Howey Politics Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS - State Sen. Eddie Melton will announce his entry into the Democratic Indiana gubernatorial race at 5:30 p.m. tonight (CT) at the Gary Public Library. He will be joined by “special guest” Supt. Jennifer McCormick, a Republican. He will appear at events in Indianapolis on Wednesday. He joins the race that includes Dr. Woody Myers and  businessman Josh Owens seeking to challenge Gov. Eric Holcomb. Melton told the NWI Times’ Dan Carden, “Most folks feel that state government is not paying them any attention, is not focused on the issues that matter to them the most. We have to prioritize these issues. These have to be issues that are at the top of our agenda as a state.”

“You still have individuals spending years in prison, that are nonviolent offenders, that are doing 10 to 20 years for having a few ounces of marijuana on them,” said Melton, who favors marijuana legalization paired with criminal justice reforms.

As for whether a Melton-led Democratic ticket might include McCormick, whose elected office is being replaced in 2021 by a governor-appointed secretary of education, he only would say: “All options are on the table ... I’m not ruling anything out.” McCormick has made similar comments.