Hogsett outraising, outspending Merritt by millions of dollars
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett has so far spent $4.6 million on his re-election campaign, about $4 million more than his opponent, Republican state Sen. Jim Merritt.
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Suit seeks to ban Indiana voting machines lacking paper trail
Voters in central Indiana’s Boone, Hamilton, Hendricks, Morgan and Shelby counties use digital record electronic machines that have no paper trail.
Warren faces sustained attack in debate that starts with unified criticism of Trump
Sen. Elizabeth Warren faced direct challenges from several of the 11 other candidates onstage, who took her on over her policies, her fitness to serve as commander in chief and her willingness to question the motives of Democrats who support less transformational ideas.
Republican councilor endorses Hogsett in new radio ad
Republican Susie Cordi, who was elected to the council in 2015 and is not seeking re-election this year, is featured in a radio ad released Monday by the campaign for Democratic incumbent Mayor Joe Hogsett
Ten Indiana school districts set to ask voters to approve tax increases
Here’s a roundup of all of the state school districts that will put a tax increase on the ballot in November, including a couple of school districts with both construction and operational referendums.
Suburban voters weary of more investigations as impeachment ramps up
Polling finds that support for an impeachment inquiry has grown since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the start of the investigation last month following a whistleblower complaint. But what those numbers don’t show is the sense of fatigue about the topic among some Americans.
Dem gubernatorial candidate proposes minimum pay for teachers, education endowment fund
Josh Owens, one of three Democrats hoping to challenge Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb next year, said he would cap the state’s rainy day fund and put the excess funds into an endowment to support public education. He also wants to phase out school vouchers.
Merritt says he’ll appoint Democrat as IMPD chief
Republican mayoral candidate Jim Merritt announced Thursday that he would ask Bill Benjamin, a former Democratic candidate for Marion County Sheriff and former IMPD deputy chief, to serve as the head of the IMPD because “the issues are bigger than party.”
Former nurse from Atlanta joins 5th District congressional race
In a statement, Beth Henderson said she’s running because she cares about the district and wants to be a voice for its residents in Washington, D.C.
UPDATE: Third Democrat joins Indiana governor’s race, with GOP backer
First-term Sen. Eddie Melton of Gary joined the Indiana governor’s race Tuesday night in Gary with an introduction from the state’s Republican schools chief.
Former BMV commissioner running for Congress
Kent Abernathy, a retired Army colonel and former Bureau of Motor Vehicles commissioner, announced his campaign Monday afternoon.
Steve Braun suspends Congressional campaign for health reasons
Steve Braun, a former commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and brother of U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, said he was “frustrated and disappointed to have to suspend my campaign at this critical juncture.”
Black leaders say it’s time to formulate black agenda
A broad coalition of faith-based groups, black elected officials and civic leaders are turning to this year’s mayoral race as an avenue for bold discussions about racial problems.
Some Democrats say party leaders are interfering in prosecutor’s race
Several Democrats told IBJ that party leaders have recently removed precinct committeemen and women who would have supported a candidate for prosecutor that isn’t backed by Mayor Joe Hogsett. The precinct committeemen and women will meet in a caucus Saturday to choose Curry’s successor.
Retired doctor from Zionsville joins crowded race for Congress
Chuck Dietzen is the fifth Republican to launch a campaign for the seat, which is being vacated by Republican Susan Brooks. So far, four Democrats are running on the other side of the ticket.
Buttigieg pitches himself to moderates as the Biden alternative
Despite raising a staggering $51 million for his presidential campaign in 2019, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been stuck in fourth place, between 5% and 7% in national polls. Part of that is because he’s hard to define.
Sanders pushes tax on companies where CEOs earn far more than workers
Under Sen. Bernie Sanders’ plan, the government would increase a firm’s corporate tax rate if its highest-paid employee earns more than 50 times what its average worker does—an attempt to encourage companies to distribute their profits more equitably.
Indy Chamber endorses Hogsett in mayoral race
The Indy Chamber has endorsed Democractic incumbent Joe Hogsett in this year’s mayoral election, but also praised Republican challenger Jim Merritt for his work in the Indiana General Assembly.
Indiana election upgrade still leaves widespread use paperless voting
Security experts have urged for adoption across the country of paper-based voting systems, saying they are less vulnerable to manipulation and election workers can use those records to audit results.
Voting machine firms may throw doors open to ethical hackers
But some ethical hackers worry the industry, which has historically prioritized making their machines easier for election administrators to use rather than making them as secure as possible, isn’t ready to make big changes. They fear the companies won’t work quickly enough to fix the bugs they discover and could use non-disclosure agreements to enforce silence about dangerous bugs that could compromise an election.