JEFFERSONVILLE — Gender equality has become a major theme of the national election, and on Monday the Indiana Democratic Party seized on that theme by holding a rally for female state and national political candidates at Kye’s II in Jeffersonville.

“It’s consistent with our whole message this entire campaign, and that is reaching out to people who feel disenfranchised and feel like they don’t have a seat or a voice at the table in Washington anymore,” said Shelli Yoder, Democratic Party candidate for U.S. Congress. Yoder said her opponent, Republican Congressman Todd Young, “was voting against the interests of women again and again.”

Yoder was joined at Kye’s II by Vi Simpson, candidate for lieutenant governor; Kay Fleming, candidate for attorney general; Glenda Ritz, candidate for superintendent of public instruction; and Sandy Blanton and Sharon Grabowski, both of whom are running for the Indiana Statehouse.

Although poll numbers have hinted at a big year for Republicans on the state level, Simpson said a new internal poll puts her running mate, John Gregg, within “low single digits” of Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence.

“This is a winnable race,” she said.

Simpson implored her partymates to “dig a little deeper. We need to do a little more than we’ve done before.”

At a Democratic Party function focusing on women, it’s no surprise there were plenty of jokes referencing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s binder comment in the second debate.

“These women come from the community around us,” said event emcee and State Rep. Connie Sipes. “Not from binders, but the community around us.”

Sipes read from a 50s-era guide to being a good wife after saying that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney thought the 50s-era television show “Mad Men” was a show about current events. The gathered crowd laughed as Sipes read about the importance of having dinner ready for your husband when he gets home, preparing and lighting a fire for your husband in the cooler months and the importance of taking a 15-minute break before he comes home.

The function was kicked off by Grabowski, who led the audience in the singing of “God Bless America.”

Grabowski, a retired New Albany-Floyd County Schools teacher running in District 72, said she decided to run after reading about the things going on in Indianapolis in the paper. She listed the defunding of Planned Parenthood, $300 million in cuts to public education and right-to-work legislation among the motivating factors.

“I’m a retired teacher, and I’d like to learn ‘em a little something up there [in Indianapolis].”  

Blanton, who is running in District 73, said that Republicans look to be trying to set the country back a century.

“If you look at what the state legislature has done the last two years, it’s becoming true and it’s scary,” Blanton said.

Ritz, who is running against Republican incumbent Tony Bennett, brought an air of confidence to the event.

“You’re looking at the next superintendent of public instruction,” Ritz said by way of introduction.

Ritz railed against the current structure of standardized testing issued to students in Indiana, and claimed to have support from voters in the Republican, Democratic and Tea Parties.

Yoder will meet Young in the first of two debates between the two 9th District candidates in Franklin tonight.

“I’m excited,” Yoder said. “I think this is going to be a great opportunity for folks to actually hear the voting record of my opponent and be able to see the stark contrast.”