INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana will be getting a new U.S. senator this election cycle. It comes as sitting U.S. senator Mike Braun is running to become Indiana’s next governor.
Running on the republican ticket is the currently sitting U.S. representative for Indiana's 3rd congressional district, Jim Banks. He has been in that position since 2017 but has been in politics for much longer. He is also a veteran and Hoosiers native.
On the Democratic ticket is Dr. Valerie McCray. She is a clinical psychologist and running on the fact that she isn’t a career politician. She hopes to bring a different vision to Washington with a focus on mental health.
National polls show that inflation and abortion are two of the biggest issues for voters as they head to the polls this election cycle. For Banks, he feels one way to combat inflation is to taper down government spending.
WATCH | Full interview with Jim Banks
"My whole time in Washington, whether we had a republican president or a democrat president, If a spending bill came before me that truly cut spending and put us on a path to balance the budget, I would vote for it. The best solution to controlling inflation is for the federal government to spend less," Banks said.
Dr. McCray feels that holding corporations accountable for price gouging is one way to make necessities more affordable for the average Hoosiers.
“They don't have to charge what they are charging for the products people are needing. They are doing it because they can and we have to do something about that," Dr. McCray said. "Find a way to slap the hands of these companies that chose to put all this burden on the working and middle-class people.“
When it comes to abortion, Banks is pro-life. While he didn’t directly say he would support a national abortion ban, he feels the federal government could have a place in furthering restrictions on abortion.
WATCH | Full interview with Dr. Valerie McCray
"When a heartbeat is detected, when a baby can feel pain in the womb, those are areas where the federal government can look at passing pro-life restrictions on abortion,” Banks said. “At this point, that state has acted the Dobs decision. I am very proud of what Indiana has done."
Dr. McCray says abortion is her top priority. She says if elected, she will focus on restoring abortion rights.
"That is the most vulnerable time of a woman’s life when she has learned that she is pregnant,” Dr. McCray said. “How dare they. I am going with gloves on, and I am ready to fight this out.”
There is a debate scheduled for October 29 but only Dr. McCray and libertarian candidate Andy Horning have agreed to it. As of now, Jim Banks has declined to take part.
For more information about Andy Horning, click here.
