As his time in office is coming to an end, U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth would not directly say he was considering a run for governor, however, he’s committed to helping Hoosiers in the future.
Hollingsworth, R-Indiana, announced in January that he would not seek a fourth term as representative of Indiana’s Ninth Congressional District. The 9th District currently includes Johnson County and a large portion of southern Indiana. Starting next year, Johnson County will be part of the Sixth District.
In an interview with the Daily Journal on Thursday, Hollingsworth said the decision to not run for reelection was easy. A believer in term limits, he previously pledged to not serve more than four terms.
To him, good governance is about taking one’s life experience to develop better public policy and in turn, live under the laws and regulations they have created. Washington, D.C. shouldn’t be a place where politicians go and stay forever, Hollingsworth said.
“I think democracy’s core tenet is that what is good for legislators is good for their constituents, and I think much of that tenet has kind of been frayed and broken as members of Congress have stayed for far too long,” Hollingsworth said.
Eventually, lawmakers begin to think about themselves, instead of their constituents, he said. Hollingsworth didn’t want to continue the trend.
“I’ve tried to be that example every single day of my three terms and I want to be that same example in leaving at the right time as well,” Hollingsworth said.
Future prospects
There have been rumors about what’s next for Hollingsworth, with some speculating he is considering a run for governor in 2024. Hollingsworth has heard the rumors, but did not directly say he was going to run on Thursday.
“I don’t have any firm decisions or places that I want to go because it’s not about me,” he said. “I have a lot of things I want to help and a lot of places I want to be of help.”
After he leaves office, Hollingsworth said he is committed to serving Hoosiers in any way he can. As a state, he believes Indiana hasn’t taken advantage of the tremendous opportunities that are available.
Hollingsworth has met many Hoosier families who are concerned about gaps in their children’s education and their financial and economic futures as they are trying to figure out how to build their own future. Politicians owe them a state that helps them build their futures, invests in them and is responsive to them, he said.
Electing a governor is an opportunity for Hoosiers to chose someone who they believe can create a better future, Hollingsworth said. Some candidates have already gone out into the state to pitch their versions of what the future should be.
Hollingsworth has heard concerns from residents about other states attracting talent and businesses away from Indiana. For example, earlier this week, Honda and LG announced that a $3.5 billion battery production facility would be built in Ohio. The company had been expected to choose either Ohio or Indiana for the factory, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported.
They’ve also expressed concerns about students graduating from Indiana University and Purdue University that are leaving the state to work elsewhere. Other concerns include K-12 education and whether or not the education kids are receiving is enough, he said.
“What I want to see is a candidate that’s focused on those things,” he said. “…It’s not just about ‘How do we prevent them from leaving, once they have the option to leave?’ To me, it’s about ‘How do we invest more in our school system, invest more in our teachers, invest more in our after-school programs, invest more to develop that talent further.’”
Reflections on time in office
Before he leaves office on Jan. 2, 2023, Hollingsworth has several priorities he wants to get across the finish line. One of these priorities is the Yes In My Back Yard Act, or YIMBY, a bill he’s cosponsored. The bill is designed to try to help expand housing supply, which is an acute problem in Johnson County, he said.
Another bill he is working on is the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy, or DRIVE-Safe Act, which focuses on the supply chain and getting young people into truck driving careers.
“These are bills that … I’ve been passionate about for a long time, that I’ve been working hard to get close to the goal,” Hollingsworth said. “My goal is to get them over that finish line before I leave.”
Hollingsworth said his priorities have been building economic growth for both the country and the state, and ensuring that people have a better and safer future, he said.
He’s taken ideas from constituents and introduced legislation that has benefited Hoosiers.
“I’m really proud of the issues that we took from our collective district that I hear about at dinner tables at coffee tables in conversation with businesses, nonprofits activists, and religious organizations carrying them back up to D.C.,” Hollingsworth said. “But absolutely, my proudest moments, the things that matter the most to me, are the opportunities I’ve had to help individual Hoosiers back home.”
The real important work of representing Hoosiers happens in communities. He has taken ideas to Capitol Hill, however, as getting attention on issues that matter to Hoosiers can be difficult, he said.
