Q&A

What do you consider the two most important issues facing Hoosiers who will see your name on their ballot this November? And if elected, what policies will you push for to address each one?

Inflation is affecting every Hoosier from the gas pump to the grocery store to the taxes they pay.* I am committed to working across the aisle to address increasing property taxes. I am also working on legislation to lower the tax burden for our low-income veterans.

Public Safety is always on the ballot but it is becoming a growing issue in the suburbs. Law enforcement in Boone and Hendricks County continue to be concerned about drugs coming into our counties. In addition, they are concerned about violence creeping from Indianapolis across our borders. In meeting with our law enforcement and the Fraternal Order of Police, their top concerns are recruitment, the education of our young people so that they qualify for the police academy when they want to serve and making sure that our law enforcement families are protected if their loved one becomes sick or injured.

I understand these issues and will continue to consult with our law enforcement to make sure their needs are met. I will also continue to support legislation to make sure that our law enforcement have the tools they need to find and apprehend those that are bringing dangerous drugs like Fentanyl into our state.

*Editor's note: For context, while many shoppers see inflation in gas and grocery prices, after climbing sharply in 2022 and 2023, grocery prices rose less than 1% in the last twelve months and were unchanged between July and August. Here is more reporting on that from NPR.

We've heard from many in our audience that they feel frustrated — sometimes disenfranchised — by our current political landscape. These feelings sometimes contribute to people deciding not to vote, and Indiana consistently ranks near the bottom of the list on voter turnout. What would you say to a potential voter who feels this way?

As a fairly new legislator, I understand those feelings of disenfranchisement. I ran for office 2 years ago because I was tired of hearing elected officials tell me what they could not do on issues that only they could address. In my two years in office, I have made myself completely accessible to the constituents of my district.

I have met with small business owners, farmers, families of special needs and medical needs children, and sat on porches with constituents who have both simple and complex questions. It's easy to listen to those in Authority. It takes work to listen to the concerned person on the Block. I believe that I won my first election because I am a problem solver and a solution finder. Your voice matters. Your vote matters. I know it can feel pointless but this great state and country needs you to keep speaking up and working to elect leaders that will listen.

Economic anxiety is top of mind for many in our audience and around the country, with a common concern being inflation and the high price of basic needs. In all the complexity around economic issues, what specific changes need to happen to help Hoosiers and their families?

Hoosiers are telling us that they need property tax relief. I know that is difficult. It is not a snap your fingers and make it happen proposition. It will take work. It will take local and state government, at every level, coming to the table with a can-do attitude. We can fund our schools, public safety, roads and parks while also figuring out the property tax equation. It is easy to say that we cannot cut property taxes because local government needs that money but if a family cannot feed their children or purchase medicine for a loved one or replace shoes with holes in them, it's not a fair trade.

I also don't believe that we need to choose law enforcement versus feeding our families. Indiana is a strong, vibrant, fiscally responsible state that can fund our necessities and make sure that families can stay in their homes. I will always put the children, families and individuals of Indiana before big government. I expect my constituents to give me input on how we can do better. My husband and I are Hoosiers, raising children and young adults in this great state and I will fight for the people of Indiana the same way I want elected officials to fight for my family.
 

Endorsements - Source
Lael Hill
Indiana State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police 1934
Boone County Firefighters Association IAFF Local 5195
Indiana Professional Firefighters PAC
NFIB IN PAC
Tony Harris (Boone County Sheriff)
Jack Sadler (Hendricks County Sheriff)
Travis Bauman Crane (Hendricks County Superior Court 3, Candidate)
Stand for Health Freedom
Mental Health Now
Kyle Campbell

Notable Donors - Source
Anthony A Samuel
Hoosiers for Quality Education PAC
Law PAC of Indiana
Anna Schappaugh
Frantz Belopt
Indiana Realtors PAC
John R Hammond III
Leah Wilson
Yasmin L Stump
James Bopp
 

 

Q&A

What do you consider the two most important issues facing Hoosiers who will see your name on their ballot this November? And if elected, what policies will you push for to address each one?

