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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFollowing the unexpected death of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, a handful of Republicans in the 2nd Congressional District have filed to to run for the seat, vying to fill the vacancy during a caucus later this week.
The GOP must nominate someone for the remainder of Walorski’s term, which ends Jan. 3, as well as someone for the next two-year term, which starts the same day. The caucus will meet August 20 to select their candidates.
Both elections will be held Nov. 8.
Five candidates have filed with the Indiana Republican Party to run: former Attorney General Curtis Hill, attorney Tiernan Kane, Rep. Curt Nisly, of Milford, former State Rep. Christy Stutzman and executive Rudy Yakym.
Hill lost his 2020 re-election campaign at the state Republican convention, when delegates chose Todd Rokita over Hill. The snub followed a years-long battle over allegations that Hill groped four women at a party in 2018.
In response, the Indiana Supreme Court opted to suspend Hill’s law license for 30 days.
Tiernan Kane didn’t respond to emails requesting background information, but works as an attorney with Washington D.C.-based firm Cooper & Kirk and is a Ph.D candidate in political science at the University of Notre Dame. Previously, Kane clerked for Judge Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Voters ousted Nisly in the May primary, after redistricting pitted Nisly against Rep. Craig Snow, R-Warsaw, for the same seat. He unsuccessfully introduced an amendment in the special session tightening the abortion ban by striking exceptions for rape and incest, winning just six votes.
“We need more Hoosier common-sense in Washington DC,” Nisly said in a Facebook post. “I’m running to support limited government, to find solutions for inflation, and to help fix the immigration crisis. I’m excited for the future and look forward to continuing to bring Indiana values to help fix DC.”
Stutzman, the former representative of Middlebury, resigned mid-term in 2020, blaming Gov. Eric Holcomb’s coronavirus countermeasures for harming her dinner-theater business. Her husband, Marlin Stutzman, represented Indiana’s 3rd District from 2010 to 2017.
On Monday, Walorski’s widow, Dean Swihart, endorsed Yakym, Walorski’s former campaign finance director.
In a statement, Swihart said Yakym had worked with Walorski for years protecting “our faith, families and communities.”
“Rudy is a political outsider who has what it takes to stand up to the Pelosi-Biden agenda,” Swihart said. “He will fight to do the right thing, just as Jackie did every day of her career.”
The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, not-for-profit news organization that covers state government, policy and elections.
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Nisly, who operates in the lunatic fringe, 2nd only to Jacob, calling for “Hoosier common sense” is the funniest thing I will read today
Figuring out which of those two – Jacob or Nisly – is further out on the lunatic fringe is like trying to determine if Statler or Waldorf was the crankier Muppet in the balcony. And don’t worry, I suspect Jacob will still be at the Statehouse in the scrubs he probably got at Scrubs and Beyond, with his ketchup and baby doll parts playing pretend abortion doctor, calling for more stringent abortion restrictions. But at least he’ll be off the taxpayer dole save for whatever retirement benefits he earned.
I am assuming that a subset of the same folks who thought Diego Morales was a good idea will be making the caucus decision in this case, so I have low expectations for a good and wise candidate who will represent Indiana well at the federal level. Best case scenario might be someone who says less stupid things than Jim Banks and someone who does more for Indiana than Greg Pence.
Curtis Hill? Bwahahahahaha
the above would only be satisfied if they elected another: open border, shut down the economy, bumbling world strategist, wokester like we have in our administration now
Right on, Paul A.
I’d love to see a sane, competent, Republican in the seat. But that isn’t Curtis Hill, nor is it Curt Nisly, nor do I think it’s Christy Stutzman.
The GOP is purging all those folks from the party and not giving me many folks to vote for. That Eric Holcomb was the only Republican worth my vote in 2020 was a signal to me of where the party is heading.
Curtis Hill couldn’t carry Jackie Walorski’s bags.
I agree with Mr. Swihart…Rudy is a solid choice.