John R Gregg

Early life and education

Gregg was born on September 6, 1954 to Donald R. and Beverly 'June' (née Blackwood) Gregg in Linton, Greene County, Indiana. His father operated a union construction and hauling business. John Gregg was the oldest of his parents' three sons. He grew up in small, rural Sandborn, Knox County, Indiana.

Gregg was a 1972 graduate of North Knox High School. He graduated with an associate degree from Vincennes University in 1974, and is a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity. He graduated from Indiana University (B.A., Political Science and History) in 1976; Indiana State University (M.P.A., Public Administration) in 1978; and the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law (J.D., Juris Doctor) in 1984.

Business and legal career

From 1978–1985, Gregg worked as a land agent for Peabody Coal Company and as a governmental affairs representative for Amax Coal Company. After passing the state bar in 1984, Gregg opened a private practice, Gregg & Brock, in Vincennes, which he led until 2002, when he joined the Indianapolis law firm Sommer Barnard PC. In 2005, he became partner at the Vincennes office of the law firm Bingham McHale, now Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP. He is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association and the Knox County Bar Association, where he served as President in 1992.

After his legislative career ended, John Gregg served as interim university president for Vincennes University from 2003–2004, attorney, author, and radio host. At Vincennes, he succeeded President Bryan K. Blanchard.

Political career

Gregg was a Democratic precinct committeeman from 1974 until 1986. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2008. During the 2008 primary, Gregg was an honorary chair of the Hillary Clinton for President, Indiana Campaign, and he accompanied former President Bill Clinton to events across Indiana.

Elections

John Gregg's legislative career spanned 8 elections. In 1986 he ran against and defeated Republican incumbent Representative Bill Roach to represent District 45 in the Indiana House of Representatives. He was re-elected seven times: 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000. He represented Sullivan, Daviess, Greene, Knox, and Vigo counties.

Tenure

Over the span of his 16 years in the Indiana House, Gregg spent a dozen years in the most powerful positions in that chamber, and he contributed twice to redistricting process that occurs every decade.

In 1990, Gregg went from a back-bencher in seat number 100 to the first position as House majority leader. He served as the House majority leader from 1990–1994 and as the House Democratic leader from 1994–1996. As the House Democratic leader, he is remembered for his leadership of a walkout in 1995.

Gregg was first elected Speaker of the House in 1996, when the general election had left an equally divided House with 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans. For the first time in Indiana history, a single Speaker presided over an equally divided House. In 1988, Michael K. Phillips (D-Boonville) and Paul S. Mannweiler (R-Indianapolis) shared the Speaker position in the first even-split between the two parties in history. Gregg was re-elected Speaker following the 1998 general election when Democrats took control of the House of Representatives with a 53-47 majority.

Throughout his legislative career, Gregg was a proponent of tax cuts, including the elimination of the excise and inventory taxes and the reform of property taxes. While in the House, he was an advocate of balanced budgets. As a member of the House, Gregg opposed gambling expansions, but later modified his stance, noting that gaming is "a business that is heavily regulated. We’ve not had indictments. We’ve not had any kind of federal investigations or anything like that [in Indiana]." During his tenure as Speaker, Gregg championed many causes, including reforms in education, campaign finance, lobbying and ethics. As Speaker, Gregg negotiated a compromise between Democrats and House Republicans to expand worker's compensation coverage and build Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

During his terms as Speaker, Gregg implemented improvements in House procedures, including on-time convening of sessions, the support of a bipartisan clerk's office, staffing parity for both caucuses, and the prohibition of smoking within the interior hallways and offices surrounding the House chamber. Gregg introduced measures to help streamline the workload of legislators and staff, including reducing the number of standing committees from 21 to 17 and initiating stricter adherence to House rules regarding how members vote and conduct themselves on the House floor.

A House Resolution to honor Speaker Gregg on his retirement in 2002 credited him with returning civility and congeniality to the House chamber. One commentator noted that despite disagreements over policy ideas during his speakership, "it is hard to find an enemy of Gregg’s at the Statehouse." Commenting on Gregg's legislative career, former Governor Evan Bayh stated that "[if there's] one thing about John Gregg, people on both sides of the aisle think he’s a good person and a man of his word.”

