A Democratic state senator is formally entering the Indiana governor's race with the state's Republican schools chief expected by his side.
First-term Sen. Eddie Melton of Gary tells The (Northwest Indiana) Times that he's joining the 2020 race because most people feel that the Republican-led state government isn't focused on issues like increased education funding and health care access that matter the most.
Melton has a Tuesday evening announcement event set in Gary. He'll be the third Democrat seeking the party's nomination to challenge Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Melton will be joined at his official campaign launch by Republican State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick, fueling rumors she might eventually join his ticket as a lieutenant governor candidate. McCormick traveled the state with Melton this summer as part of his exploratory “listening” tour.
Melton has served in the state Senate since 2016. He’s a utility company manager and a former member of the State Board of Education.
His fellow Democrats running for governor are Woody Myers, a health care executive and former State Health Commissioner, and tech CEO Josh Owens.