The state Democratic Party chair said Thomas Horrocks will be competitive in his bid to unseat incumbent Republican state Rep. Dave Hall, despite a large disparity in campaign fundraising.
“Republicans can always find money when they need it. But money isn’t everything,” Mike Schmuhl said in an interview Wednesday in Bloomington.
Read more: In Indiana's reddest districts, rural Dems still put up a fight
In 2022, Hall won the state House seat with 50.1 percent of the vote.
On Monday, the House Republican Campaign Committee gave $125,000 to Hall’s campaign, according to state campaign finance records. Democrats believe that signals concern among Republicans for the District 62 seat. District 62 includes all of Brown County as well as parts of Monroe and Jackson counties.
Hall’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to a message Thursday.
Hall had $398,000 in campaign money from the start of the year to Oct. 11, according to state records. The $125,000 is in addition to that.
Horrocks’ campaign reported more than $165,000.
Read more: Political newcomer Horrocks on needs for people in District 62
Horrocks said that his campaign was also receiving considerable support in terms of volunteer time as well as financial contributions.
“Thomas Horrocks has run a fantastic campaign. He's raised a lot of money on his own. Our House caucus arm has also raised significant funds to help his campaign,” Schmuhl said. “Both campaigns, I think, are operating at a pretty high capacity.”
According to Schmuhl, Horrocks’ campaign “is one of the highest-performing volunteer-led efforts of any campaign in the State of Indiana.”
Said Horrocks: “Most folks don't know this but we've had over 600 unique donors. So, we have a really true grassroots activist organization who's contributed a great deal of money.”
Horrocks, a pastor at Beechwood Christian Church in French Lick, is running for the District 62 seat that Hall narrowly won in 2022.
Full candidate interviews, our voter guide and more election coverage is available at wtiu.org/election.
