From April 19, 2022 post

The most contentious races on the May 3 primary election ballot in Jackson County are the ones for the Republican and Democratic nominations for the ballot in the general election for the Indiana Ninth Congressional District.

Current officeholder Trey Hollingsworth’s announcement earlier this year that he would not be seeking reelection led to a field of nine Republicans and three Democrats.

The Republicans vying for that party’s nomination for the Nov. 8 general election are Jim Baker of Charlestown, J. Davisson and Erin Houchin, both of Salem, Daniel Heiwig of Seymour, Stu Barnes-Israel of Greensburg, D.E. Schansberg of Jeffersonville, Mike Sodrel of Jeffersonville, Bill J. Thomas of Corydon and Brian Tibbs of Marysville.

The Democratic candidates for that party’s nomination are Matthew Fyfe, Isak Asare and D. Liam Dorris, all of Bloomington.

Libertarian candidate Tonya Mullis of Bloomington is running unopposed.

Democrats

Asare, who lives in Bloomington, teaches courses on policy for emerging technologies and leads the cybersecurity and global policy program at Indiana University. He said his experience in policy and expertise in emerging technologies make him uniquely qualified to represent the Ninth District in these new and changing times.

Fyfe is a high school math teacher living in Bloomington. The father of three said his experiences have given him a strong belief in the power of people to build a better world for themselves, their families and their communities. He said he understands the struggles of hardworking Hoosiers and will fight for a future that inspires.

Dorris, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a member of the working class, said he is running for Congress because he has decided to step up to bat for the working class. That’s a duty he has taken on because he has the capability and motivation, he said. The Evansville native said the thing that hurt his heart enough to run for Congress was watching a colleague sell their blood to pay the astronomical deductibles for their child’s health insurance because health care is a human right.

Republicans

Baker, a business owner and commercial real estate broker, describes himself as a dedicated conservative and said he believes in the Constitution and the unchangeable principles it stands for. The New Albany native said he stands for the things that will make southern Indiana better: Economic development and growth, high-paying jobs, well-supported teachers and staff, politically neutral schools, safe communities and family-friendly policies and taxation.

Barnes-Israel said he is the product of a Christian family who values community and putting others before himself. A U.S. Army veteran of the war in Afghanistan, he said if elected, he will put families first, ensure every hard-earned tax dollar is spent responsibly and fight against the big spending policies that drive up inflation and make it harder for people to pay their bills. He also said he will fight to secure the southern border and prevent the flow of illegal drugs into America as well as stand up for the lives of the unborn.

Davisson manages the business operations of a family-owned pharmacy in Salem and presently represents Indiana House District 69, which includes parts of Bartholomew, Jackson, Scott and Washington counties. The U.S. Army veteran of 17 years, who is raising his two children after losing his wife to cancer, said he welcomes every opportunity to listen and learn from his fellow Hoosiers. He said he looks forward to meeting as many people as possible and hearing their concerns and ideas.

Heiwig is a 2001 Seymour High School graduate and a major with the U.S. Army Reserve Careers Group. He said the country needs to rebuild its economy immediately along with the education system and American families and communities. Americans also need to reclaim their individual rights and liberties and protect the country from mounting Chinese purchases. The father of two girls said he will fight for America-first policies to keep our way of life secure and take care of our mental health and well-being.

Houchin previously represented Indiana Senate District 47, which included all of Crawford, Orange, Harrison, Perry and Washington counties and the eastern half of Dubois County. She describes herself as a proven conservative fighter who has always stood up for the rights of Hoosier values and individual liberties, protected Second Amendment rights, defended the unborn and protected the integrity of elections.

Schansberg, a longtime economics professor at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, said he is passionate about the Constitution and “follows the science” in being adamantly pro-life. But his top priority is to reduce the “rampant spending and dangerous debt” pursued by most politicians in both parties. He said his focus has often been about the ways in which politicians and interest groups harm those who are not politically connected.

Sodrel represented Indiana’s Ninth Congressional District from 2005 to 2007. He said Congress is broken and that we have more than enough career politicians there already. During his time in Congress, the owner of a trucking and motor coach company said he developed a solidly conservative voting record as an advocate for smaller government, lower taxes and more liberty for all Americans. He also served with the Indiana National Guard.

Thomas could not be reached for comment for this story.

Tibbs, who lives on a farm with his wife and four children, said he is middle class, pro-Second Amendment, pro-life and against any tax increase. The former schoolteacher and pastor said voters need to send some Indiana common sense to Washington.

Original source can be found here.