Education, property taxes dominate WISH-TV governor’s debate
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Tempers flared occasionally as Indiana’s three candidates for governor met in Thursday night’s live debate at WISH-TV’s studios.
Republican Mike Braun, Democrat Jennifer McCormick, and Libertarian Donald Rainwater spent an hour laying out their visions for the state’s highest office. The debate produced some notable moments of near-unity. All three candidates raised their hands when asked if they would support cutting property taxes. Later in the debate, when asked how they would increase the supply of affordable housing, all three pointed to their property tax cut proposals.
The candidates also showed some agreement on legalizing marijuana. Rainwater said he supports legalizing it for both medicinal and recreational purposes and regulating it the same way the state regulates tobacco and alcohol. McCormick also supports legalizing it fully, though she wants a state commission to provide guidance. Braun strongly indicated he would support allowing medical cannabis and did not rule out allowing recreational use, though he stopped short of endorsing it outright.
“I think the time is right that we look at it seriously,” Braun said. “Medical marijuana has got a lot of attributes to it. I think that’s going to happen. That’s something I will seriously consider.”
Some of the debate’s tensest moments came when the candidates were asked if they believed Indiana’s school voucher program was good or bad for education. McCormick, who was Indiana’s final elected superintendent of public instruction from 2017 to 2021, said the voucher program needs to be reined in and subjected to stricter oversight. She said the vouchers have sent public funding to private schools that are not subject to the same requirement of providing equal educational opportunity to everyone. Braun and Rainwater, who both favor expanding the voucher program further, attacked McCormick’s record running the Indiana Department of Education, accusing her of allowing Indiana students to fall behind their peers.
“Not only did the test change a couple of times during her tenure, but she had to say the test results aren’t what we want. So, we’re not going to use them for a couple of years here,” Rainwater said.
McCormick replied her job as superintendent of public instruction was to implement policy, not set it. She said legislative Republicans were to blame for shifting test scores and standards.
Tempers briefly flared again when the candidates were asked about Indiana’s near-total abortion ban. McCormick said she would push to enact the Roe v. Wade standard into state law while Braun said he supports the current ban. Rainwater, who describes himself as a pro-life Libertarian, said he would enforce whatever standard lawmakers choose to enact. He also took issue with McCormick’s assertion that, in the abortion debate, men were the ones telling women what they can do with their bodies. Rainwater said McCormick was making it sound like “all men are evil and only women should speak on this issue.”
“I never said that. I would never make that accusation ever,” McCormick said. “But what I will say is I trust women. And, when I trust women, if that equates to the people on this stage I said that men are horrible people, that should tell you something.”
Voters can check their registration through the Secretary of State’s website. If they are not registered to vote, they have until the close of business Monday to do so. They can register online or at any driver’s license office. Early voting begins on Tuesday, and Election Day itself is on Nov. 5.