Horning launches 2023 Libertarian Senate bid

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A longtime political candidate told News 8 that voters deserve an alternative to the two-party system.

Andrew Horning announced his candidacy for Senate on the Libertarian ticket at the beginning of June. In an interview with All INdiana Politics, he said the central goal of his campaign is constitutional rule of law, which he defines as both the state and federal governments limiting themselves to the exact functions spelled out in their respective constitutions and nothing more.

“Government is supposed to do very few things at either the state or the federal level, and it’s laid out exactly what they can do and everything else is forbidden,” he said.

Last year’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling explicitly returned the question of abortion regulations to Congress and the state legislatures. Horning indicated he would not support a federal abortion law of any kind. He said the states should be left free to permit or restrict abortion within their borders as they see fit. For abortions that cross state lines, he said the courts should resolve those cases on an individual basis.

Horning said the United States can and should reorient its strategic posture to confront China without further empowering the military-industrial complex. He said a combination of the national debt and regulations that put American companies at a disadvantage have led to America’s reliance on China for a host of needs.

Since Libertarian Secretary of State candidate Jeff Maurer received more than 2 percent of the vote last year, but less than 10 percent, Libertarian Party candidates’ names will appear on the 2024 ballot, but the party will have to pick its candidates at next year’s state party convention rather than through a primary. Horning said the party’s delegates should nominate him because of his consistent views and his experience in multiple attempts for public office. He has previously run for governor and the U.S. House of Representatives without success.

When asked how he plans to reach voters who might be tempted to vote straight ticket by the presence of Joe Biden or Donald Trump at the top of the ballot, Horning replied voting for either a Democrat or a Republican only further reinforces the current political system’s shortcomings. He said only voters can change the system by changing the way they vote.

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