Donald Rainwater is the Libertarian nominee for Indiana governor.
Dan Carden
The three candidates for Indiana governor are offering Hoosiers clear visions of what the state could become under their leadership over the next four years.
During debates hosted last week by two Indianapolis-area television stations, Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, Democratic former state schools chief Jennifer McCormick, and Libertarian Donald Rainwater each outlined their policy priorities if elected Nov. 5 as the state's 52nd chief executive.
In general, Braun wants to bring an "entrepreneurial" spirit to state government in keeping with his experience as a millionaire business owner, McCormick is advocating for change after 20 consecutive years of Republican control of the governor's office, and Rainwater is seeking a complete readjustment of the relationship between Indiana citizens and their government.
Public opinion polls show the contest is close between Braun and McCormick, due in part to Rainwater attracting support from Hoosier Republicans disappointed in the policies of term-limited Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb and those who aren't convinced Braun will be any better.
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All three candidates have made property tax reform a centerpiece of their campaigns in response to persistent complaints, particularly in suburban Indianapolis, that homeowners are unfairly being charged more in property taxes when the assessed value of their home increases.
During the debates, Braun blamed Democratic President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the nationwide inflation he claimed is responsible for the growth of property values in Indiana.
In response, Braun is proposing to reset residential property tax bills to 2021 levels, reduce the amount of a home's assessed value subject to tax, strictly limit future property tax increases, and make it more difficult for taxing units to temporarily increase property tax revenue through a voter referendum.
"You should not grow taxes faster than the ability of a Hoosier to pay for it," Braun said.
McCormick pounced after Braun did not detail, except for vague claims of efficiency improvements, whether or how he would replace the property tax revenue lost by local units of government, of which a large share typically goes toward police, firefighters and other protective services.
"I don't want to defund our schools. I don't want to defund our police. And I certainly don't want to defund our fire and our parks and our libraries," McCormick said.
She instead is backing a package of property tax policies previously considered by the Republican-controlled General Assembly that would limit annual property tax bill increases using state tax credits, boost eligibility for senior citizen and disabled veteran property tax deductions, and raise the residential renter's income tax deduction.
"If you are looking for change, I am ready to bring it," McCormick said. "We know we deserve a better government than what we have now."
Rainwater, on the other hand, wants to eliminate property taxes altogether for Hoosiers who stay in their home at least seven years, in addition to getting rid of the state income tax, vehicle excise tax, and the state gasoline tax used to pay for road construction.
"I'm just a hardworking Hoosier who is sick and tired of watching the federal government, the state government and local governments -- run by Republicans and Democrats -- take, take, take more and more of my money, and your money, and it goes out the window or out the back door, and there's no accountability and there is no change," Rainwater said.
The three candidates also staked out very different positions on other key issues, including:
Abortion: Braun said he's confident Indiana's near-total abortion ban accurately reflects "the people of our state are pro-life," while McCormick favors restoring the former Roe v. Wade status quo and putting the question of further abortion restrictions to a public vote. Rainwater, who described himself as pro-life, believes it's up to the Legislature to decide how to regulate abortion appropriately.
Education: McCormick contended Indiana is headed in the wrong direction on education by diverting more and more resources away from public schools and into charter schools and private school vouchers; a policy Braun enthusiastically supports. McCormick also favors setting $60,000 as a minimum annual salary for Indiana teachers, while Braun said that is "way too modest" and teachers should instead receive "some of the best wages we pay in the state." Rainwater favors universal school choice because he said public education is failing.
Efficiency: Braun asserted Indiana government is wasting potentially billions of dollars each year, despite Republican lawmakers controlling the entire state budget process since 2011 and Republican governors managing every state agency since 2005. He vowed to use his business experience to ferret out the reckless spending and eliminate it, paving the way for higher priority state projects or tax reductions. McCormick, who previously led the Indiana Department of Education through which more than half of the state's annual spending flows, said she's has the experience needed to effectively work with state agency leaders and employees to bolster efficiency, rather than following Braun's top-down approach.
Immigration: All three candidates said they welcome legal immigration into Indiana and each blamed the federal government for not doing more to halt illegal immigration. Braun said Biden and Harris are to blame for their "open border" policies, while McCormick said congressional Republicans, like Braun, are to blame for killing legislation focused on securing the border at the request of Republican former President Donald Trump. Rainwater joined McCormick in piling on Braun: "If the man has been a U.S. senator for the last six years, why hasn't he solved it? Why is it that he thinks he can do more as the governor of the state of Indiana to solve the immigration problem when it is a federal, constitutional issue, than he can as a U.S. senator?"
Jobs: McCormick said as governor she would support increasing the state's minimum wage above the $7.25 per hour federal rate while also promoting policies focused on reducing Hoosiers' utility and health care costs, attracting and retaining workers, and encouraging business growth. Braun said he would consider a minimum wage hike, but he's more interested in making sure "we fertilize the field of entrepreneurs because they oftentimes are that next best business that grows wages and opportunities for hardworking Hoosiers." Rainwater wants state and local government to stay out of the field of economic development.
Marijuana: Braun is willing to "seriously consider" legalizing medical marijuana in Indiana, but said he has to "think about that" when it comes to adult recreational marijuana use, particularly in terms of law enforcement impacts. McCormick is ready to go right away on medicinal marijuana as a prelude to eventual recreational marijuana legalization in the Hoosier State. Rainwater said it's long past time Indiana join all its neighboring states and simply legalize cannabis: "We have been talking about this for a long time. If legislators are not prepared that is their fault, and we should probably replace them."
Running mates: McCormick said she's proud to be partnered with former House Democratic Leader Terry Goodin as she campaigns across Indiana because Goodin has the character, competency and commitment to service needed to take over as governor if anything should ever happen. In contrast, she said Braun's running mate, Noblesville Pastor Micah Beckwith, is a Christian nationalist and book banner who "scares people to death." Braun insisted, "In this state, a governor is going to call the shots."
Ultimately, Braun said he expects the election will be decided by "kitchen table issues," and the majority of Hoosiers he speaks with believe they were better off four years ago under Trump than they are today.
"When I travel the state, they're worried about the economy. The federal government has been run by her party over the last four years and we've got some of the worst economic results we've had ever. And when your game plan is to borrow and spend through the federal government, and do it on the backs of your kids and grandkids, we need a better business plan. We don't want that to infiltrate here in Indiana," Braun said.
McCormick, meanwhile, said Hoosiers deserve a governor they can trust and a governor they can like can like, who will advance common sense solutions, restore partisan balance and fight for their freedoms.
"We're showing what it looks like to have hope and optimism, to show the future and make sure we're focused on kids and families and communities, to fight for reproductive rights and freedoms, to make sure that kids have a great education and we have child care and universal pre-K, and we have good paying jobs and we uplift our unions because they're so incredibly important, (and) we also need to take care of our environment," McCormick said.
Rainwater said Hoosiers should elect him because he's not controlled by either the Republican or Democratic parties, or their donors, and can act as governor solely in the best interest of Hoosiers.
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