INDIANAPOLIS – In the second night of back-to-back debates on Thursday, Indiana’s three candidates for governor shared the same stage for the first time. While some of the topics had previously been discussed at length, questions about private school vouchers and government restructuring drew novel responses from the trio.
Republican Mike Braun and Democrat Jennifer McCormick were joined for this round by Libertarian Donald Rainwater.
Braun and McCormick sparred in the first general election gubernatorial debate Wednesday evening, but Rainwater did not meet the standards set by Fox59 and CBS4 to appear.
Thursday’s debate, aired live from the WISH-TV studios in downtown Indianapolis, lasted one hour. It took place just days before early voting begins on Tuesday in the Hoosier state.
Moderators additionally asked about property taxes, immigration, abortion, marijuana legalization, workforce preparedness, and affordable housing.
While the Democrat and Libertarian teamed up to criticize Braun’s voting record on immigration in the U.S. Senate, a question about Indiana’s private school voucher system also pitted candidates against one another.
McCormick, specifically, was also targeted by her competitors over her tenure as Indiana’s superintendent of public instruction — a role she held from 2016 to 2020 when she previously identified as a Republican.
Both McCormick and Braun declared victory at the debate’s conclusion. Those two candidates made the same claim the night before.
Read more of the Casey Smith story for the Indiana Capital Chronicle, here.
