I've said before that I'm not great at following local news and politics. I guess in my mind the world is so huge, and Indiana is so small, so I focus more on national and global news and politics. But I'm trying to be better! I always research local candidates before I vote, and want to share my research here to make it easy for people in my community to research candidates too.
This is not academic research. Wikipedia is my favorite source for its ease of use and because it seems to be less biased in its reporting. Some candidates aren't a big enough deal to have wikipedia pages, so I chose the first site I could find on them, sometimes their own candidacy site (not ideal, but hey). Names will be linked to my sources. I'm not going into great detail, but more taking notes for myself to remember what stood out to me about each candidate--this is definitely a biased perspective, and I encourage every voter to research for themselves and vote their conscience. In the first bullet point, I will summarize a general history of the candidate, and what I like about them. In the second bullet point, I'll summarize what I don't like about them.
I'll be skipping the Presidential election because I wrote a post about that a few weeks ago that made my thoughts clear enough. So I'll start with.... drumroll please.....
(Please note: The above GIF is the last fun thing your eyes will see in this post.)
This is not academic research. Wikipedia is my favorite source for its ease of use and because it seems to be less biased in its reporting. Some candidates aren't a big enough deal to have wikipedia pages, so I chose the first site I could find on them, sometimes their own candidacy site (not ideal, but hey). Names will be linked to my sources. I'm not going into great detail, but more taking notes for myself to remember what stood out to me about each candidate--this is definitely a biased perspective, and I encourage every voter to research for themselves and vote their conscience. In the first bullet point, I will summarize a general history of the candidate, and what I like about them. In the second bullet point, I'll summarize what I don't like about them.
I'll be skipping the Presidential election because I wrote a post about that a few weeks ago that made my thoughts clear enough. So I'll start with.... drumroll please.....
Senate
- Evan Bayh (D)
- He got a Business Administration degree from IU and a JD from UVA. He's served as IN Sect of State, IN Governor, and as Senator. His dad was a Senator. I like that his record in the Senate shows he's worked with Republicans and is not 100% committed to party view loyalty. Overall, I like his voting record on issues, with the exception of Environmental/Energy policy.
- I don't like that he's been a lobbyist, and that he's on the board of directors for Marathon Oil--it seems to me he can't work for clean energy and be on the board of an oil company. His wife is on the board of Anthem BCBS, so in my eyes that biases him toward health legislation that benefits health insurance companies. Also "Bayh spent a significant portion of his last year in office searching for a job, holding over four dozen meetings with potential corporate employers between February and December of 2010. He also cast votes on issues of interest to his future corporate employers." Sketch...
- Lucy Brenton (L)
- She's an IUPUI grad (French/Economics), has worked in Real Estate, and has 10 children. She's been involved for many years in the Libertarian Party, and has basically typical Libertarian views, many of which mesh with my own views. Many of which do not. I like her thoughts on more free-market-driven agriculture, holding company stakeholders accountable for unethical environmental actions, and improving health care legislation through private health care co-operatives.
- I don't like that she's against corporate taxes and corporate regulation and a federal minimum wage, nor that she's very isolationist when it comes to foreign policy. I liked her thoughts on immigration, but her view on policy was oversimplified and not specific enough, in my opinion.
- Todd Young (R)
- US Naval Academy grad (Political Science), Soccer player, Marine (worked on counter-narcotics & anti-terrorism), University of Chicago MBA, University of London MA in American Politics, adjunct IU professor, IU Law JD, US House Rep for IN. Clearly he's brilliant and highly qualified. I like that he's highly educated and has international experience.
- I don't like that he voted with Republicans 95% of the time in the house. To me, that shows a lack of courage to diverge from party lines when constituents, reason, or conscience dictate. In my opinion, such stubbornly polarized politicians are the reason for Congressional gridlock and lack of productivity. I don't like that he voted against legislation combatting Global Warming, and that he said in 2014 that it is "not necessarily the case" that there is a scientific consensus on climate change.
My vote: Evan Bayh
I'm not comfortable with the clear biases that his and his wife's business affairs pose on his political decisions. I wish there were a better option I could choose, but I feel he best represents my views, and will best be able to get things done on the Hill.
U.S. Representative (7th District)
- Andre Carson (D)
- Grandson of former US Rep Julia Carson, Muslim, born & raised in Indianapolis, Concordia University Wisconsin grad (Criminal Justice Management), Indiana Wesleyan University grad (Masters in Business Management), started career in Law Enforcement. I like that he grew up in our district, went to our public schools, etc. I like that he's black and Muslim--I think there is great value in diversity in politics. I like that he's worked for clean energy, better infrastructure, education (including pell grants and youth financial literacy programs), and reducing recidivism by expanding support and services for ex-offenders (that's my current line of work).
