Democratic lieutenant governor challengers say party’s base needs better representation

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two challengers to Terry Goodin’s bid for lieutenant governor on Friday said Democratic voters are tired of business as usual and want real change at the top of the ticket.

Indiana Democratic Party delegates will gather on July 13 to decide who will join governor primary winner Jennifer McCormick’s ticket. McCormick has asked delegates to support former House Minority Leader Terry Goodin. Goodin faces opposition from systems analyst and mental health advocate Clif Marsiglio and human rights coordinator and former UAW organizer Tamie Dixon-Tatum. Both talked to News 8 for “All INdiana Politics.”

Marsiglio and Dixon-Tatum both decided to run prior to McCormick’s endorsement of Goodin. Marsiglio said he joined the race because he had heard rumors McCormick would choose a Republican running mate. He said McCormick’s selection of Goodin, a historically conservative Democrat, amounted to the same thing.

“We’ve found a Democrat who focused on the same values as a Southern Republican,” he said. “This was my fear early on and we have achieved this.”

Dixon-Tatum, who tried to run for governor this spring but was removed from the ballot due to insufficient signatures, said she heard from voters they were tired of business as usual. She said the “urgency of now” prompted her to file to run for lieutenant governor.

“It’s time for people to step up, regardless of the barriers in front of them, and get out here and make a difference because that’s the only thing that will change business as usual,” she said.

Both candidates said they were open to working with whoever controls the Senate in the lieutenant governor’s capacity as president of that body. Dixon-Tatum said she would get behind legislation she believes would help the needs of everyday Hoosiers. Marsiglio noted Republican lieutenant governor nominee Micah Beckwith’s vow to disrupt the Senate’s flow of business to bring attention to issues and said he likely would do something similar, albeit from the Democratic perspective.

Marsiglio and Dixon-Tatum both have firsthand experience with the type of assistance provided by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA). Marsiglio said he had a $10,000 homeowner assistance loan when he bought his first home and still works with people who face homelessness. He said the next lieutenant governor needs to take a strong stand against ownership of homes in Indiana by out-of-state investors. Dixon-Tatum said she works with IHCDA at the local level on a regular basis and already thoroughly understands how the agency operates. She said she would bring that expertise to her role as lieutenant governor.

“All INdiana Politics” airs at 9:30 a.m. Sundays on WISH-TV.