SCHERERVILLE | With Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter at his side, former Hammond Mayor Duane Dedelow kicked off his campaign for the Lake County Board of Commissioners at a reception Thursday evening at Villa Cesare.

Dedelow, a Republican, will face incumbent 3rd District Commissioner Fran DuPey in the Nov. 4 election. The 3rd District includes Dyer, Hammond, Munster, Whiting and parts of East Chicago, Griffith, Highland, Schererville and St. John. Dedelow served as Hammond's mayor from 1992 to 2003 and now works in his family's construction business.

A longtime friend and political associate, Carter called Dedelow "imminently qualified" for the commissioner's post.

"He is new in county government, but experienced," Carter said. "He's not been part of county operations, but has seen the impact of the county's fiscal policies in his private business."

As attorney general, Carter has targeted political corruption, especially in Lake County. He told the crowd that Dedelow's election to the Lake County Board of Commissioners will lead to "better government than we've had in the past. We need to shake up things in county government."

Dedelow said his candidacy is aimed at changing the way Lake County does business.

"We have to inject accountability into county government," he said. "We need transparent government. We need to open the county's books."

Lake County residents want good government, Dedelow said.

"We need to educate the public so they will join us to hammer out solutions and throw off the shroud of secrecy in county government," he said.

Dedelow told those at the reception that "there are tremendous opportunities in Northwest Indiana (and) important projects on the horizon." However, he said he doesn't support a county income tax to fund those projects.

His campaign, Dedelow said, will focus on three major issues that need to be addressed if the county is to compete and improve the quality of life for its residents. Those issues, he said, are extension of the South Shore Line to Lowell, the Gary Chicago International Airport and the environment.

"I am in favor of large-scale infrastructure in Northwest Indiana. We need the South Shore rail line, and we need to hammer out a way to fund it," Dedelow told the crowd. "If you give people the right tools, education and reasons for projects, they will back it."

The airport is "a diamond in the rough," Dedelow said. If that regional resource could be tapped as a cargo terminal or other facility in partnership with Chicago's airports "it would dwarf the casinos" in terms of economic development, he said. "It could be a job creation engine in Northwest Indiana."

Protecting the environment while pursuing economic development also is vital, Dedelow said. He pointed to creation of Lost Marsh during his administration as an example of such a project.

"We took a 300-acre slag heap and turned it into a 300-acre nature preserve, golf course and recreation center. We need to create environmental success stories in Lake County," Dedelow told his supporters.

"We need to create jobs, create a clean environment and create good government in Lake County."