INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A candidate for the Indiana House of Representatives said he’s running to prevent his adopted daughters from losing their rights.

Josh Lowry is a trial lawyer in Westfield and the only Democrat running for House District 24, which includes portions of Hamilton and Boone counties. Republican Rep. Donna Schaibley is retiring after a decade of holding that seat. In an interview with News 8 for All INdiana Politics, Lowry said he decided to run after the 2022 Dobbs v. Whole Woman’s Health ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.

“Our two oldest daughters, we had adopted them from Pennsylvania (where abortion is legal up to 24 weeks),” Lowry said. “And I just remember sitting there thinking, ‘we brought them from a state where they had more rights to a state where they had less rights.’”

Lowry said he plans to campaign as a pro-choice candidate, first and foremost on abortion, but also on school libraries’ book policies and same-sex marriage. A new law that took effect Jan. 1 bans obscene materials from school libraries. Books concerning LGBTQ-related themes were singled out by lawmakers during debate over the bill last year. As for same-sex marriage, such unions are legal under the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, but are still technically banned under Indiana law.

Lowry said child care and foster care issues are top of mind for him as well. He and his wife have fostered 11 children to date, five of which they have adopted. Lowry said lawmakers need to change Indiana’s family reunification law to clarify issues of custody between biological and foster parents. He also said lawmakers need to take steps to make child care more affordable. He said the cost of child care currently forces parents to choose between caring for their children and maintaining their incomes and employment.

All INdiana Politics airs at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WISH-TV.