“Inside the beltway is a different world, a different universe than right here back at home,” Hollingsworth said. “I have continued to live in Jeffersonville and fly back and forth to D.C. and I think that has been impactful and ensuring that I’m focused on the issues that matter most to us, not the issues that matter most to Washington D.C.”
He’s worked on and co-sponsored many bills over the years. Two bills he’s authored have passed the House, but didn’t pass the Senate, according to Congress.gov.
Response to pandemic, inflation
Hollingsworth said there were several things the federal government got wrong about the response to the coronavirus pandemic, but also did get a few things right.
He was deeply grateful that lawmakers were able to support and help families and businesses that were going through an unprecedented time. And grateful to American scientists for their ingenuity in developing very effective vaccines in record time, and to healthcare workers and first responders who put their lives on the line every day throughout the pandemic, he said.
“Those are the things that we really got right,” he said. “Those are the things that Americans did, largely without being told, without being asked. They just stepped up as Americans do generation-after-generation and handle the challenges before them.”
The government got some things wrong though, he said. There were downsides to shutting down schools and businesses for prolonged periods of time. Hollingsworth said too much executive authority was exercised when officials could have gone to state legislatures or Congress to get the authority.
One example he cited is when Gov. Eric Holcomb told Hoosiers to avoid indoor worship on Easter in 2020. Another is the decision by the Biden Administration to eliminate student loan relief for millions of Americans, Hollingsworth said.
“I think we’ve seen this usurpation of legislative powers per the state constitution, per the federal constitution by an executive branch that utilized that pandemic to get those powers,” he said.
He also took issue with the swiftness with which Congress passed the $1.7 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA. The bill was passed at a time when it was starting to become evident that the economy was recovering from the pandemic. What Americans have seen since then is a tremendous amount of inflation, Hollingsworth said.
Inflation is now at a 40-year high, and the amount of funds spent on COVID-19, over $5 trillion, represented an amount that far exceeded the hole in demand that was present as the government recovered from the pandemic, he said.
“So what do we get? A mountain; a mountain of inflation,” Hollingsworth said.
People are struggling to make ends meet with inflation, while the Federal Reserve is raising rates in an attempt to stabilize the economy. However, Hollingsworth expects that inflation won’t be brought under control anytime soon, and Americans will likely experience job losses and economic pain until then.
“We are going to have to combat inflation with concerted effort for a long time, not decades, but I think this will be something that people are still talking about six months from now,” Hollingsworth said. “I hope we can get it in the right direction sooner rather than later because Americans are hurting because of it.”
What he’ll miss most about Johnson County
One of the things Hollingsworth has enjoyed most about representing the 9th District and Johnson County is getting to meet and have conversations with residents. Another thing he’s enjoyed is watching the tremendous growth in the county.
“The economic development, the new employers that are moving the community, the younger Hoosiers that are finding out how great Johnson County is to live in, the quality of place features that are going up right here in Franklin and in Greenwood,” he said. “It has been such an honor, not only to fight for Hoosiers in D.C., but to be a part of their communities, their lives, their school days, their business days and help them in whatever small way I could ensure that the future that they want for themselves, for their families, for their communities, for their schools, for their nonprofits, for their activist organizations for their businesses was realized.”
Hollingsworth has had many great memories in Johnson County, from visiting elementary schools to grand openings and ribbon cuttings. The activity in the county is unbelievable, he said.
“I think Johnson County should be so proud of the unique opportunities and energy this county has,” Hollingsworth said.
He’s heard from people across the state who have said they want to move to Johnson County and it’s because of the investments that are being made by local leaders. This is in addition to the businesses that are getting started or are moving into Johnson County, he said.
“It’s unbelievable the amenities and the enthusiasm and the opportunities that Johnson County has, and I hope that leadership, representatives and local Hoosiers that want to be involved will continue to shape that in a really positive direction,” he said.
Hollingsworth says residents will probably see him around Johnson County more after he leaves office. He may be spotted at chamber of commerce events, or in local grocery stores, he said.
“I intend to continue the great work that we have started together in a different capacity perhaps but still want to continue that great work we’ve started together,” Hollingsworth said. “The friendships I have built here are not ephemeral friendships; they are lifetime friendships.”
