by Jeannine Lee Lake
Greetings, my fellow Americans:
My name is Jeannine Lee Lake, the US Congressional candidate in Indiana’s 5th District, looking to unseat the current Republican incumbent.
The 5th District includes the counties of Delaware, Hamilton, Madison, Tipton, Howard and Grant. The major cities in the 5th include Muncie, Marion, Carmel, Anderson, Noblesville, Fishers, Tipton and Kokomo. This suburban district is predominantly white and is the wealthiest congressional district in Indiana. The demographic breakdown of the 5th is: 82% Caucasian, 8% African-American, 4% Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 2% biracial.
When I decided to run for this position, I did so with the goal of supporting and uplifting hard-working Hoosiers. In our current political climate, women are worried that they are losing their reproductive rights, men are worried about making enough money to feed their families, and young people are worried about paying for college. As a mom, a grandmother, and a business owner, I can definitely relate with these very real concerns.
Along the campaign trail, I wanted to spend time meeting people, listening to their concerns, and discussing our shared values. In contrast, my primary opponent spent time raising 45 times more money than I did, and now my general opponent is working with at least $3 million in funds. Their focuses were and are campaign contributions, but mine is not. I’ve visited every single major city in the district numerous times and throughout the upcoming days, I’m going to as many historically “red” areas as I can to meet hard-working Hoosiers who are worried about our country.
Right now, our country’s democracy is being threatened and folks are afraid that their freedoms are at stake. I’m a “my body, my choice” advocate across the board, and I personally don’t believe in the government telling ANYONE what to do with our own bodies. This means NO VACCINE MANDATES, supporting and upholding our 2A rights, and ensuring that no governmental entity makes our healthcare decisions for us.
Besides those things, I’m also a co-founder of the pro-police group called Muncie Matters Police Alliance, I’m a proponent of free speech, and I’m an ally to the LBGTQ community.
I want to make sure Social Security remains a supportive structure for our senior citizens, that insulin is capped at $35/month, and that people don’t fall into a deep pit of debt due to one unexpected medical emergency.
Conversely, my opponent is not. Ms. Victoria Spartz is pro-Russia, pro-Putin, and anti-choice, believing that there should be ZERO exceptions for abortion. “Zero exceptions” means forcing victims of rape or incest to give birth to their child, and not protecting the mother’s life if she is in jeopardy.
Ms. Spartz is reportedly eyeing a future Senate run if Mike Braun launches a gubernatorial campaign for 2024. She doesn’t want to be your Congresswoman anymore, but I definitely do.
Care, and a passionate dedication in fostering a better community for those around me, are the reasons why I decided to run for office. If I were to have the honor of serving you, the Hoosiers of the 5th, I will spend every day fighting for you.
I hope to see you at the polls on November 8th.
As part of a public service during election season, Indy Politics is running articles from various candidates as to why they are running. If you are a candidate, feel free to e-mail us at abdul@indypolitics.org.
