People-focused

The final elected state superintendent of public instruction is considering a bid for governor.

She visited Jay County on Saturday evening to hear from local residents about what they want from their state leaders.

Jennifer McCormick, a Democrat who has formed an exploratory committee regarding a run for governor, said her consideration of a run comes as a result of her time serving in the state government.

“I can’t unlearn what I learned at the statehouse for four years. And what I saw was not at all what I had expected,” said McCormick, who served as a Republican from 2017 to 2021. (She switched parties shortly after leaving office and her former role is now appointed rather than elected.) “I really had my eyes opened up. …

“And my goal is basically to get to the statehouse and take that politician piece out of it because that’s certainly not me,” she added during an interview, “and put that public service piece back, where the people come before politics.”

She said she hopes to decide on her potential run for governor after the current state legislative session closes at the end of the month.

Expanding on her experience as state superintendent of public instruction, McCormick said she went into office assuming everyone would be focused on what was best for education. She added that when her office had an open-door policy for anyone, Republican leadership was quick to visit and tell her to “knock it off.”

“Indiana elected me,” she said of her refusal to toe the party line. “I served Indiana.”

McCormick, a New Castle resident and CEO of Fierce Up!Leadership, said during her travels across Indiana — she set a goal of visiting all 92 counties — she has focused on introducing herself to Hoosiers and listening to their concerns. Themes that have been on the radar, she said, have included housing, wages, community safety, environmental issues and education.

“I’m hearing a lot of the same trends that people are concerned about our rights and our freedoms,” she said. “They’re very concerned about education as a system — access to childcare, affordable childcare. They want universal Pre-K, K-12 quality.”

She added that she’s hearing from many employers that a lack of available and affordable childcare is limiting the workforce.

“That’s a big message,” she said.

She emphasized her statewide strategy, saying it has been a mistake in the past to focus just on Marion County, the surrounding area and other small Democrat strongholds in the state while ignoring rural areas like Jay County and her home Henry County.

“My message here is … it is time for us to have someone who will listen,” said McCormick, who started her career in special education and then was a language arts teacher before becoming principal of Yorktown Elementary School, assistant superintendent of Yorktown Community Schools and then superintendent. “We may not always agree, but we have got to get back to where we’re listening or compromising, there’s a balance in government.”

She added that she feels the state has gotten a bad name nationally because of some policies that don’t truly represent Hoosiers.

“I’m very proud of Indiana,” she added. “I’ve grown up here, lived here, born here, die here. …

“We’re trying to make sure that we can bring some normalcy, some common sense, back to Indiana. And that perception of just being good, hearty workers who help their neighbors and believe in good values. And that’s not how we’re being painted right now.”

The only Democrat who is currently a declared candidate for governor in 2024 is Bob Kern, who is also seeking the party’s nomination for mayor of Indianapolis in next month’s primary. He has been a repeated candidate for office over the last decade-plus but has not come close to winning elected office. (He finished last in a five-way Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 46 in 2022 with 1.1% of the vote.)

U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Fort Wayne businessman Eric Doden have all declared their candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor in 2024.