Indiana, now largely seen as a solidly red state, hasn’t always worn that designation. In 2008, the state turned blue for Barack Obama, just three years after a run that saw three democrats hold the state’s top office for nearly two decades from 1989-2005.
Jennifer McCormick hopes she can break the more recent streak of Republican governors, including former Vice President Mike Pence. After polls showed her down double-digit points earlier in the campaign, recent polling shows the race narrowing.
McCormick recently made a stop at the Gary presidential campaign office of Vice President Kamala Harris along with U.S. Senate candidate Valerie McCray to speak with voters and rally support. Capital B Gary spoke with McCormick about topics ranging from her support for Gary’s redevelopment efforts, property tax reform, and Gary’s schools.
Capital B Gary reached out to Republican gubernatorial nominee Mike Braun to include him in this Q&A. Braun did not respond to our request.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Capital B Gary: What about this particular moment in Indiana history convinced you it was your time to run?
Well, I served at the Statehouse for four years, and when I left there, I had a decision to make: I could quickly forget what I learned, the good, the bad, and the ugly, or I could try to do something about it. Watching where extremism is going, I feel like this is a pivotal moment that if we don’t stop it now, it’s going to get a lot worse. And so it’s time. We deserve better, and I refuse to turn Indiana over to extremism.
Economic experts have drawn attention to the fact your property tax plan aims to bring relief to Hoosier homeowners while still making considerations for municipalities like Gary that are heavily dependent on property taxes to provide services for its residents. How does your plan address both of those issues?
We were strategic about that. I was a local school superintendent, so I was worried about what relies on that public tax dollar and the property taxes at the local level, like our schools, our police, our fire, our libraries and our parks. I did not want to defund them any more than what we’ve already done from the state of Indiana. So we were very careful. Look, we have to get people property tax relief, but we have to do it in a smart way and where it’s more of a shift to the state than to the local level. We also knew if it was going to be implemented on day one, we had to have a fiscal [plan], and we had to have language. So we took some bipartisan language from the General Assembly. We stayed true to our commitment to making sure that our local levels were protected, and that’s how we came up with our common sense plan.
Here in Gary, the current administration has taken steps toward redevelopment, particularly in the downtown area with a partnership with Notre Dame School of Architecture. As governor, in what ways do you see that you can support the city in their efforts?
There are so many exciting things happening in Northwest Indiana. Just amazing. When I was superintendent, I was up in Gary quite a bit. There were just a lot of struggles, and there’s still a lot of struggles, and they’re not inexpensive. I have seen where the state steps in to help Gary, and they’re really not helping Gary. They’re more trying to control Gary, and it doesn’t work that way. So it’s more about working with the local level to partner and support, guide, and try to get resources where they need to go in a fast way without a bunch of red tape. But also acknowledging that there’s so much potential there. And for far too long, I felt like our Statehouse just said, “What’s the point?” And would try to control it, and if that control didn’t work, they dug their heels in even more and would not assist Gary. So, I commend the local officials who are trying to move some things there because it’s desperately needed. There is just so much potential there.
This summer, Prosperity Indiana sent a letter to Governor Holcomb advocating that he create a housing commission to address Indiana’s crisis of affordable and safe housing. As governor, would you be interested in creating such a commission? If not, how would you go about addressing Indiana’s housing issues?
There are a lot of issues, and I think step one is defining affordability because now I’m seeing people saying: “Our communities are developing affordable housing.” But they’re still $1,500 monthly rent for a one bedroom, one bath, or the homes are $350,000 for a three bedroom, one bath. That’s not affordable for most Hoosiers. So define affordability. I don’t have all the answers for housing. A lot of people in Indiana are very, very smart and have spent their whole life professionally in the area of housing. So, how do we get fair lending practices? How do we protect our renters, particularly property tax or discrimination? So how do we incentivize first-time homebuyers and then not just get them in but help them stay in their homes? So, I 100% agree that there needs to be a board or commission that would look at the problem holistically. And it’s very different. Northwest Indiana’s housing struggles are certainly housing struggles, but those are very different than East Central Indiana. Those are housing struggles, but they bring a different dynamic, so we’re making sure that we’re looking at it correctly through the lens of the uniqueness of each of the local areas.
As you know, Gary schools just recently came out from under state control. Statewide, a lot has been made of the diploma requirements. What do you say to Gary’s parents about your plan as it relates to the curriculum and post-high school education?
I’ve been in your schools quite a bit. You know, when I was state school superintendent, I was up in your area a lot. First of all, your kids and your community deserve better than what’s happening in your district. They just do, and sometimes people know it, but they are dismissive of it. And again, what an opportunity for your kids and your families, if the right leadership is in place, you have the resources they need, and the infrastructure is in place to do what you need to do. You have an interesting dynamic with charter schools that are opening and closing frequently, and that’s not great for kids’ mobility. So, the whole community needs to take a look at how you empower public schools. Because let’s face it, the economic development and the future of Gary, a big chunk of that has to do with the health care system there, your public transportation, your education, and your housing. So we need to make sure we’re staying focused on what’s best for your kids because they do deserve better. When I was the state superintendent, we were very committed to Gary and did some really great work. That needs to continue.
