Jennifer McCormick spells out her agenda in state superintendent race
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The race for state school superintendent has attracted little notice outside political party circles this year.
That may be changing. Republican Jennifer McCormick is seeking a higher profile.
McCormick announced her campaign platform Wednesday. She called it Indiana’s Lesson Plan. It includes new spending on things like preschool education and broadband development.
She didn’t provide a specific price tag.
McCormick is currently the superintendent at Yorktown High School and a first time candidate. She is trying to unseat Democrat Glenda Ritz, who has carried on some very public battles with GOP lawmakers and Governor Mike Pence.
McCormick said that, if elected, she will be obligated to work with the governor.
“I will never play the victim or the blame game,” she said. “So, for me to pass blame to anybody is irresponsible because all that does is keep the whole momentum of the problem happening.”
She went on to say, “We know there’s a problem, so what we need to do in a responsible, professional way is say, here’s the problem, let’s fix it.”
A spokesperson for the Ritz campaign called McCormick’s message partisan and suggested that McCormick has received 90 percent of her campaign contributions from the same people who supported Republican Tony Bennett four years ago. Ritz defeated Bennett in an upset fueled by teachers who felt he was too political.
Despite those efforts, this election will likely become a referendum on the performance of Glenda Ritz.