WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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City Council member Andy Ruff announced last week that he is running for Congress. Ruff will run as a Democrat for the 9th District, which is currently held by Republican Congressman Trey Hollingsworth who will likely run in the coming election. WFHB’s News Director, Kade Young, talks to Andy Ruff about his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives.
City Councilman Andy Ruff said he decided to run for Congress, because he doesn’t feel the 9th district is properly represented by the incumbent Trey Hollingsworth. Ruff said the needs of the 9th District are not represented by the current officeholder.
He said the level of divisiveness in today’s political climate prevents progress and fails to address the needs of working families.
Ruff said the 9th District has a Republican advantage, but he said this will not deter his efforts to run. He wants voters to know he worked on Congressman Baron Hill’s staff. Hill was the last Democrat to represent the 9th District in Congress.
Mr. Ruff said he is developing his platform at the moment. He said he’s currently in the listening and development stage of the campaign.
He started his career in politics in the aftermath of his local activism – he was an outspoken critic of the Interstate 69 highway-extension in the early 1990s. He said as a result, he received a call from the local Democratic Party with an interest of him running for city council.
He ran in 1999 and won. He remained on the Bloomington City Council for 20 years. His term will end at the tail end of December 2019.
Ruff said he understands the Republican lean in the 9th District, but he said in spite of this – he thinks whoever can connect with voters the best will win the district.
The city council member will register as a congressional candidate for the Democratic Party on January 1st, 2020. He will likely face incumbent Republican Congressman Trey Hollingsworth in the election.
