Source: Lowry for Indiana
BOONE COUNTY, Ind.–Empowering teachers, getting households to thrive, and making sure Indiana is more financially sound are just a few of the principles that mean a great deal to Josh Lowry. He’s a Democrat running for the House District 24 seat.
District 24 represents northeastern Boone and western Hamilton counties in the Indiana House of Representatives.
Lowry is both a foster parent and an attorney who spent five years as Deputy Attorney General practicing constitutional law, where he defended state agencies such as the Department of Child Services and Indiana State Police. He has also argued in front of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and conducted jury trials.
“Look, I started my legal career off at the Attorney General’s Office under a Republican. I know how to work in a bipartisan way. Everytime you hear that a lawsuit was brought and some sort of law was ruled unconstitutional, the taxpayer has to pay the legal bills for the plaintiff that brought that. The state has paid millions of dollars out over the year for passing laws that were blatantly unconstitutional. I would love to think that having a constitutional legal mind in the room can help save us a lot of money by saying, ‘Hey guys, this isn’t going to work,’ said Lowry.
Lowry says he will always argue for his District 24 constituents the same way that he would argue on behalf of any client that he was representing in front of a judge.
Lowry wants to get elected by listening to what the voters have to say. He says he’s heard a lot of complaints about the cost of childcare.
“We’ve heard about ways of trying to bring more doctors or nurses or STEM students into certain areas. We need to take that same approach with childcare and make sure there are enough so that way parents don’t have to choose between whether they want to further their career or afford daycare,” said Lowry.
He also says he’s pro-choice.
“That’s pro woman choosing what to do with her body, pro parent choosing what books what their kids read, and pro a person choosing who they want to marry. Let’s put these issues on the ballot and let the people decide what they want,” said Lowry.
Lowry says he’s also frustrated by what society is doing to teachers. He believes they need more support.
“We have great teachers. We have to stop taking away resources from them as well as making them political villains for nonexistent issues. I’ve heard people say, ‘I want to know what’s going on with my kid’s school.’ I know all the time because I’m hearing from them,” said Lowry.
Lowry also believes it is way past time for Indiana to legalize marijuana.
“We’re losing millions of dollars to nearby states like Illinois or Michigan. People are just driving to where it is legal. That’s millions of taxpayer dollars that could be coming back to our schools and roads. The product is being used anyways. We might as well make some money off of it,” said Lowry.
He also wants to raise Indiana’s minimum wage and lower costs.
When he is a foster parent, he knows he has to earn the trust of his foster children, which isn’t easy.
“I have to earn that trust from them over and over, even if they have no reason to trust me based on their past. Just know that I am going to earn the voters’ trust and represents their interests just like I do each one of my clients as an attorney and each one of my kids as a foster parent,” said Lowry.
Former Indianapolis Colts punter Hunter Smith is running for the District 24 seat as a Republican.
The primary is May 7, 2024. The general election is November 5, 2024.
You can hear the full interview with Lowry below.