- I don't like that he has made extreme accusations of racism against Congress Tea Party leaders ("Some of them in Congress right now of this Tea Party movement would love to see you and me... hanging on a tree."), and I think there's room for improvement in his partisanship--working more across party lines, voting against party recommendations, etc.
- Cat Ping (R)
- Army Veteran. I like that she made the focus of her bio her desire to be the voice of the people in Congress.
- The Policy & Platform page of her site is literally blank, or it's currently glitched. But she has a summary of her views on her "About" page and she has the tone and simplification of a party extremist, which is a huge turn off to me.
- Drew Thompson (L)
- Not much bio info on website; lives in Indy Old Northside. Some of his home page writing is engaging and resonates with me. I like how he writes about the issues--his ideas are specific and well thought out, and not just a copy and paste of his party positions. I particularly like his articulation of the government spending problem. I like the thought of decreasing military spending and presence overseas, and I like his stance on drug law for shorter sentences and leaving marijuana legislation to individual states.
- Other parts are vague and not well written, and the website itself isn't very well designed--particularly the issues part. That's not what I'm judging on, but it makes a poor first impression. I am NOT for this foreign policy proposal: Emphasizing the security of our freedoms at home, we should eliminate at least 80% of foreign aid, and 100% of all welfare benefits to illegal aliens." I think we need better gun control--not necessarily more, but better. He doesn't go into this and characterizes the other side as wanting to take people's guns--just untrue. I also think his, and Libertarian views on tax reform are unrealistic.
My vote: Andre Carson
Governor
- John R. Gregg (D)
- Grew up in rural IN;IU Grad (Political Science & History; JD); ISU Grad (MPA); longest serving IN State Speaker of House; Here's what I like: advocate of balanced budgets; proponent of tax cuts and reforms; advocated reforms in education, campaign finance, lobbying and ethics; support of a bipartisan clerk's office; He seems to be more moderate, and values working across parties to get things done. Honestly, his wiki page seems too good to be true. It mentions as an aside that he once saved a man's life by pulling him out of his burning car on the side of the road. He's well liked by IN Congress, and I think he could get things done.
- I don't like that he started career at 2 coal companies--presents potential bias. He's pro-coal for Indiana. Clean energy is important to me. I liked almost everything on his wikipedia page, so I had to find another source. I don't like that he was "Totally against Indiana's school voucher program." I'm passionately for school choice. I don't like that he recommends slashing corporate taxes. All in all, what an interesting guy! He honestly seems more Libertarian to me in a lot of ways. Completely unimportant note: Look at that mustache.
- Eric Holcomb (R)
- Indianapolis native; Navy vet; Advisor to Mitch Daniels; Chief of Staff for (R) Senator Dan Coats; Chairman of IN Republican Party; There was little else on the wikipedia page, so I went to On The Issues. He seems pretty moderate as well--on LGBT issues, reasonable about compromise & negotiation, immigration (no details, but suggested). I like that he's pro-school choice.
- I don't like that he's against environmental regulation--clearly this is an issue I feel urgency and passion about. I don't like that he opposes higher taxes on the wealthy, and I also don't like his strong ties to the republican party and Senator Dan Coats. I'm not Coats' number 1 fan. He hasn't given me a satisfactory response to any of my emails to him. But I'm trying to keep that separate. :)
- Rex Bell (L)
- I like his views on leaving education choices to states and parents, properly allocating road taxes to road maintenance, criminal justice reform (though his website is far to vague), property taxes
- I don't like the Libertarian stance of legalizing everything. I'm not willing to go quite that far without more details on what regulation and treatment options would look like. There wasn't much I didn't like about him, but resources about him are so scarce that I'm not comfortable with that conclusion.
My vote: Eric Holcomb
Attorney General
- Lorenzo Arredondo (D)
- Mexican immigrant parents; IU grad; teacher; USF JD; I like: "He brought certified interpreters into the courts to enable non-English speakers to understand what was happening. Seeing the distress of families who appeared in his courtroom, Lorenzo created the family division of the Lake Circuit Court, the Domestic Relations Counseling Bureau and the Children’s Room, where youngsters could play in a safe environment while their parents attended court proceedings." I like that he wants to prosecute tax evaders.
- Really, not much if anything I found that I didn't like.
- Curtis T. Hill, Jr. (R)
- Elkhart born & raised; IU grad (Marketing); IU JD; Both candidates highlighted the 10th amendment and how they would fight against government directives that aren't right for Hoosiers.
