Source: WISH-TV / other
INDIANAPOLIS — Small town Indiana needs to be a top priority for the governor’s office, says one Republican candidate.
“For our entire existence, we’ve never had a plan for the two-and-a-half million people that live in small towns,” says Eric Doden, Republican gubernatorial candidate.
Doden, who’s also the former president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, tells WIBC’s Kendall and Casey show that he believes the focus and growth of small counties and towns can lead Indiana to greater economic prosperity.
Doden says he’s met several people who’ve chosen to break the old tradition of leaving a small town and never coming back – instead, people are returning home to work and live.
“People are excited. Like, I knew in Fort Wayne in 2019, when we were starting to make progress and I would go to church, people would say ‘hey thank you for what you’re doing because our kids and grandkids are moving home.’ That’s when you know you’re starting to make a difference,” Doden explains.
When asked about COVID mandates and lockdowns, Doden says he will not tell people what to do and leans towards not enforcing public health mandates, if elected governor.
Doden faces tough competition on the Republican side as he takes on Senator Mike Braun, Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, former Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers, and Jamie Reitenour. Governor Eric Holcomb has said he will “endorse policy, not candidate.”
As for property taxes, Doden explains that he doesn’t necessarily have a plan now, but his team is exploring different options on how to keep people in their homes who want to stay, and to avoid increases wherever they can, “we’re looking at ideas like do we stop any increases after a certain age? Can we have a cap on how much it can rise any given year?”
Primary day is May 7th.