After knocking on over 7000 doors, protecting public education and women's health are the two most important issues - across the political spectrum.

As a state legislator, I will put public education at the top of my priorities. Many moved to this district because of the quality of our schools and I believe public education is the bedrock of our community, and ultimately the future of its economic success.

As the demands of education have grown, our schools are being asked to do more while being stripped of resources. The school in my district used to get 400 applications for an open position and now receive an average of eight - so people are either not pursuing teaching or leaving altogether. With ~3300 open positions throughout the state at the beginning of the school year,* this is a significant challenge for us all. I will work to ensure taxpayer money doesn't keep leaving public education through vouchers. In this district, $14M left from the voucher program with the threshold of a family qualifying with an annual income of $225K.**

It will be hard to address women's reproductive rights if we don't break the supermajority but it will be an issue I continue to pursue.

*Editor's note: According to the Indiana Educator Job Board, there were 2,705 open positions as of Sep. 30, 2024.

**Editor's note: Since it was unclear exactly what the candidate meant by “district,” we reached out to learn more and the candidate responded. Stoner wrote the following: "According to the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, between 2017-2024 the school corporations in my district have lost the following funding: Lebanon ($5,955,566), Zionsville ($12,164,407), Brownsburg ($15,912,841). I’ve also attached a spreadsheet from Phillip Downs."

We've heard from many in our audience that they feel frustrated — sometimes disenfranchised — by our current political landscape. These feelings sometimes contribute to people deciding not to vote, and Indiana consistently ranks near the bottom of the list on voter turnout. What would you say to a potential voter who feels this way?

I was EXACTLY where you were several years ago. I kept a growing 'list of complaints' in my phone about politics. I decided to meet an acquaintance for coffee that was politically active. As I rattled off my complaints to her, she stopped me mid-sentence. Surprised, I told her that I thought we saw eye-to-eye. She agreed but then said something that changed the trajectory of the next few years for me politically. She said, "We do see eye-to-eye, the difference is I'm doing something about it and you're not!" I became small in my seat but she was right. I was complaining without having any solutions. She encouraged me to get involved at the local level. So I would pass along this story.

If you want to enact change, you have to be a part of it! I am running for the Statehouse to do something not be something. It is our civic duty to vote starting from the age of 18. Considering Indiana is one of only SEVEN states to still have straight-party ticket voting, I wholeheartedly believe you should vote for the candidate NOT the party. Candidates have put themselves on the ballot and deserve to have their names selected. Do your research!

Economic anxiety is top of mind for many in our audience and around the country, with a common concern being inflation and the high price of basic needs. In all the complexity around economic issues, what specific changes need to happen to help Hoosiers and their families?

In my district property taxes and gas taxes are a significant pain point.

Gas Taxes - District 25 is one of the highest commuter populations in Indiana so these residents are feeling the high gas tax on a consistent basis. I believe both Hoosiers and visitors to Indiana should bear responsibility for infrastructure costs which is what the gas tax is used to fund. I would raise the Inn Keepers Tax statewide putting a portion of it toward infrastructure while lowering the gas tax.

Property Tax - Seniors on a fixed income are especially verbose about their assessed values increasing so much over the last few years - and for some nearly pricing them out of their homes. I would cap taxes at 5% growth just as the DLGF limits municipal growth of budgets from year-to-year.
 

Endorsements - Source
Veterans for Indiana
Better Indiana
ISTA
IHD
IFDW
Mad Voters
ICPE
IKO-RCC
Elevance Health
Moms Demand Action
Our Choice Coalition
Mental Health Now
Indiana AFL-CIO
Hoosiers for Democracy
Iron Workers
Everytown
UAW Region 2B CAP
Vote Common Good
SMART
Planned Parenthood
Green Indiana
AFT
Indiana NOW

Notable Donors - Source
Boone County Democratic Party
Erica Carpenter
Better Indiana
Mark Suzy & Nagy
Friends for Tiffany Stoner
Jeanne Farah
David Haskett
Robert Blake Johnson
Nathaniel Edmunds Photography
Dennis Mason