INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — There were occasional outbursts of anger as three Indiana gubernatorial candidates held a live debate Thursday night in the WISH-TV studios.
Republican Mike Braun, Democrat Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian Donald Rainwater spent an hour laying out their vision for the state’s highest office. The debate produced several notable moments of near unification. All three candidates raised their hands when asked if they supported a reduction in property taxes. Later in the debate, when asked how they would increase the supply of affordable housing, all three raised the idea of cutting property taxes.
The candidates also expressed some agreement on the legalization of marijuana. Rainwater said he supports legalizing it for both medical and recreational purposes and regulating it the same way states regulate tobacco and alcohol. McCormick also supports full legalization, but wants a state commission to provide guidance. Brown strongly expressed support for permitting medical marijuana and did not rule out permitting recreational use, but stopped short of supporting it outright.
“I think it’s time to seriously consider it,” Brown said. “Medical cannabis has a lot of characteristics. I think it will. That’s something I would seriously consider.”
The most tense moment of the debate came when candidates were asked whether they thought Indiana’s school voucher program was good or bad for education. McCormick, who was Indiana’s last elected public education superintendent from 2017 to 2021, said voucher programs need to be reined in and subject to greater oversight. She said vouchers send public funds to private schools that are not subject to similar requirements to provide equal educational opportunity for all. Mr. Brown and Mr. Rainwater both support further expansion of the voucher program and attacked Mr. McCormick’s track record running the Indiana Department of Education, saying that Indiana students are falling behind other students. He accused her of being there.
“Not only did the tests change several times during her tenure, but she also had to say the test results were not what we wanted. So here we are for a few years using them. We’re not going to do that,” Rainwater said.
McCormick responded that his job as superintendent of public education is not to set policy, but to implement policy. She said legislative Republicans are responsible for changing test scores and standards.
The tantrum briefly flared up again when the candidates were asked about Indiana’s near-total abortion ban. McCormick said he would push for state legislation in Roe v. Wade, while Brown said he supports the current ban. Rainwater, who describes himself as a pro-life libertarian, said he will enforce whatever standards lawmakers choose to enact. He also disputed McCormick’s claim that in the abortion debate, men are telling women what they can do with their bodies. Rainwater said McCormick gives the impression that “all men are evil and only women should speak out on this issue.”
“I never said that. I would never make that accusation,” McCormick said. “But what I can say is, I trust women. And when I trust women, if it’s the same as the people on this stage, then men are terrible people. That should tell you something.”
Voters can check their registration through the Secretary of State’s website. If you are not registered to vote, you must do so by close of business on Monday. You can register online or at a driver’s license office. Early voting begins on Tuesday, and election day itself is November 5th.
