Terre Haute Tribune-Star
When a member of the Indiana House or Senate chooses to vacate their seats, Hoosiers do not always know what they are going to get with the replacements for those outgoing elected officials.
Unlike the departing officeholders, their replacements are not chosen by voters. Instead, an outbound legislator’s replacement is chosen by precinct committee members from the incumbent’s own political party in that legislative district. And, the vote can be done privately, under Indiana law.
Thus, the usual vetting of an election campaign through media interviews, public forums and appearances does not happen. Residents of that district can only trust the political party has found a reasonable, competent replacement.
The process of replacing Sen. Jon Ford — a Republican who has represented Vigo, Clay and part of Sullivan counties since 2014 — has, so far, offered some promise that the final three years of his third term will be placed in reliable hands.
On Sept. 15, Ford announced he will resign his District 38 seat in the Indiana Senate effective Oct. 16. He is leaving that role to lead Reliable Energy, which promotes Indiana fossil fuels and coal industries. As a result, a caucus of eligible Republican Party precinct committee members from Ford’s district will select his replacement during their gathering at 10 a.m. Oct. 7 in the Northview High School auditorium in Brazil.
As of Sept. 22, the only announced candidate to fill Ford’s Senate seat is Greg Goode of Terre Haute. Goode is a familiar face in public service circles. He currently serves as the state director for U.S. Sen. Todd Young, but Goode previously worked as executive director of government relations and university communication for Indiana State University. Goode also has been a central figure in the formulation of the Wabash River Regional Development Authority, the organization working to implement the state READI grant program, which directs state and federal funds to quality-of-life projects throughout the west-central Indiana area.
Goode also is a known quantity in political terms. He won the Republican nomination in the 2008 race for Indiana’s 8th District congressional seat, but lost in the general election to former Vanderburgh County sheriff Brad Ellsworth.
Goode ran on conservative stances, no doubt, but also has shown a capability and willingness to work with and for people of other political outlooks.
Other qualified candidates for Ford’s vacated seat could emerge and be worthy of the public’s consideration, though voters will not have a say.
The successor will replace a senator known for helping to bring a casino to Terre Haute and sports wagering to Indiana. Ford also currently serves on four key committees in the Republican super-majority Senate, including Elections as its chair, Family and Children Services as its ranking member, and Appropriations and Public Policy.
Ford said he will be running the business side of Reliable Energy. As with any Indiana legislator leaving office, Ford is prohibited for one year from being a paid lobbyist. He certainly is not the first influential, outgoing legislator to move into a position with an organization that will generally advocate its cause to the Legislature, though.
Already this year, four Republican Indiana state legislators have stepped down from their elected roles early. Two, including Ford, are senators with three years left in their terms. Like voters in the other legislators’ districts, those in Ford’s district throughout Vigo, Clay and Sullivan counties will be represented by a replacement selected by a small group of partisans.
That is not an ideal system. In this particular case, as of now, it appears the Wabash Valley could fare better than most in this situation.
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