- Lately, I'm biased against republicans. I don't like how political he was in describing his stances and priorities. I'm no lawyer, but in my mind, the law should be more absent from party politics. However, Hill seems to be very smart & capable. He highlights fighting for families.
My vote: Lorenzo Arrendondo
Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Glenda S. Ritz (D)
- (her site) Incumbant; Ball State Grad (BS & MA in Ed.); IUPUI Grad (MA Library Science); Teacher of the Year award at multiple schools; Switched registration from Republican to Democrat to run in 2008; I like that she's against Common Core;
- I don't like that she's against vouchers; and her new testing proposal was 9 hours long. That's miserable for kids.
- Jennifer McCormick (R)
- (UNRELATED side note: I'm running out of time, so I'll be including a little less detail) Indiana educated; teacher; principal; I like her detailed thoughts on education and testing reform outlined in the link above.
- The only thing I dislike is allegations of political ties to the widely unpopular former superintendent Tony Bennett.
My vote: Jennifer McCormick
State Senator (District 28)
- Ken Kern (D)
- I like his emphasis on jobs & education to improve economy; thought to reduce healthcare costs by promoting preventative care--anti-smoking, anti-alcohol, and nutritional education; "integrate alternative practitioners into the medical care system; focus on tax reform and reducing gov spending; Significant funds can be freed for constructive activities by implementing alternatives (to incarceration) for non-violent offenders thus putting them back into the workforce and creating more taxpayers"
- Love everything in this article; couldn't find other sources :/
- Michael R. Crider (R)
- incumbant; I like most of the bills he's sponsored; not much other information
- I don't like the lack of digital presence and information
My vote: Ken Kern
State Representative (District 100)
- Dan Forestal (D)
- Incumbant; Irvington Fire fighter;
- Lawrence (Larry) B. Shouse (R)
- Blue collar worker who cares about military strength, education, and jobs
I'm not impressed with either candidate. In fact, looking at their qualifications makes me think about running for their seat in the State House.
My vote: Dan Forestal
Marion County Treasurer
- Claudia O Fuentes (D)
- Incumbant;
- Danielle R. Coulter (R)
- Works for lobbying firm
- Christopher L Bowen (L)
- I couldn't find anything on him
My vote: Claudia O Fuentes
Marion County Coroner
- Lee Sloan (D)
- Lawrence High grad; IU grad; IU Med grad; Army Reserve vet; has a website
My vote: Lee Sloan
Sure, she's the only choice, but I could also withhold my vote if I didn't like her. I quite like her.
Marion County Surveyor
- Debra S Jenkins (D)
- 30 years public service experience
- Chic Clark (R)
- Realtor; couldn't find anything else on either candidate
My vote: Debra S Jenkins
Township Advisory Board - Warren #1 - (Marion)
- Andy Whitehurst (D)
- Jody L Tilford (R)
- Mike Gunyon (L)
- Irvington native; nonprofit involvement; youth mentor
My vote: Mike Gunyon
Indianapolis Public School Board - At Large (Marion)
- Elizabeth M. Gore
- Local; has been on board before; put children first; against charter schools
- James E Grim Jr.
- works at IUPUI; worked with IPS on parent engagement; against charter schools
- Samuel L. Odle
- Incumbant; Local; retired health care executive; focus on innovation; supports Purdue partnership
This is my resource for both School Board elections.
My vote: Samuel L. Odle
Indianapolis Public School Board - District #1 (Marion)
- Michael O'Connor
- Irvington resident; goal for more autonomous schools
- Christine M Prince
- Nurse with heart for social justice--health, poverty, and education;
I really liked both candidates, but I like the idea of haveing greater background diversity on the school board, and love the idea of one of those backgrounds being health. Prince's words resonated with me more.
My vote: Christine M Prince
Public Questions
Court of Appeals Judge Retention
- Patricia A. Riley
- James S. Kirsch
I didn't find anything juicy, and the Bar members like them, so...
My vote: Yes on both
Ratification of State Constitutional Amendment
- Provide right to hunt, fish, harvest wildlife, subject to laws of General Assembly
- This site gave a great summary of both side's views.
My vote: No
Marion County Public Question
- Impose county income tax (max of .25%) to pay for improving or establishing public transportation service in county through public transportation project that will create a connected network of buses and rapid transit lines/ increase service frequency; extend operational hours; and implement three new rapid transit lines?
- Here's one story. I also heard a debate on NPR.
- Here's one story. I also heard a debate on NPR.
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