Jennifer McCormick gives a speech at a campaign event Thursday at Switchard Brewing Company in Bloomington.
(Lucas Gonzalez, WFIU/WTIU News)
Monroe County Democrats welcomed gubernatorial hopeful Jennifer McCormick with open arms just hours after she announced her candidacy for the state’s highest office.
McCormick appeared late Thursday at Switchyard Brewing Company on North Walnut Street in Bloomington, where she laid out her legislative priorities and mobilized support for her campaign.
McCormick served as a Republican as the state superintendent of public instruction but is running as a Democrat. She has been touring the state for months and said many Hoosiers do not support recent actions by the state legislature that she called divisive.
“They expect leaders who believe in using common sense and bipartisanship in order to solve problems and move our state forward,” she said. “I do love Indiana. I love our potential. I love our success. I love our common sense and our sense of civility; but we have to have leaders who will ensure that those values are reflected and are upheld. That’s why I am ready to serve the people once again.”
McCormick said her campaign visited Evansville, New Castle and Terre Haute on Thursday before stopping in Bloomington. She filed Wednesday.
McCormick’s bid for governor is ambitious. Indiana has never had a female governor and has not elected a Democrat to the office since Joseph E. Kernan more than two decades ago.
She’s confident in her ability to garner support, however — even with a predominantly Republican state legislature.
“It’s going to take an amazing team; we will have to have the resources and the support in order to make this happen,” she said. “It’s going to be boots on the ground. Democrats can win the state of Indiana and we’re going to prove we can win.”
McCormick said some have asked about why she switched parties but insisted her values fundamentally have not changed.
“When I went into office, I took with me the values of public service and empowerment and excellence, and I will take those with me again.”
She said the GOP’s recent rhetoric is part of what motivated her to switch parties.
Before serving in public office, McCormick was a public school teacher, principal and superintendent. She said she wants to use that experience to promote bipartisanship.
“In those positions, you work with everyone,” she said. “You don’t always agree with everyone, but you still listen, you come to the table, you make a decision, you move on. It’s very much a give-and-take. It’s very much a partnership. That’s how we work in education.”
McCormick said strengthening public education is one of her top priorities, along with child care, universal pre-K and postsecondary education and training. She said she also wants to focus on making health care more affordable care and bolstering the state’s economy.
She also focused heavily on divisiveness in state politics, specifically referencing recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
“It is time Hoosiers have a voice and they feel empowered to make their very own decisions,” she said. “I’m committed to running a campaign that you’re all going to be proud of. We’re going to work all 92 counties. Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or Independent, we are going to work to find common ground in order to find real solutions to real problems so we can move our state forward.”
Several notable figures in local politics attended the campaign event, including Democratic mayoral nominee Kerry Thomson and Bloomington City Council District 5 nominee Shruti Rana. McCormick congratulated both on their wins in the Tuesday Democratic primary.
Also in attendance were District 3 city council candidate and Indiana University student Conner Wright, at-large nominees Isak Asare and Matt Flaherty, and representatives from the mayor’s office.
