9th District Candidates Square Off In Debate

The candidates running to represent Indiana’s 9th Congressional district faced off during their first debate Monday.

The Greater Greenwood Chamber of Commerce invited Republican Trey Hollingsworth and Democrat Shelli Yoder to debate during a legislative luncheon Monday.

The candidates answered questions from the chamber’s business advisory board, as well as the audience.

Yoder and Hollingsworth didn’t mention each other until the end of the debate, when the moderator asked if the candidates would release their tax returns in the spirit of transparency.

Yoder says she’s released her returns from the past five years and she’s asked her opponent to do the same.

“It does appear someone has moved in just to buy this seat in congress,” Yoder says. “We only have nine seats in Congress to represent the people of Indiana. And are we going to let someone come in and buy from the highest bidder? Someone from outside of Indiana?

But Hollingsworth says he’s not worried about his tax returns – he’s instead focused on the people of Indiana.

“I want to fix our tax code,” Hollingsworth says. “I know my opponent’s obsessed with my tax returns, I’m obsessed with your tax returns. Let’s figure out how to get to a tax code that works.”

Hollingsworth and Yoder are running to replace Republican Congressman Todd Young, who is vying for Dan Coats’ Senate seat.

The Libertarian candidate for the 9th District did not attend the debate. Russell Brooksbank was arrested Friday in Louisville. He is preliminary charged with a traffic violation of failing to signal and a misdemeanor count of obstructions/interference with a police officer.