From left to right: Senator Mike Braun (R), former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick (D) and Libertarian Donald Rainwater. Photo courtesy of Daily Journal.
OLLIE FITZGERALD | STAFF REPORTER | ofitzgerald@butler.edu
On Oct. 24, Sen. Mike Braun (R), former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick (D) and Libertarian Donald Rainwater participated in the final Indiana gubernatorial debate before election day. The candidates answered policy questions submitted by Hoosiers across the state.
Rainwater, Braun and McCormick participated in a previous debate on Oct. 3, and Braun and McCormick debated each other on Oct. 2. Across the three debates, all candidates were given a chance to address policy changes they would implement if elected governor.
Senior political science-psychology major, Anna Foster, has been following Indiana politics on her own and through her class on voting and elections. Foster said that keeping up with local and national politics, as well as voting, is important for everyone to do.
“At every level of government, [politicians] are making laws that directly impact your life,” Foster said. “From things like property taxes — which has been a big topic during the [gubernatorial] race — to healthcare and immigration, which [all] directly impact [our] communities. Just being aware and following [politics] can help you to make informed and educated votes.”
In a close gubernatorial race — with some polls showing McCormick only three points behind Braun and 10 points ahead with independent voters — it is important for voters to be aware of each candidate’s policies and positions before visiting the polls on Nov. 5.
Opening statements
Braun has been a U.S. senator for the past six years. He said that every year he visits all 92 counties in Indiana to listen to Hoosier voices. He is a farm owner and self-proclaimed entrepreneur. During the debates, he frequently addressed how he built a small business into a regional and then national company, which he has said is the American dream.
Braun also plans to support other small businesses and “spread economic development around all four corners of [Indiana].”
At the start of each debate, McCormick addressed that she is a wife, proud military mom and from a fifth-generation farm family. She also brings up that she was previously the superintendent of public instruction as a Republican but has since become a Democrat. McCormick advertises “bringing [back] common sense and balance” to Indiana.
Rainwater brought up his desire to bring Hoosiers lower taxes, stop inflation and fix the worker shortage.
“We need a governor who will stop the bleeding of the spending [to fix inflation],” Rainwater said. “[The government] is telling us the economy is doing great, but when you [Hoosiers] sit down at the kitchen table you see that is not the life you are living.”
Economic and property tax plans
Braun would like to support small businesses to help boost the economy. He said that issues like affordable housing, childcare and rural broadband will be solved by entrepreneurs, not the government. Braun also discussed being entrepreneurial to help solve issues with property tax increases.
“The government does not grow fast [enough to match] the economy or ability of taxpayers to pay,” Braun said.
Braun plans on keeping property taxes from growing beyond 3% and 2% for vulnerable populations. He also intends to keep high-wage jobs filled with graduates from Indiana schools by promoting school-choice programs as opposed to public education.
McCormick previously released a commonsense economic plan and commonsense property tax relief plan, which outlines what she will do to boost the economy and “put money in the pockets of Hoosiers” if elected. She intends to implement transition planning, career coaching, housing and transportation to help those who are disabled get jobs in order to bring more people to the workforce. She also plans to address access to healthcare, education and childcare to help those currently in the workforce.
“We need to make sure our workforce and our consumers are healthy and educated,” McCormick said.
McCormick also plans on having no increase in property taxes for farmers. She wants to work to protect tax money for parks, fire departments, the police force and schools.
Rainwater intends to address the worker shortage by stopping the introduction of new jobs to keep workers in small businesses. He also plans to stop property taxes from increasing indefinitely.
Gun laws
Braun plans to strengthen and improve already existing red flag laws in Indiana. He said that he has defended the Second Amendment with a “spotless record” but plans to keep guns away from those who shouldn’t have access.
“[We need to] keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and [away from] criminals,” Braun said.
McCormick similarly said she would emphasize red flag laws and work for gun violence prevention measures. She emphasized that she had to take advantage of the red flag laws in her 25-year career as an educator and that it is important to keep an eye on those with mental health concerns. However, she is a self-proclaimed gun owner and has said that she doesn’t intend on taking guns away from the general population.
