Two local Democrats are setting their sights on the Indiana General Assembly, challenging the current Republican officeholders.
Greenwood resident Suzanne Fortenberry is running in Indiana Senate District 36, which covers areas of northwestern Pleasant and northeastern White River Township in Johnson County and a majority of Perry Township in Marion County. Whiteland resident Sandy James is running in Indiana House District 58, which includes all of Clark Township and most of Pleasant Township.
Both women are expected to file on Tuesday afternoon, according to news releases from their campaigns.
Fortenberry and James are currently uncontested in their respective primary races, and if this holds, they will likely only face opposition during the general election in November. On the GOP side, incumbents Sen. Cyndi Carrasco, R-Indianapolis, and Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, are running unopposed in their races.
The deadline to file for office is noon Friday.
Senate
Fortenberry works as a courier for a shipping company and is the executive director of Greenwood Pride. She also founded a community fundraising partnership known as Every Kid Eats, which is a local group that raises funds to eliminate school lunch debt for Johnson County families in need, according to a news release.
She is a member of the American Civil Liberties Union and a member of the Human Rights Campaign and lives in Greenwood with her wife of 26 years, the news release says. She unsuccessfully ran for White River Township Trustee in 2022.
“Continuing the progress we have made as a nation hinges on an exemplary education system for the success of Indiana’s students,” Fortenberry said in the news release. “I believe education must be affordable at every level — from vocational schools to two- and four-year institutions — and that students should not be penalized for pursuing higher education in furtherance of serving their communities.”
If elected, Fortenberry’s campaign says she will focus on education, women’s healthcare, LGBTQIA+ rights, equality in public safety, “extending Hoosier Hospitality to all residents and embracing diversity of all.”
“I believe that elected officials must represent the community they serve,” she said. “I will bring an open mind and a spirit of cooperation to the table when discussing pressing issues facing everyday Hoosiers.”
Carrasco has represented Senate District 36 since being selected in the October caucus to replace the late Sen. Jack Sandlin. She filed for election to the seat on Jan. 10, saying in a statement at the time that she was honored to “have the opportunity to provide impactful results for my home community.”
“I am eager to continue advocating for safe communities, an education system and economy that works for all, and protecting our conservative freedoms along the way,” Carrasco said.
House
James is a long-time educator, who taught secondary education for 30 years, and is the author of 25 published books. She earned an undergraduate degree in criminology and sociology from Indiana State University and a master’s in education from Indiana University Indianapolis, according to a news release.
She is a member of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools, the American Psychological Association and Our Lady of the Greenwood. James lives in Whiteland with her husband and is the mother of two adult children, the news release says.
“As a teacher, I know what is needed to make Hoosier schools the best educators of our children,” James said in the news release. “In addition to focusing on education, I also think Hoosier women deserve every kind of healthcare, including reproductive freedom. I’ve decided to step forward to do what needs done for a better Indiana.”
James’ campaign describes her as a “lifelong Hoosier who has always done her best to bring about positive change.” At Greenwood Community High School, she brought psychology classes back after the subject had dropped in the curriculum. She is an adjunct professor of psychology through Indiana University’s Advanced College Project, or ACP, allowing her to offer college credit to her high school students. James is also an adjunct professor at Ivy Tech Community College, according to the news release.
If elected, her campaign says she will focus on education, women’s healthcare, and LGBTQIA+ rights. She is “horrified” by alleged efforts to try to overturn legal same-sex marriages in Indiana and wants to protect the right to marry and preserve existing same-sex marriages, James said in the news release.
“I will do everything I can to ensure equal treatment of all Hoosiers,” she said.
The efforts James is referring to is likely House Bill 1291, which sought to replace the term “gender” with the phrase “biological sex” in some state laws, making the state recognize a person’s gender based on their genitalia rather than how they chose to identify. The bill was authored by Rep. Chris Judy, R-Fort Wayne, and among its coauthors was Davis. It failed to get a committee hearing and is not moving forward this session.
Although HB 1291 did not specifically address same-sex marriage, among the state statutes it would have changed the word “gender” to “biological sex” is a 1997 statute saying that marriages between people of the same gender were considered void, even if legal in the place it occurred. However, a 2014 U.S. appellate court ruling required the state to recognize these marriages, and the Supreme Court made it so that all states had to in 2015, according to the Associated Press.
Davis, a Republican, currently represents House District 58. She first ran in 2020 and again in 2022, filing for reelection to a third term on Jan. 25.
According to her campaign Facebook page, Davis says her district is “deserving of an effective and conservative leader who can build connections and strengthen the community, listen, be responsive and work diligently to continue to make our district a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
