When I saw that Fishers City Councilor Jocelyn Vare was running against Kyle Walker in the newly-drawn State Senate District 31, I knew it would be a race receiving state-wide attention and it has done just that.
Walker was selected by a Republican caucus to fill the remainder of State Senator Jim Merritt’s term, so he is facing general election voters for the first time. According to a story written by Pete Blanchard of the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ), Vare has raised over $120,000 for her campaign, not bad for an Indiana Democrat.
However, Blanchard also reports that Walker has raised more than $1.5 million. If you watch any television, or spend time on platforms that feature video ads, you have likely seen Walker’s ad blitz.
Some of Walker’s ads are positive, some are not. Vare has decided to issue a lengthy news release to respond to the charges in Walker TV ads. Here are some of her assertions:
–Vare denies voting against funding police, she had only wanted to fund new gun racks using other money available.
–She was criticized for not making a contribution to the Gold Star Families but says she supported the monument as a city councilor, and also supported the creation of the Fishers Armed Services Commission.
— One Walker ad criticizes Vare for contributing money to the Joe Biden presidential campaign in 2020. Vare says she did donate $225 to the Biden campaign, but points to Walker’s contributions to the Trump campaign she says totaled $5,400.
–Vare says Walker argues she is part of the problem on inflation and national deficits, but she argues city councilors have virtually no impact on the national budget. She points out she was the only no vote on implementing a 1% food & beverage tax in Fishers
I am sure the Walker campaign will have retorts to all this. What this tells me is this – this State Senate seat election must be very close. All the more reason for you to vote, no matter which candidate you support.
Below are links to recent TV ads from both campaigns (note: The Walker ad starts with the tail end of another commercial).