By STU CLAMPITT
news@readthereporter.com
On Friday afternoon at the Mill Top in Noblesville, barely 15 hours after the end of the state legislative session, Indiana House District 29 Representative Chuck Goodrich announced he is officially running for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District.
Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen gave a very energetic opening before handing the stage over to Indiana Speaker of the House Todd Huston.
Huston called Goodrich a “people-first person” with an incredible heart for service.
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) introduced Rep. Chuck Goodrich to the podium. (Reporter photo by Stu Clampitt)
“He’s a phenomenal legislator,” Huston said. “He’s the type of legislator we need in Washington D.C., who gets serious about doing complicated and difficult things and drives them to the finish line. He will be tremendous in D.C. We have to have people who get to work and get things done.”
Goodrich began his speech by speaking about the recent legislative session, which he said ended at approximately 2 a.m.
One of the accomplishments from this session mentioned by both Huston and Goodrich was House Bill 1002, which Goodrich said, “Allows students to rethink high school.” Among other things, HB 1002 allows students work to graduate with an industry-approved credential in addition to a diploma, making them career-ready.
“That bill is going to change Indiana,” Goodrich said. “It lets Indiana Hoosier families have a reason to stay, work, and live in Indiana for generations to come.”
Goodrich told the assembled supporters he’s had the opportunity to grow his career and his life with the conservative Midwestern values of hard work, humility, and grit.
“Hard work, humility, and grit: that’s how I was raised,” Goodrich said. “That’s how we raised our family. That is absolutely the thing I am going to take to Washington, D.C.: the work ethic on those three Midwestern values.”
A throng of enthusiastic supporters flocked to the Mill Top Banquet Center on Friday afternoon. (Reporter photo by Stu Clampitt)
Goodrich used his experience of starting at Gaylor Electric as an intern, working his way up through the company, and eventually buying the business, as an example of the kind of first-hand business knowledge needed at the federal level.
“I have a practical knowledge that literally needs to be in D.C.,” Goodrich said. “We should require folks to be able to build a business, run a business, make payroll and literally understand why rising healthcare costs are killing our nation.”
He said the increasing federal regulation and increasing taxes on businesses and individuals are things he deals with daily.
“I want to bring my conservative perspective to that conversation in Washington, D.C.,” Goodrich said. “That’s the reason I want to go to D.C. and that’s the reason I will go to D.C. I will actually be the conservative voice for all of you and for other people in the district in Congress. The reality is that your voices aren’t being heard and it will be heard when I get to Congress.”