On Tuesday, we offered endorsements in four Indiana House of Representatives races. Now to the remaining five in Lake and Porter counties.
District 12
Mara Candelaria Reardon, a Democrat and the incumbent, is the only Hispanic in the General Assembly. She is eager for the local government reforms recommended by the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform, headed by former Gov. Joe Kernan and Indiana Chief Justice Randall Shepard -- even at the cost of political support from entrenched officials.
Reardon also sees expansion of South Shore passenger rail service as a boon to the entire region, not just the communities along the railroad tracks.
Republican George Janiec, her opponent, is heavily focused on local issues in Hammond, especially the schools. He should try for a seat on the School Board. But his long property tax crusade is worth noting.
District 13
Incumbent Chet Dobis, a Democrat, has been in office for decades -- and for good reason. He understands how the region works and has orchestrated many important initiatives, including the formation of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. Dobis seems eager to prod the Regional Bus Authority, the RDA, the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission and others to build momentum. That, too, is admirable.
His opponent, Republican Joe Hero, wants a Good Government Initiative study that would focus on state government the way Maximus Inc. has done for local governments in Lake County. But that was privately funded.
We endorse Dobis.
District 14
Incumbent Vernon Smith, a Democrat, isn't our poster child for an ideal legislator. He doesn't like the property tax caps, and he's a proponent of Lake County adopting an income tax. He is still studying the Kernan-Shepard recommendations on local government reforms.
His opponent, Republican Catherine Campbell, is opposed to the Kernan-Shepard recommendations.
Especially troublesome was her remark about educational attainment: "Every child that wants to go to college should be able to go, and it should be free," she said, not realizing that services like this come at a cost.
In this race, we will not offer an endorsement.
District 15
This is a particularly hot race. Democrat Myron Sutton came within 27 votes of winning two years ago.
Sutton is hard to pin down on specifics, though. He wants "fair and consistent" taxes, but he's unsure of whether he'd vote for a constitutional amendment to lock in the property tax caps.
Republican Don Lehe, the incumbent, wants to give voters a choice on the Kernan-Shepard recommendations. He supports the constitutional amendment that would lock in the property tax caps.
We endorse Lehe.
District 19
Incumbent Shelli VanDenburgh, a Democrat, VanDenburgh voted for the constitutional amendment for tax caps and promises to vote for it again. She sees the needs to expand the region's transportation system. Her focus is on education as an investment in the future.
Opponent Bill Johnson, a Republican, seems more focused on preserving the status quo -- especially supporting senior citizens -- than building for the future.
We endorse VanDenburgh.
