EDITORIAL: Hoosier voters are ill-served by humdrum political campaigns

Healthy democracies have competitive elections. Ideally, that competition leads to robust debate among candidates about the issues of the day, a process that helps voters decide whom to support. Absent a competitive race, the exchange of ideas is muted, and voters are denied a clear choice.

We hope that doesn’t happen in 2020 as Hoosiers choose Indiana’s next governor. But 11 weeks before early voting starts and a little over three months until Election Day, there is reason for concern.

The gubernatorial campaign of Dr. Woody Myers, the Democrat taking on incumbent Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, is barely noticeable above the din of a global pandemic and the ongoing discussion of racial inequality. That’s great news if your job is to get Holcomb reelected but discouraging news for everyone else.

On paper, Myers would seem to be a formidable candidate. He’s a doctor who, as state health commissioner in the 1980s, dealt with the HIV crisis—and he’s Black. Who better to turn to in the midst of a pandemic and in a state not known for its diversity? We might benefit from electing a governor who doesn’t look like the 51 men who’ve been elected to the post before.

So far, however, Myers’ campaign hasn’t generated much excitement. He hasn’t connected with Black voters, who are crucial to his chances of winning. Myers has little name recognition outside of central Indiana and little cash with which to build it. Holcomb, meanwhile, has become a daily presence in the news as his team works to manage the pandemic, a crisis that prevents Myers from connecting with voters in person.

With the deck stacked against Myers, Holcomb and his team might be tempted to take a pass on coming up with a bold agenda to move the state forward. Hoosiers can’t afford to let that happen.

Indiana continues to face steep challenges. An economic report card released by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce last month shows the state ranks No. 38 and behind all its neighboring states in the percentage of residents with a degree or credential beyond high school.

The state does better than most in terms of job creation/attraction, but are those high-quality jobs? Indiana ranks No. 39 in per-capita income, a stubbornly low number that has eluded improvement for decades.

The number of Hoosiers with broadband access is in the bottom half of states. Indiana also has higher-than-average health care costs and ranks poorly in population health.

Many of these are chronic problems that require creative solutions, but we won’t get them in a political environment where one side is outmanned and the other is too comfortable.

It’s still early, but there’s no sign of a bold agenda from either candidate. Any chance of that changing is probably up to Myers. Holcomb has little incentive to make the first move. Myers, seemingly a big underdog, has nothing to lose by unveiling a plan that forces Holcomb’s hand.

Indiana has largely avoided the scorched-earth politics that often derail productive debate. We’ve got that going for us. But at this point, we could use a little controversy—at least enough to engage voters and start a serious conversation about Indiana’s future.•

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