Potential heads of state

Indiana might historically like its presidents to be conservative, but when it comes to its governors, it’s long been a swing state. Hoosier gubernatorial history is rich in representatives from both sides of the political scale, and the switch of power happens frequently. The two governors elected before Republican incumbent Mitch Daniels were Democrats – Frank O’Bannon and current Sen. Evan Bayh,  both two-term governors.

Before that, Republicans held the office with a pair of two-term governors of their own – Robert Orr and Otis Bowen.

This year’s gubernatorial election pits Daniels against former Congresswoman Jill Long Thompson, a Democrat, and Andy Horning, a Libertarian.

The Incumbent
Daniels, first elected in 2004, is attempting to keep Indiana’s tradition of two-term governors alive by running for re-election.

“We’re confident because the governor does a great job, and Hoosiers appreciate that, but we don’t take anything for granted,” said Cam Savage, communications director for the Daniels campaign.

Daniels might have the incumbency advantage, but he doesn’t have much experience in elected office. Prior to his election, Daniels served as chief of staff to Sen. Richard Lugar and was senior assistant to Ronald Reagan, but he had never run for government office before.

Not surprisingly, the focus of his campaign is the economy and job creation. Since Daniels took office, unemployment has increased from 5.6 to 6.2 percent, but it also reports 30,000 new jobs have been added to the state, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

He has proposed permanent caps on property taxes and also a program called the Automatic Taxpayer Refund, which would refund any taxes that exceed the amount needed to maintain a balanced budget.

Boasting the first gubernatorial endorsement ever from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the economy seems to be one of Daniels’ strengths with voters.

“One of the factors has been the governor has put Indiana back on strong fiscal footing,” Savage said. “When he first got here Indiana was deep in debt. Since he’s been here we’ve balanced the budget every year.”

PROFILE: Mitch Daniels

The Challenger
Long Thompson has fought aggressively to be elected governor, a position she can add to an already lengthy list of political office positions.

She served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 to 1995 for Indiana’s 4th Congressional District. After her tenure in congress, she worked as U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture from 1995 to 2001, where she worked to create jobs in rural communities.

“She has a track record of job creation and job development,” said Jeff Harris, communications director for Long Thompson’s campaign. “There’s a philosophical difference between her and Mitch Daniels.”

Long Thompson’s economic plan includes pooling health insurance costs for businesses and reforming the tax code.

Her popularity with lower-income residents is evident through her endorsements from the United Auto Workers, Indiana State Teachers Association and United Steelworkers.

“We’ve run a very grassroots, scrappy campaign,” Harris said. “Those issues are really resonating with Hoosiers as we travel the state. We feel very good and that we’ll be rewarded with that.”

PROFILE: Jill Long Thompson

The Libertarian
Libertarian Andy Horning has been chasing public office for eight years now. He ran for governor in 2000 as a Libertarian and then for Congress in 2004 as a Republican. His current bid for governor centers on a return to constitutional standards and smaller government.

“What government is supposed to be is a junkyard dog, and you should keep it in the junkyard,” Horning said during a gubernatorial debate on Oct. 14 in Bloomington. “Get mad. You should insist upon law because nothing else restrains politicians.”

His stances on certain issues could be considered extreme to some, like his belief the United States should return to the gold standard. He said he believes that child protection services should be abolished and those duties be reallocated to other existing officials. But to some, Horning is a refreshing break from the tired views of Democrats and Republicans. He is particularly popular with students.

“Ideology really does matter, law does matter. Your actions have a bigger impact than you think,” Horning said during the Bloomington debate. “Look at what politicians have been promising versus what actually happens. We shouldn’t let this sort of thing continue where they make promises they can’t possibly keep.”

PROFILE: Andy Horning