. His important contributions while in office include passing the first municipal living wage ordinance in the highly conservative state and fighting for greater local control on behalf of Indiana’s city governments.
Andy spends his free time performing with his country music band, The Dew Daddies, fishing and exploring Indiana’s beautiful parks, lakes and rivers with his wife and three children. Andy believes the American way of life is defined by prosperity and community and that what matters is how Americans take care of each other when trouble threatens our nation most.
Press Contact: media@andyruff.org