Election history

House Representative, District 45, 1986

The incumbent Republican Bill Roach lost to John Gregg.

House Representative, District 45, 1988

John Gregg, in his first election as the incumbent, defeated opponent David Tatem, a Republican candidate from Terre Haute.

House Representative, District 45, 1992

In 1992, Gregg ran unopposed for his fourth term.

House Representative, District 45, 1994

John Gregg ran unopposed again for his fifth legislative term in 1994.

House Representative, District 45, 1996

John Gregg won his sixth term against Republican opponent Scheffler.

House Representative, District 45, 1998

John Gregg ran unopposed for his seventh term in 1998.

House Representative, District 45, 2000

John Gregg again successfully defended his seat for his eighth term as state representative and as the incumbent Speaker of the House against his Republican opponent Hood.

Committee assignments

2012 gubernatorial campaign

Gregg was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Indiana in the 2012 election. He faced Republican nominee Mike Pence. Although originally predicted to lose decisively to Pence, Gregg closed the gap late in the election, winning 46% of the vote to Pence's 49%. Gregg's campaign was focused on putting Indiana back to work in the midst of the economic recession, and called for an armistice on social issues. He attempted to brand Pence as an extremist Washington politician, which was effective with some demographics, particularly women, but did not carry the election.

2016 gubernatorial campaign

On April 30, 2015, Gregg launched his second campaign, which originally was to be a rematch against Gov. Pence, who was perceived as politically weakened after signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Gregg entered the 2016 race for Governor before other Democrats announced their presumed candidacies, including Indiana state Sen. Karen Tallian and state superintendent of schools Glenda Ritz, who withdrew. In July, after Pence dropped out of the race to become Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's vice presidential running mate in the 2016 presidential election, Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb ended his candidacy to retain his seat in order to seek the gubernatorial nomination. The Indiana State Republican Committee selected Holcomb to replace Pence as their gubernatorial nominee. Greg was defeated by Holcomb in the general election for the governorship.

Awards and honors

Gregg has been honored with a Hoosier Hero Award (1996). He received an honorary doctorate from Vincennes University in 2002. He is a four-time recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash award (awarded by Governors Robert D. Orr, 1989; Evan Bayh, 1996; Frank O'Bannon, 2002; and Joe Kernan, 2003.

In 2002, Gregg was named "Public Official of the Year" in 2002 by Governing magazine.

Books and other writings

Gregg’s book, From Sandborn to the Statehouse, was published in 2008. He is writing a second book about growing up in a small town.

Gregg wrote at least one op-ed article, "Leave common construction wage law in place," in the Chicago Tribune on February 27, 2015.

Radio show

Gregg hosted a radio call-in show in Vincennes and in Washington, Indiana. He hosted the early morning talk show, “Indiana Open Phones,” on WIBC (FM), an Indianapolis radio station from 1999–2007. The forum covered topics from Indiana politics to folksy western Indiana cuisine.

Personal life

Gregg has been married three times. He is married to Lisa Kelly. The couple wed in 2012, after the November election, and live in Sandborn, Indiana. Gregg and his second wife, Sherry (née Biddinger) Gregg Gilmore, met while at law school at Indiana University and married two years later in 1989. They were married for 16 years, divorced in 2006, and have two sons, John Blackwood Gregg and Hunter Gregg. Their children were both adults when Gregg first ran for governor in 2012. Gregg's first marriage was to Kim (née Reichman) Kirkwood in 1978 and it lasted one year.

He is a member of Sandborn First Christian Church. He is a member of the Sandborn Masonic Lodge #647, where he is a 33rd Degree Mason and past Master.

John Gregg once pulled a man from a car wreck near Marco, Indiana on Highway 67 and although the man lost his leg, the car was on fire, and Gregg's assistance on site was considered a possible life-saving action. A nurse traveling on the highway that Saturday then came to the Michigan man's assistance.

In 2004, Gregg announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, as had his father before him. At age 49, he was treated and later pronounced clean of cancer.