“No one is coming for anybody’s guns,” McCormick said. “[This is] about responsible ownership and responsible use.”
Rainwater rebutted Braun and McCormick’s statements about red flag laws. He emphasized that red flag laws let the government decide if certain groups deserve to have Second Amendment rights.
He said that the idea of creating more gun laws to stop criminals doesn’t make sense.
“Criminals don’t follow laws, that’s why they’re criminals,” Rainwater said.
Instead, he proposed boosting security in institutions like schools to make them “as secure as the statehouse.”
Reproductive rights
Braun argues that abortion legislation should have gone back to the states long before the overturning of Roe v. Wade. He also said that the current abortion legislature has been vetted by the people of Indiana and passed with a large majority.
“The people of our state are pro-life,” Braun said.
McCormick is pro-choice and makes that clear in her campaign positions. She has stated in each debate that she has been the only person on the stage who has been pregnant and has given birth. She also has said that over 60% of Indiana wants Roe v. Wade back — which enshrined federal protections on reproductive rights.
“Women are dying [with our current laws], [and] a lot of women’s health is at risk,” McCormick said.
Rainwater has claimed to be a “pro-life libertarian” but calls for the people of Indiana to make their voices and opinions on abortion legislation heard.
“I trust the citizens of the state of Indiana to let [legislators] know what needs to be changed, if anything, in [these reproductive] laws,” Rainwater said. “We need to hear your voice, you don’t need to hear ours.”
Immigration
Braun has spoken about promoting legal immigration but has continuously noted illegal immigration and border problems. He has claimed that the border issues have been caused by the Biden-Harris administration.
McCormick has addressed that Braun is the only candidate out of the three in the debates who has worked in the federal government — meaning he is the only one who has had the power to influence federal laws — but still voted against a bipartisan border bill. She has also promised to embrace legal immigration and collaborate with federal regulations, no matter which president is elected.
Rainwater wants to focus on immigration as a legal, not a political issue. He has also addressed that Braun didn’t progress immigration legislation in the federal government and questioned why Braun thinks he could do more as a governor than when he was in the Senate.
“We have a complete failure at the federal government,” Rainwater said. “Both Democrats and Republicans failed.”
Cannabis Legislation
Braun emphasizes that talking to law enforcement is crucial to the cannabis legalization process. He said that he is the only candidate who has been supported by the police and that working with them in this process is extremely important. Braun said it is time to legalize medical marijuana and may determine if adult recreational use should be legalized in the future.
“Cannabis is cascading across the country,” Braun said. “[We] will listen to the legislature and law enforcement and figure out what else [can happen] down the road.”
McCormick has also released a “commonsense cannabis legalization plan.” She plans on developing a commission to help legalize the drug starting with medical use and, eventually, into adult use. She plans to collaborate with law enforcement and those who have been previously incarcerated for cannabis to help develop the plan to slowly legalize the drug. McCormick also emphasized respecting law enforcement during this process and that the legalization of marijuana would be a large economic boost for Indiana.
Rainwater has emphasized the rights of the people over the government’s ideas throughout his campaign. He said that he is the only candidate who believes that Indiana has the government structure to legalize marijuana with the same structures that regulate alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs.
“We should legalize all forms of cannabis immediately,” Rainwater said. “[We have] the inalienable right to choose what [we] put into [our] bodies, [it is] not up to the government.”
Overall, Braun focuses on being pro-life, emphasizing small businesses and increasing Red Flag Laws in the case of gun control. McCormick focuses on reproductive rights, “putting money back in the pockets of Hoosiers” and ensuring the workforce and consumers are healthy and educated. Rainwater focuses on urging Hoosiers to reach out to their local legislatures to explain what they want from the government, legalizing all forms of cannabis and keeping property taxes from increasing.
In a gubernatorial race with close preliminary polls, voters should stay aware of all candidates’ positions on these issues before visiting the polls on Nov. 5.
