Four people are hoping to make it past the Indiana primary in their bids to represent Indiana House District 72.
Republicans Shawn Carruthers and Darrell Neeley are facing off for the seat in May, and Cory Cochran and Michele Henry are vying for the Democratic nomination.
The seat, which covers most of Floyd County, has long been held by Republican Rep. Ed Clere. He announced earlier this year he would not seek reelection.
LPM News talked with the candidates on their priorities and how they'd lead the office.
The candidates
Republicans
Shawn Carruthers is an insurance agent and small business owner. His public service includes time spent as president of the Floyd County Commissioners and on boards including the Caesar's Foundation of Floyd County, Friends of the Town Clock Church and for the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency.
Darrell Neeley is an associate minister at Howard Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, and a district chaplain for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He served more than three decades in the U.S. Navy.
Democrats
Cory Cochran is the vice president for development at McRae Enterprises, a commercial construction and real estate development company. Prior to that, he served as executive director of River Hills Economic Development District Regional Planning Commission. He started his career with the Indiana Department of Education's government affairs team and is the grandson of Bill Cochran, who served more than three decades as a state representative.
Michele Henry is an employment attorney, and has practiced law for around 25 years. She's a precinct chair for the Floyd County Democratic Party. She's also served on the local and national board of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and currently serves on the board for Waterfront Botanical Gardens.
Why they're running
Henry said she never considered a run for office until this year, though she's helped out in others' campaigns, including Democrat Tim Peck, who's running for Indiana's Ninth Congressional District, Baron Hill, who once served in that role, and Barack Obama. But she said she's concerned about what's happening in government. She said she sees laws being passed that are moving away from constitutional principles.
"I think that our country is at a precipice," she said. "I felt like it was important for me to do everything that I can, as we stand at this place in our democracy."
Henry said she's heard from people concerned about cost of living and energy rates, and has concerns about money being spent on Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program, which is now open to families regardless of income.
Cochran said he has a strong knowledge of the legislature. He previously served as deputy director for government affairs under Indiana State Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz, and worked with state and local officials on Indiana education policy. He's pursuing the seat because he believes he can help "make an immediate impact."
He also said he wants to build on his grandfather's legacy, and make sure Southern Indiana residents are represented at the statehouse.
He said he wants to address issues affecting everyday people, and that working across the aisle is key.
"At the end of the day, I think the only way to get anything accomplished in Indianapolis is go up there with a rational mind, a moderate stance and a bipartisan approach," he said.
Carruthers said his experience in county government gives him insight into how state actions affect residents locally.
"The people of District 72 [deserve] a strong voice in Indianapolis," he said. "They deserve a voice with experience."
Neeley said his whole life has been about public service.
He said he attends public meetings and talks with residents with different backgrounds, from people experiencing homelessness to families navigating the impacts of addiction, to farmers pinched by rising property taxes.
Neeley said representatives need to listen to learn.
"That's why I want to be the next District 72 representative is to ensure that [people] have that voice, and they have somebody that listens. They have somebody that cares."
Housing and affordability
The candidates acknowledge that finances are becoming a bigger concern for more Hoosiers. And Henry said while people may think of Indiana as a generally low cost-of-living state, affordable housing is a real problem.
Part of the issue, she said, is many people make less than what's considered the benchmark for affordable housing.
"When you make $15 an hour, it is difficult to afford a $2,000 a month apartment," she said.
"If we're going to incentivize business to do things, let's incentivize them to do the things that are helpful to our communities, like build affordable housing that actually is affordable to those folks in our community who aren't at the average income," she said.
Cochran said state lawmakers should be having conversations about what can be done at the local level to support builders and developers.
"We can make sure, one, that we're not just making the developers and the builders rich," he said. "My intention is to make sure that we support a project that will ultimately provide affordable housing."
Carruthers said adding mid-priced housing stock would mean people could move and free up smaller starter homes. He also said officials could limit the number of homes corporations buy.
Neeley said there's a lack of affordable housing in Floyd County, specifically in the county's hub, New Albany.
"How do we correct that? Is that something that you have to correct at the local level? Probably," he said. "But what can we incentivize from the state to help that?"
Utilities and data centers
Some candidates identified rising utility rates as a major concern. And they recognize data centers could compound that because of their heavy energy demands. Although they say the centers are necessary, they don't want them to be a burden on taxpayers.
Henry said some energy companies have high profit margins, inappropriate for what she calls a "fundamental human necessity."
"So working to reduce those costs, to reduce the ability of utility companies to increase rates indiscriminately, is important to me," she said.
Henry recognizes that data centers are important, especially with the increase in AI use. But she worries there's not yet enough information on their effects on people and the environment.
"I would like to see more research on where they're located, and I would like to see that cost being entirely borne by the company and not being offset by tax credits and sales tax exemptions like we have in Indiana," she said. In Jeffersonville, in neighboring Indiana House District 71, a Meta data center is nearing completion.
Cochran is a member of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission nominating committee. He said last fall, the biggest focus of conversation was the cost of utilities and making sure providers show the need for rate increases.
"We do have a problem, and it's partially because of the data centers and the capacity and the research and development that's needed," he said. "So I certainly understand where our utility partners need to increase their rates, but at the end of the day, who is responsible for paying for those rate increases?"
Carruthers said there's a growing need for data centers, and that he'd be open to solutions such as allowing data centers to build their own energy plants and put excess energy back into the grid.
Neeley said he doesn't want data centers to be on the onus of the taxpayer, and praised Indiana Gov. Mike Braun's efforts to lower utility costs.
What's best for Indiana?
In December, state lawmakers returned for the legislative session early to address a push for mid-cycle redistricting by President Donald Trump and Indiana Gov. Mike Braun.
Rep. Clere voted against it in the House. It passed that body, but failed in the Senate when multiple Republicans voted against the measure.
All of the District 72 primary candidates said they would have voted it down too, with Cochran calling it "an extreme political agenda that was trying to be pushed from the federal level upon the states."
LPM News asked each candidate whether national politics or influence from the White House has a place in how Indiana leaders govern the state.
"I do not feel obligated to a national party to do the right thing for people in District 72," Henry said. "This job is a job for those folks in that district, and the job is to make decisions that help them live their best day-to-day life."
Carruthers said that states should focus on states' needs. Neeley said while Indiana leaders can learn best practices from other states when they make sense for Hoosiers, and watch or listen to information from the White House, the important thing is to do what's right for Indiana.
The primary election is May 5.
Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County.
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