Democratic primary candidates for Indiana House District 61, which covers much of Bloomington, and Monroe County Commissioner District 1 discussed legislative priorities, public safety and affordable housing during a forum Monday night.
The League of Women Voters for Bloomington-Monroe County hosted the event at Tri-North Middle School. About 100 people attended, some wearing shiny blue or red buttons displaying the name of the candidate they supported.
District 61
District 61 Democratic primary candidates Matt Pierce and Lilliana Young spoke first, giving opening statements before answering about a dozen questions from audience members.
Pierce, the incumbent, has held the seat since 2002. Young, who serves on the Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission, is the first to challenge Pierce in over two decades.
In her opening statement, Young said she feels state legislators are distanced from the problems working-class Hoosiers like herself face. Pierce said he wants to continue being a progressive voice for the community and protect democracy, academic freedom and free speech.
Top legislative priorities
Pierce reiterated his support for preserving democracy, specifically citing voter suppression bills and the militarization of law enforcement. Last year, Senate Enrolled Act 10 prohibited students from using student IDs as identification when voting, which is currently being challenged in a lawsuit. Pierce also mentioned House Enrolled Act 1343, which allows the Indiana National Guard to establish a military police force.
He also said he would prioritize economic affordability and academic freedom and free speech on college campuses, specifically denouncing police arresting protestors during a pro-Palestine encampment in Dunn Meadow in April 2024.
Young criticized the state government’s lack of accountability. She also said wages were too low, calling the $7.25 an hour federal and Indiana minimum wage “crippling.” She also said she wanted to improve healthcare access.
Affordable housing
Young said she would take the initiative to establish public housing options for the homeless individuals to give them stability so they can get back into the workforce. She also said she’d work to punish landlords who sit on vacant properties. Bloomington has lots of empty properties, she said, and landlords should be “fined heavily” for sitting on property that’s too expensive for people to move into.
The housing issue is complex, Pierce said, and should be approached from different angles. He specifically cited addressing long Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waitlists, which cover a portion of rent for those in the program.
Working with Republicans
Republicans currently hold 70 out of the 100 seats in the Indiana House of Representatives. Pierce said legislators have to demand respect from the majority party.
“You have to really get up in their face sometimes, but you have to balance it out,” Pierce said. “Because if you get in their face too much, you end up getting marginalized yourself.”
Young called the GOP a “my way or the highway” party, saying she did not believe in trying to reach across the aisle. Instead, she said she would organize Democrats in the Statehouse into an obstructionist party, deliberately stalling the legislative process.
In his closing statement, Pierce said he aimed to represent all the people of District 61. He underlined the importance of looking around the Statehouse and thinking about who wasn’t involved in the legislative conversation rather than pandering to interest groups who can afford paid lobbyists.
“We elect the same people to tackle the same problems year after year, and we expect different results every time,” Young said. “But that falls in line with the definition of insanity.”
She said the method was very clearly not working, and that the Statehouse needed people with different perspectives and different backgrounds, adding she was there to break the cycle.
Monroe County Commissioner candidates
The seat for Monroe County Commissioner representing District 1 is up for election, as incumbent Lee Jones is stepping down. Trent Deckard and David Henry, both at-large Monroe County councilmembers, are running in the Democratic primary.
In his opening remarks, Deckard highlighted his “community of care” approach, which aims to collaboratively address affordability and childcare, among other issues. Henry cited the county’s affordability as one of his reasons for running, saying families were getting priced out and young people did not see a pathway to staying in the area.
Cooperation with ICE
Senate Enrolled Act 76, which became law March 5, prohibits universities and governmental bodies from interfering with immigration law enforcement. One audience question asked candidates how they would prioritize public safety and fiscal responsibility while protecting families and students.
Deckard said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was “Not welcome in this community as long as I am commissioner.” He said elected officials must stand at the door to prevent bullies from getting to children or others who have done no harm to the community.
Henry emphasized the oath he took to uphold the United States Constitution and citizens’ Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure. He said he backed Monroe County Sheriff Ruben Marté for not detaining individuals based on ICE administrative detainers. Indiana’s Attorney General Todd Rokita sued Marté in response. The detainers ask local law enforcement to hold noncitizens before release for two extra days.
Building a constitutional jail
The county has long been deadlocked on where to build a new jail after a 2008 lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana raised concerns about conditions in the current Monroe County Jail. Steep building costs and disagreements over location have hindered progress.
For Henry, the ideal jail site would be within Bloomington’s city limits and close to service providers, However, the facility should not lead to overspending taxpayer dollars, and he wants answers to specific questions about overcrowding.
Deckard said it was important to ensure that occupants of the jail are receiving adequate medical care, and the Monroe County Council is currently looking at new sites. He said the jail had to be in a place that meets the needs of access to the facility.
Increasing confidence in county government
From his experience campaigning door-to-door, Deckard said constituents have told him the county fights too much and doesn’t get enough done.
“They want us to go to work, and they want us to think a little less of ourselves,” he said. “They want us to have some self-esteem, to not shut down our processes.”
Henry said collaboration should not be the goal, but rather creating real results for constituents. He said idea generation and listening should be done before campaigning. Listening sessions and town halls, he said, can only kick the can down the road.
In his closing statement, Henry said he believed in listening, accountability, demanding results and standing up for Democratic party values. Deckard said he would be a commissioner who cared about affordability, environmental issues, workforce retention, health policies and food deserts.
The primary will take place May 5.
