EVANSVILLE — Terry Goodin , the Democratic Party candidate for Indiana lieutenant governor, was in Evansville last week and met with the Courier & Press to discuss the campaign.
Goodin, a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives, spoke with the Courier & Press about what made Evansville an important stop for he and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick , utility costs and his qualifications for the position.
McCormick and Goodin are facing Republicans Mike Braun and Micah Beckwith on Nov. 5.
'We show up'
McCormick made a stop in Vanderburgh County on her town hall tour earlier this month, answering questions from voters at a packed union hall. She covered a variety of topics, from education to Project 2025 concerns to CenterPoint Energy.
Goodin said the campaign has been to all 92 counties, and it's something they are proud of.
"We want people to know that we care, and we show up," Goodin said. "We want to hear people, we want to know what's on their minds."
Vanderburgh County hasn't received open, public visits from Braun or his running mate Beckwith. Beckwith was most recently in Vanderburgh County as the keynote speaker for a ticketed Constitution Dinner put on by the Republicans Assembly of Indiana Southwest. Attendees could pay an extra $25 for a VIP meet and greet with the candidate.
Goodin said Indiana is a large, diverse state and they want to make sure everyone is represented.
"When we say 'everyone' we don't care what ilk they're from," Goodin said. "We want to make sure everyone is treated with dignity and everyone has a seat at the table. Right now they don't have that."
'People are ready for change'
In the visits around Indiana, Goodin said there has been a clear, top-of-mind concern from Hoosiers — 20 years of "same party rule has put Indiana in a tough spot."
"People are ready for a change," he said.
An area the campaign sees as ripe for change is the regulating of women's bodies, Goodin said.
"My running mate and the next governor, Jennifer McCormick, she'll stand up there and tell you straightforward it's time to stop the attack on women," Goodin said. "Stop attacking women. Let women be in charge of their own bodies, dagonit. They're not up there making laws at the statehouse regulating men's bodies."
This belief is a stark difference between the Democratic and Republican tickets for governor. Both Braun and Beckwith support the abortion ban.
Discussing debates between the two camps, Goodin said they would love to have a debate every evening because the differences between the two parties are "profound." There has been one debate in the lieutenant governor's race.
Goodin, who has held multiple positions during his time as an elected official, including USDA’s Indiana state director for rural development, said his resume exceeds Beckwith's especially when it comes to the areas a lieutenant governor oversees.
The lieutenant governor serves the president of the Indiana Senate, and oversees the department of agriculture, Office of Community and Rural Affairs, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and the Indiana Destination Development Corporation, among other responsibilities.
Beckwith has never been elected to public office, and in the only public office he's held, an appointed position on a suburban library board , he attracted national headlines over a book relocation policy.
"The other fella is more concerned about his social agenda, and trying to figure out how to take rights away from women," Goodin said.
Goodin said during travel around the state, Hoosiers have continually told him they're "tired of the crazy" and want "normal" brought back.
A believer that more people working together is better than no one working together, Goodin said that mentality has been absent from government in Indiana for awhile.
"We've got to figure out how to bring all that back together," he said.
Goodin said there are real concerns, from both sides of the aisle, with what the Republican ticket is presenting for Indiana.
"I'm one heartbeat away from becoming governor if I'm the lieutenant governor," Goodin said. "Micah Beckwith is as well."
'It's a very serious concern'
Goodin also spoke with the Courier & Press about concerns local residents have on utility costs under CenterPoint Energy.
"It's a very serious concern, and unfortunately it's not just taking place in the Evansville area, it's in other parts of the state, as well," he said.
The governor appoints the members of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, which decides on major requests such as rate increases for utility companies. Goodin said under a McCormick administration, they would make sure consumer-friendly individuals are appointed.
"Right now that's not necessarily the case," he said. "You've had that one-party rule, and once again you get that lackadaisical attitude. Those larger corporations, we love them and we're dependent on them, but they've got to be held into check sometimes."
The IURC has not been the real checks and balance for the consumer like they should be, Goodin said.
"We're going to make sure all of this is done fairly," he said. "We're not going to discriminate or make the playing field uneven for anyone, but we're going to make sure it's just that, level. That's all anybody can ask for, and right now it's not."
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Indiana Dem LG nominee Terry Goodin: 'People are ready for change'
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