By Hayley Garr
Staff Reporter
HGarr@cherryroad.com
First-term Republican Congresswoman Erin Houchin is trying to keep here seat in Indiana’s Ninth District against Democrat Tim Peck and Libertarian Russell Brooksbank.
Brooksbank did not return multiple messages for comments.
Houchin said she is running because she has a “deep love for this state and this country and getting it on the right track. I have a lot of experience in state and federal office that I think will be beneficial. The values I have align well with the state, and it is an honor to represent.”
Houchin discussed what issues she plans on tackling according to what she says she hears most from Indiana residents.
“There is a need and want to protect the southern border,” she said. “In addition to that, this economy has been hurt by inflation. We can get the economy back on track, we were energy independent under Donald Trump, and we can do that again. Then, public safety is another issue.”
Houchin has been involved in politics for some time now. She previously served in the state senate for eight years. Outside of that, she ran a public relations company that focused in on helping law enforcement. When the “defund the police” movement was being discussed, Houchin said she did everything she could to help out smaller police communities.
Houchin lives in Salem with her husband, who serves as an elected Supreme Court judge, and three children.
“I have lived in the ninth district my entire life. I was raised in Scott County,” she explained. “I have committed to improving it through my public service, as well as within my professional life. I want to stand up for the farmers, fight to get our taxes under control, and secure our borders. When I approach an issue, I’m going to do whatever I can to fix it.”
Democrat Peck said his top three issues include include reforming how Medicare is paid for without raising taxes, controlling inflation and protecting abortion rights.
Peck is a former emergency room physician so many of his passions align with his medical experience.
“I am an emergency physician, which means I know how to be level-headed and cool under pressure,” he said. “When life is hard, I get calm and make hard decisions. That’s critical in this environment.”
Peck’s involvement in politics started in 2013. Working as an emergency physician, Peck started a telemedicine practice to treat patients in nursing homes. Since this was before telemedicine was a regular practice, Peck took his plans to Washington, D.C., leading to him getting four bipartisan bills passed through Congress.
With this previous experience, when the government shut down in 2019, Peck became passionate about the divides this was causing in Congress. He wanted to bring people together to make sure this or something like it never happens again.
“I have experience, I know what it is to pass things through Congress,” he said. “I have done a tremendous amount of work to listen to constituents for over a year now. I have left my job to do this fulltime. I have been at the Dearborn (County) fair, the Dearborn (County) rodeo, just being where people are has been what I’ve done since the beginning.”
Peck lives with his wife and 2-year-old son on a 40-acre farm in Clark County. Peck farms with his father-in-law.
Russell Brooksbank, Libertarian representative for Indiana’s ninth Congressional District, did not return multiple messages left to get in contact with them.
