Jennifer McCormick sees momentum in Democratic victories in Indiana

Dec. 21—Jennifer McCormick, who plans to run for governor on the Democratic ticket next year, sees some party momentum that "plays into our path to victory," she said Thursday.

During a phone interview, she was en route to Terre Haute to attend a ceremonial swearing-in of Brandon Sakbun, a Democrat who defeated four-term Republican Mayor Duke Bennett in November.

McCormick pointed to similar Democratic mayoral victories in Evansville and Lawrence as well as a Democratic victory in one rural community that traditionally has been staunchly Republican.

She's traveling the state and talking to a lot of people — Democrats, Republicans, libertarians and independents, she said.

"We're talking to everybody because I think it's important we are inclusive," she said. "It's also important that we share our message and make sure people are accurately informed of what is going on."

People are frustrated and tired of the extremism at all levels — local, state and national, she said.

She said 25 percent of her donors are Republicans who say they cannot support Trump or the Republican candidates for Indiana governor.

One-party rule and extremism in Indiana "is just not what Hoosiers are looking for and they are starting to show it by voting," said McCormick, formerly an elected Indiana superintendent of public education.

While she ran as a Republican for state superintendent, she has changed parties and is running as a Democrat in the governor's race.

She acknowledges that the governor's race will be challenging.

According to a September report in Axios Indianapolis, "She is behind [Republican candidates] in funding, name recognition and support in a conservative state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the office in more than two decades."

McCormick remains upbeat and points to favorable polling data indicating there are a lot of Hoosiers who do not like the direction the state is going.

Tough race ahead

"I know it's going to be a tough race, but I'm willing to put the work in. I understand a grass roots effort is what it's going to take," she said.

Her campaign has a great base with educators, those in health care and women, she said. "We've got a lot of moms, a lot of women who are fed up with our rights being taken away, specifically our reproductive freedoms," McCormick said.

As she travels the state, the top concern she hears about is women's reproductive freedom.

"They want a governor who will speak up, who will champion for women and young girls, who will fight for our rights to not just protect them but to restore what we just lost," she said.

People are also concerned about education. They want their public schools to be funded. "They want all teachers, regardless of the type of school they work in, to be respected and paid what they are worth," she said.

People are also "very concerned about the rhetoric that is happening regarding book banning and controlling how we teach history and the treatment of LGBTQ students," she said.

Other issues involve community safety and gun violence as well as the environment, including the LEAP project proposal to pipe water from an aquifer in Tippecanoe County to an industrial campus in Boone County.

People are ready for change, McCormick said.

"I know I need work in name recognition. I'm willing to put that work in," she said. "But I'm on the correct side of the issues. People are wanting rights and freedoms; they are wanting kids to be a priority; they are wanting people to be included regardless of how they identify or who they love."

Hoosiers "want common sense stability and they want to treat each other with care," she said.

As far as fundraising, "It's never going to be enough," she said. But her campaign has many donors, including many giving small- to medium-sized donations, which shows grass-roots support.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at sue.loughlin@tribstar.com Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue