I’ve posted before about Independent Indiana, a new organization working to make it easier for independent candidates to run for office in Indiana. Currently, those candidates face obstacles to getting on the ballot–obstacles that don’t face Republican or Democratic (or even Libertarian) candidates– and the organization wants to level that playing field.
Those changes would be in support of Independent Indiana’s major mission: making Indiana elections competitive.
Thanks to gerrymandering, it has been a long time since voters in Indiana have been able to choose between viable competing candidates. In far too many districts thought to be “safe for the GOP,” Democrats haven’t even bothered to run anyone. (In the few districts into which redistricting has crammed Democrats, the situation is the same, only reversed.) That situation might explain why, despite the formidable odds, over 230 people ran as independents during the past two election cycles–to offer citizens an actual choice.
And guess what? When voters have a choice, turnout and enthusiasm improve. Fifty-two percent of those independent candidates won.
There are several lessons here, but perhaps the most important is the critical importance of competitive elections. When the candidates of any party are essentially assured of winning–when the only meaningful competition occurs in the primaries–we experience two major negative consequences.
One of those consequences is broadly understood. Since primary voters are more ideological, primary contests pull candidates to the extremes. Democrats protect their left flanks, Republicans move to the right. In Red Indiana, that has given us a legislature dominated by culture warriors.
The second consequence is less well recognized, although it should be predictable. Safe seats suppress all votes, especially those of the minority party; in Indiana, that’s Democrats. The resulting apathy and embarrassingly low turnout confirm the conviction that Republicans have a continuing lock on public office in the state, and that conviction fosters corruption and self-dealing by elected officials.
Recently, Governor Mike Braun appointed State Senator Andy Zay to chair the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. Zay has close ties to the energy industry, and according to Vox, consumer groups have questioned Braun’s choice of Zay to lead the body that regulates that industry. There have been other allegations of questionable behavior by the Governor; a former Indiana State Police Superintendent has publicly claimed that a state police investigation into a political ally of Braun’s was dropped after Braun took office, despite the fact that the case seemed “strong.”
Allegations are not proof, and Braun’s problems may stem more from cluelessness and ham-handedness rather than outright wrongdoing, but he certainly isn’t the only Hoosier Republican to be accused of self-dealing. Over the past few years, we’ve seen former State Rep. Sean Eberhart, a longtime GOP member of the Indiana House of Representatives, plead guilty to a federal corruption charge (he accepted the promise of a high-paying job from a gaming company in exchange for legislative support of a bill favorable to that company) and former State Senator Brent Waltz pled guilty to federal campaign finance violations and making false statements to the FBI.
Local officials have also been in the news for corrupt behaviors. Former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel pled guilty in 2024 to 27 felony charges including theft, tax evasion, official misconduct, obstruction of justice, and money laundering. Noel used millions of dollars of taxpayer and emergency service funds for personal expenses like planes, cars, flights, clothing, and other luxury items.
These are the people who got caught. We have no way of knowing whether other public officials who feel insulated from competition and thus accountability have engaged–or are currently engaging–in unethical or criminal behaviors. Not only do these revelations undermine public confidence in Indiana’s government, the cynicism they produce is manifestly unfair to the many public servants in both parties who are discharging their duties ethically and honorably.
And that brings me back to the importance of competition, the importance of giving voters a genuine choice–the importance of returning to a system where those voters choose their representatives from a slate of legitimate, competing candidates rather than going to the polls (or, increasingly not going to the polls) to discharge what is seen as a performative exercise.
If the success of independent candidates over the past couple of cycles demonstrates anything, it demonstrates that voters will turn out to participate in genuinely competitive elections, and that those voters aren’t necessarily happy with the anointed partisans who currently fill state and local positions.
If Independent Indiana can make the Hoosier state more competitive, the organization will have done us all a great service.
In our last national election, it didn’t seem that competition mattered as much as personality cults. And yet, the popular vote was within 2% for the worst creature on the planet.
Corruption? It’s being redefined daily by this White House. Voter apathy. Less than 50% of registered voters turned out. Gerrymandering? Why do we talk about red and blue states? Political corruption? Far, wide and growing.
People on this blog have mentioned solutions up and down the board. But who will enact them, if the political machines ignore the fixes for the status quo? It should be noted that Trump is getting increasingly nervous about the mid-terms. Gee, I wonder what he’ll do …
What will Trump do? What has worked historically to cement the vote? Shot in the ear? World War lll? And how far in advance of the election would this event take place?
Since Trump is so lazy, the easy way is no elections.
Rank choice voting is also helpful.
I appreciate the fact the there is some energy right now for a third party to gain some traction in Indiana and national-wide. I would very much like to know how to help bring them to power.
I am confident in the current government in Indiana…confident that they will continue to ignore the people they are elected to represent and only serve their large donors and corporate overlords.
Our civilization is doomed to fail; I say the sooner the better. I oppose this return to a colonial mindset that might makes right, and the stronger can just do whatever it wants to do without regard to law and order. There must be a better way.
I’ve noticed Trump is pivoting on the term “affordability” after calling it a “Democrat hoax” for most of 2025. His solutions are about as lame-brained as his many ideas about foreign policy. He actually bragged last week about withdrawing from over 70 international organizations, which cements our status as a rogue nation. It’s rather odd that the two rogue terrorist countries, Israel and the US, are ignoring the international bodies that hold them accountable. #shocking
I’d be all for Independents, but don’t they occupy the middle of the so-called political spectrum? We already have two formal parties occupying the center-right and far-right. How about a party that appeals to the leftists? Could we train dumbass Hoosiers that Democratic Socialism actually serves the people instead of the oligarchs? It doesn’t matter what Mamdani does in NYC; he’s wrong!
Both are hard sells when lazy Hoosiers prefer putting down their remotes and dragging their asses out of their recliners to punch a straight ticket, then go back home and pop open a cold one. I am convinced that none of my extended family in Indiana has ever split their ticket locally, statewide, or federally.
It’s straight GOP.
And, I’ve taken the advice of ancient Stoics by commenting once on MAGA social media posts, but ignoring all the responses because it’s always the same from the MAGA cult. They defend their identities that are entangled with the orange conman. An attack on Trump is an attack on them.
Ranked choice voting really needs viable independent candidates to really give voters a choice, but yes that would be a strong step in the right direction.
Do we really have until next November to save our republic? Actually until January 2027 so that a new Congress can impeach the s.o.b. What with over 2,000 Gestapo MAGA thugs on the streets of an American city, an administration hell bent on making war on any country not bowing to them? Bombing nations we are not at war with? Demanding that peaceful countries hand over their sovereignty so that Trump Inc. can steal their natural resources? Totally ignoring Congress’ demand to hand over Dept. of Justice files? Raping and pillaging the economy? Really? We’ve got a year?
Todd, you are right to ignore the replies of the MAGATS. They really don’t understand irony or sarcasm, but their replies call out for both.
With everything that is coming from our Fearless Leader, now is the best time in decades for the Democrats to embrace Mamdani and begin talking (without using the word socialism) about the benefits of single payer healthcare, affordable child care, and housing that costs 25% of income. They need to promote change without being ponderous.