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Last updated on Thursday, June 4, 2015
(UNDATED) - Glenda Ritz is running for governor. We will find out exactly why this morning.
The state Superintendent's announcement is scheduled for 11:00am at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis's Wayne Township, with more appearances scheduled around the state the next two days.
Ritz's campaign was confirmed by a letter sent to Indy Pride welcoming visitors to this weekend's Indy Pride Festival - the letter was on "Ritz For Governor" letterhead.
"I'm proud to participate in this year's festival and to support a continuing atmosphere that welcomes ALL to our great state. Let's hope the coming year is a full Equality year!," the letter read in part.
The letter could act as the first statement from candidate Ritz on an issue other than education. It contrasts with a letter to Indy Pride released by Governor Pence's office which drew critics from both LGBT supporters and social conservatives. Some in the LGBT community pointed out that Pence failed to mention Indy Pride or the festival itself within the body of his letter, while religious groups criticized the governor for sending the letter in the first place.
Ritz announced her intention to consider a run for governor at an April 30 news conference where she said the last straw for her was the push by Pence and others to pass bills she saw as the latest attempt to take power from her Department of Education.
A new law that reconstituted the State Board of Education removes the superintendent as the automatic chair of the board after the 2016 election, instead having the board elect its own chair.
Pence also attempted to use the state budget to shift rulemaking for the state's school voucher program from Ritz's office to the State Board, an effort that was abandoned before the budget was approved.
Some conservatives don't trust Ritz to run the voucher program since she was among the initial plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the legality of vouchers - the program was eventually upheld by the state Supreme Court.
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