Indiana governor candidate Q&A: Democrat Jennifer McCormick on the issues

Former state schools Superintendent Jennifer McCormick is the likely Democratic nominee for governor in 2024, where she faces a tough road in deep-red Indiana.

The teacher by trade had been a Republican herself until the end of her term in 2021. She took issue with what she considered the distracting, divisive politics of Donald Trump's Republican Party.

In the general election, she would potentially face Libertarian Donald Rainwater and the Republican nominee. These six candidates are running in the GOP primary: Fort Wayne entrepreneur Eric Doden, U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, former Attorney General Curtis Hill, former Commerce Secretary Brad Chambers and Indianapolis mom Jamie Reitenour. 

IndyStar asked McCormick, as well as the seven other candidates, a set of questions about issues relevant to the 2024 race, some of which were submitted by readers. This interview is edited for length and clarity.

Q: What do you think sets you apart from your competition?

A: It's about issues. It's about being on the correct side of issues. So it's about reproductive freedoms, it's about being a champion for education, it's about being a champion for the environment and being committed to empowering Hoosiers. We've had 20 years of a one-party rule. We know what Republicans are going to do, what they say and their actions. And so it is time to have someone who will take that on, but yet, just work tirelessly for Hoosiers.

Q: What would be your first priority as governor?

A: Reproductive freedoms. As I travel the state, I hear it from men, women, Republicans, Democrats, independents, libertarians ― they're upset. They're angry about what happened. And so keeping a focus on, how do we realistically fight for restoring those rights? We were the first in the nation to get out with an extreme abortion ban, which is reflective of the party.

Women should not have the government in their lives with very important decisions and very personal decisions.

Q: Donald Trump looms large in today’s politics. What’s your posture toward him?

A: I was an educator for 20 years, and I taught kids for 20 years that character mattered. And that was one reason why I got out of the Republican Party: If that is their leader, then I don't want any part of that. His actions, his rhetoric, his messaging, not just around educators, but around families, around those who are disabled, around veterans; the list goes on. I just cannot get behind that, nor would I ever support that.

It's a shame that he is the leader of their party, but he clearly is, and they need to own that. I also am worried about our democracy.

Q: Do you believe the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump?

A: No. I think it was a good election, very valid. I think the rhetoric around the election steal is stuck, and it served its purpose.

It was a good, solid election, and Joe Biden is our president.

Q: Where do you stand on Indiana’s new abortion law, and what changes to it would you support?

A: Again, we're under a one-party rule. Twenty years of the Republicans have shown us that there's not much wiggle room or willingness to cooperate or listen to Hoosiers. There were so many who testified, across the aisle, men, women, that were opposed to it. So trying to get legislative help would be step one.

Also looking at, can we do anything with a constitutional amendment and fighting for that.

We have to have a governor who will inform Hoosiers so they understand there are things that can be done. Right now they're not even informing Hoosiers of what realistically could be done in order to restore females' reproductive freedoms.

Q: Gun violence is an epidemic in today’s American society. How should Indiana respond?

A: First of all, respond. We need to have a response. Not talking about it is not an option. We are 16th in the nation on homicides for gun violence. That's a 93% increase over the last 10 years. There are sensible gun violence prevention measures that we can take.

People aren't coming to get guns. People aren't saying we're anti-Second Amendment. We're saying, let's use some common-sense, sensible, preventative gun violence measures, such as: Age requirements need to be looked at, repealing permitless carry, making sure that we're doing our due diligence in background checks, safe storage, the list goes on of what's proven that can make a difference, not just to keep the owner safe, but also those around them ― family members, and a lot of times, kids. Law enforcement has even signaled in Indiana that we're getting this wrong; it's putting them in a real dangerous situation.

Q: The 2023 legislative session dealt with culture war topics such as LGBTQ issues and school library books. Where do you stand on those issues?

A: There's disruption that can be proactive and necessary. There's disruption that is just noise for the sake of creating problems that aren't there. And that's what this is.

I have met no one in the state of Indiana that thinks that we have an incredible pornography problem in classrooms, that think that all these books need to be banned, that believe that all teachers are all groomers. It's just disruption so that we are not talking about women's health care, so we're not talking about the lack of funding in education, so we're not talking about the issue with our aquifers ― all of those issues that are real issues, like the crisis in mental health. Why aren't we having that conversation? The amount of energy that was spent at our Statehouse on the rhetoric that was a national push from a very, very small group of Trump people didn't do Indiana any favors. It put a lot of people in a bad situation.

It would have been nice if we would have had a governor who would have stood up to that and said, "Our teachers are not groomers. We don't need to ban books." There is a process that parents who are concerned about a curriculum can review it and abstain from it. There's already things in place, but a governor standing up would have been extremely helpful, to use that platform to inform families of their rights, but also, too, to protect our teachers, and our kids. Our kids are now in the middle of that.

Q: Should citizens have a right to collect signatures to put questions on the ballot without legislative approval?

A: Absolutely. Because it's our voice. I think the reason Indiana is pushing so hard against that is because they don't like the answer. And they know marijuana is a perfect example. Abortion is a perfect example. They're watching Ohio, they're watching Kansas, they're watching what's happening in these other states, and they know where Hoosiers stand on it. They just are catering to a small minority of people that are in favor of some extreme issues.

We are very lacking in a voice. We have our vote, which is our voice. But then once it's in, it's also very restricted. Some people would argue, too, our vote with gerrymandering is also being played into here. So that would at least give us one more mechanism for all of us who, this is our state, and we need a voice in what's happening.

Q: Why should Hoosiers choose a different party for leadership?

A: I think Mitch Daniels, his first run, even said, after so long of one-party leadership, it's always good for a change. It's time to clean house. Mitch Daniels said it, and I agree with him. Now it's just time for the Republicans to go and the Democrats to come into power. It's healthy, but I'm a firm believer that we need a balance. I just don't think it's good to have a supermajority of any party because you need to have cooperation. You need to have a reason to listen. You need to have civility and common sense. And in a one-party rule, you don't have that. They change the rules willy-nilly; they decide who they listen to, who they don't; and they really carve out a majority of Hoosiers. So it's time for a change. I agree with Mitch Daniels when he said his first run: You got to pull your weeds at some point. Well, it's not only time to pull the weeds, we got to hoe the garden, we got the whole business we need to take care of, so it is time. It's time for a change.

Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter@kayla_dwyer17.