“The message we’ve heard from Hoosiers is that they want a Senator who will focus on the things he’s been focusing on in Congress: job creation that leads to higher wages and meaningful careers right here in Indiana, the safety and security that comes from the United States remaining smartly and selectively engaged in the world and responsible, solution-oriented leadership,” Trevor Foughty, Young’s spokesperson, said in an email.
Young, an alum of McKinney School of Law from Carmel, Indiana, is the third major Republican candidate to enter the race since longtime Sen. Dan Coats. R-Ind., announced his retirement.
“His education at the U.S. Naval Academy and in the Marine Corps prepared him for leadership roles, especially when it comes to keeping America safe,” Foughty said about what makes Young different from other candidates, “He has a track record in Congress of working to find solutions to many of our nation’s toughest challenges.”
Young will be running against Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-3rd District, and Eric Holcomb, the former head of the Indiana Republican Party.
As of the end of June, Young reported he had raised $2 million for his campaign. Stutzman has reported $848,543, while Holcomb has reported $276,766, according to the Indianapolis Star. This report shows the highest quarterly fundraising numbers for any federal candidate in Indiana’s history, according to the Star's report.
Baron Hill, who served in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005 and then again from 2007 to 2011, is the only Democrat to have entered in the race.
Young has represented Indiana’s 9th Congressional District, which stretches from the southern Indianapolis suburbs to the Kentucky border, since 2011. Foughty noted representing this specific area of the state has given Young the experience necessary to govern at the senatorial level.
“Indiana’s 9th Congressional District is a good microcosm of the state; it encompasses rural, suburban and urban communities, with a diverse range of political beliefs that leans towards the conservative,” Foughty said.
Through both his campaign statements and his voting records, Young has established himself as solidly right-wing candidate with firm pro-life, pro-gun and anti-Obamacare stances.
During the most recent legislative session, Young introduced a bill meant to increase the number of hours an employee has to work before the employer is required to offer insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The bill was passed by the House in January 2015. It has not been heard in the Senate yet.
The video Young released to announce his candidacy featured both of Young’s parents and stressed family values as well as the importance of working to fight ISIS and repeal Obamacare.
“Everything in my life I owe to God, my family, the Naval Academy and the Marine Corps,” Young said in the video. “The best way I can think of to give back is to ensure that every Hoosier family enjoys a better future. That’s why I’m running for U.S. Senate.”
This story has been updated.
