INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s marquee political matchup — the Republican and Democratic nominees for governor — finally were on the same stage Wednesday night.
Republican Mike Braun (a former Democrat) and Democrat Jennifer McCormick (who was once a Republican) were expected to debate on abortion, property taxes, cannabis reform and utility rates.
But the “amplifying” moment came about halfway through their encounter when they sparred over an artificially altered TV ad. The Braun TV ad portrays McCormick as a “liberal” who voted for Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. But the ad sparked controversy when the original version of a campaign event had her supporters holding placards saying, “No gas stoves” instead of her campaign logo.
The General Assembly passed a law last winter making it illegal to artificially change political advertising.
Braun said, “The only misstep there was [I] didn’t disclaim it. That’s a recent law that just passed. When I saw that, I immediately corrected it. That ad was to point out that my opponent is embracing some of the liberal policies. When you recommend joining an environmental alliance that espouses these things, you need to say you’re either for it or against it.”
McCormick responded, “That response was just so rich, when you’re blaming someone else for not having a disclaimer on an ad that is clearly from your campaign. First of all it is disheartening to see something misleading Hoosiers. We deserve better than that from our elected officials, particularly from a sitting senator. I have never mentioned stoves and he knows that. And it didn’t get taken down immediately.”
When Fox59 broke away from the debate for a commercial break, that very same Braun ad popped up on the broadcast.
Although this first fall debate was mostly civil, McCormick also brought up the fact that Republican lieutenant governor nominee Micah Beckwith called the Democrat a “Jezebel spirit.”
“The same week I was called a ‘Jezebel spirit’ by his ticket,” McCormick said. “When I was an elementary principal I learned what you do is you admit when you get something wrong. You own it and you apologize. We deserve better than that. That’s why Hoosiers are so exhausted by extremism.”
Braun retorted, “My opponent was the first one to put contrast advertising out there on the subject of abortion. That had manipulation to it as well.”
That comment referred to a McCormick TV ad that ran in September using Braun’s own words in Congress and during TV interviews talking about his position on abortion.
“We didn’t manipulate anything,” McCormick said. “We used his voice and message. It was not manipulated in any way. Using artificial intelligence to put other words on and purposely mislead is a whole other ballgame.”
The two nominees sparred over the abortion issue when they were asked if they’d back any changes to Indiana’s abortion law passed by wide partisan Republican supermajority margins during a 2022 special session.
“We’re a right-to-life state, backing the sanctity of life,” Braun said. “When our Legislature took it on they talked to their constituents, to Hoosiers. It has withstood the courts weighing in. So it is a bill that sanctifies life — we’re a state that does that, with reasonable exceptions. The people have spoken. Legislators have listened, and we got a bill that seems to be working for Hoosiers.”
McCormick responded, “I don’t see how any elected official can say it’s working. We already have women dying in Indiana.
“I’m the only person onstage who has been pregnant. I’m the only person on this stage who has given birth,” McCormick continued. “I’m the only person on this stage who is a mom. I understand firsthand the complexities associated with pregnancy. I trust women; I trust health care providers. I believe in the standards set by Roe. It’s time we return to that. There’s too much at stake.
“I know my opponent has said that he thought we got it right,” McCormick said. “When you make comments like that, you put a lot of women’s lives at risk. I trust women, and there are a lot of Hoosiers with me on this issue.”
Asked how she would deal with the issue of probable GOP majorities in the General Assembly if she were elected governor, McCormick said, “Anything we can do with our boards and commissions and agencies. I will work with the General Assembly as well. We will look at every step under our authority to do that.”
A Ball State Bowen Center Hoosier survey released last January noted than 59% of Hoosiers back abortion access and a clear majority want cannabis reform. The two candidates were asked if Indiana should have a citizen-generated ballot referendum process. Currently the General Assembly can initiate a referendum, though in recent times it has been reserved mostly for taxation issues.
McCormick said that her ethics plan would “ensure Hoosiers have a voice” and that citizen-generated referendums are “absolutely a part of it.”
Braun, who said during the debate that teacher pay could be increased via local referendums, responded to the notion of citizen statewide versions, “We currently don’t have that. In the legislature, if there was an upswell for it, I would not rule it out.”
Brian Howey is a senior reporter and columnist for State Affairs/Howey Politics Indiana. Find him on X @hwypol.
