Indiana Attorney General candidates present platforms before November election

INDIANAPOLIS — The candidates are set for Indiana’s attorney general race this November.

During their respective party conventions, Republicans selected Todd Rokita, the incumbent attorney general, to represent the Republican Party in November, while Destiny Wells, an attorney and combat veteran, was chosen by Democrats as their candidate.

Take a look below at the platforms for both Rokita and Wells before Hoosiers head to the ballot box in November’s election.

Todd Rokita – Republican

According to previous reports, Rokita first announced in February 2023 that he would seek reelection for the state’s attorney general position.

Since Rokita was first elected as Indiana’s attorney general in January 2021, Rokita has raised awareness on various topics, including launching a portal for parents, teachers and students to upload “ potentially inappropriate materials ” that students are reportedly exposed to in the classroom, developing a Parents’ Bill of Rights and calling for higher education institutions to combat antisemitism .

During his time in the attorney general’s office, Rokita was also the subject of multiple disciplinary complaints. This includes a public reprimand by the Indiana Supreme Court surrounding comments he made regarding his office’s investigation into Dr. Caitlin Bernard on Fox News. A disciplinary grievance was also made against Rokita surrounding his comments on terminated pregnancy reports.

According to Rokita’s campaign website, he is focusing his campaign on a number of issues, including:

• Keeping Hoosiers Safe
• Combatting Biden’s federal overreach
• Protecting taxpayers, stopping fraud and winning settlements
  • Rokita said he secured more than $1 billion in legal settlements for taxpayers in three years, returned more than $81 million in unclaimed property to Indiana residents in one year and recovered millions of tax dollars from welfare theft and fraud.
• Supporting a strong economy and Hoosier jobs
• Standing up for parents and against “woke” ideology
  • Rokita said he authored the state’s first “Parents Bill of Rights” to help promote a strong voice for parents in their children’s education. Rokita also said he wants to stand up for “Hoosier common sense and values,” which he sees as stopping CRT in classrooms.
• Securing the right to life
• Defending the Second Amendment and all constitutional liberties
• Holding China accountable
• Stopping unwanted robocalls and standing up for consumers

In an interview with FOX59/CBS4 before the state’s Democratic Convention, Rokita said that he believes the state’s Democratic Party is “irrelevant,” highlighting the work over his tenure as the state’s attorney general.

“They are irrelevant. The fact of the matter is, Republicans had a great convention,” Rokita said in late June. “We came out with a unified ticket. I’m very thankful for the confidence from, not only the party, but the vast majority of the people of Indiana.

“I look forward to continuing to work for the people of Indiana,” Rokita said.

Destiny Wells – Democrat

Wells, who was the first Democratic candidate to announce she intended to run against Rokita in November, was officially named the Democratic nominee for Indiana’s attorney general at the state’s Democratic convention earlier this month.

According to previous reports, Wells initially announced her candidacy in November 2023. Wells previously ran as the Democratic candidate for Indiana’s secretary of state in 2022, losing to Republican Diego Morales.

Wells said this specific race is critical, citing data that the projected result has shifted from solid Republican to leans Republican. Wells claims that this is the most “flippable” Republican attorney general race in the United States.

“We’re going to have to sprint, because we are starting with 3.5 months to go,” Wells said in an interview with FOX59/CBS4. “My main message is please, be involved and read every single name on your ballot. We have seen in the past that we have become polarized, so much so that we are just voting for party. Our message is to get back to voting for the person.”

Wells said she believes she is the best person for this position, stressing that she actually talks about policy and not partisan issues.

Wells said she would create a team to investigate instances of worker abuse, stating that no attorney general has “provided meaningful support or protections to Indiana Workers” since Right to Work was passed.

Wells said she would help prevent wage theft, labor trafficking and the misclassification of employees, stressing that she will look to legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle to protect Indiana residents.

When asked why she is focusing on workers’ rights, Wells said why wouldn’t she? Wells said that workers largely make up the population of Indiana and said it is important for employers to treat individuals with dignity and respect.

Wells said she would also focus on medical privacy and restoring integrity to the AG’s office during her campaign. Wells also said she would release a “Children’s Bill of Rights,” surrounding neglected and abused children who are left behind in their education.

“Fighting for Hoosier workers and Hoosier’s medical privacy are my top priorities as Attorney General,” Wells said. “If Todd Rokita isn’t going to fight for Hoosiers’ rights and freedoms, I will.”

According to the Indiana Secretary of State’s office, Hoosiers are able to register to vote for the 2024 General Election through Oct. 7. For more information on how Indiana residents are able to register to vote, click here .

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