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The aftermath of the primaries feels like the air after a hard storm – everyone looking around their homes, neighborhoods, and communities wondering who got hit the hardest. But Indiana isn’t like other states. After a storm, people help their neighbors; farmers help other farmers. Indiana is full of goodness.
The primary was hard; the most difficult loss was probably for the people. The news and pundits rushed in immediately to promote their own agendas, but the real story was more complicated. Some Hoosiers supported the President while also being concerned that the proposed maps targeted long-standing conservative districts. Those concerns were not opposites – they were connected.
Many Hoosiers believed the President they voted for by 19 points was once again being politically targeted, and with that came concern that the reasons they supported him were also being placed in jeopardy. Redistricting became the game national politics was playing. Hoosiers were painted as people who wanted to stay on the sidelines – but Indiana came to play.
Before the public could fully evaluate the statewide results, several in-state media outlets and pundits narrowed the conversation down to only three races – as if only three races mattered. But that leaves out a much larger story. Several Trump-endorsed candidates across Indiana Senate races won by commanding double-digit margins, leaving an incomplete picture of what actually happened across Indiana.
Hoosiers are far more conservative than many pundits or Indianapolis newspapers would like to admit. President Trump carried Indiana by 19 points because many working families feel they are being run over by unelected systems they cannot control. From rising property taxes to decisions made by quasi-government entities like the IEDC, Hoosiers supported President Trump because they believed he was willing to act – not simply talk.
The Bible speaks of eternal hope: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick: but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12 NKJV.
Christians are used to holding fast to hope. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1.
I’ve endured many criticisms about my faith, but I am still here. Hoosiers are still here. We have hope we will go back to the Constitution! We have hope we will unite!
Should a Secretary of State candidate weigh in on something this political – especially knowing they may one day represent the entire state and oversee elections?
I believe honesty matters. Speaking of honesty, many Hoosiers do not know that the Secretary of State of Indiana is, in many ways, a “name only” chief election officer. Decades ago, the legislature shifted substantial election authority away from the elected office and toward commissions and divisions whose members are appointed – not elected by the people. Constitutional government only works when the people know who is accountable.
This is when I pay close attention to legislators, officials, and even candidates who jump aboard the “Back to the Constitution” conversation while supporting legislation that does the opposite – or who campaign as being “for the people” while remaining silent, being courted by, or even funded by organizations that threaten Constitutional accountability itself. We understand our voices as voters must remain consistent, and we must stay involved – and so here we are.
I’m offering my services to Hoosiers because I know how to work, and the Secretary of State’s office needs an administrator – not another career politician.
The storm has passed, or maybe it’s just beginning … either way it is time to work. Have Hope!
BACK TO THE CONSTITUTION
UNITED IN EXCELLENCE
Jamie Reitenour
Indiana Republican Candidate for Secretary of State
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