Indiana Grapples with Pandemic Year State’S Economy Weathered the Storm, but Many Challenges Remain by BRIAN A
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V26, N27 Tuesday, March 9, 2021 Indiana grapples with pandemic year State’s economy weathered the storm, but many challenges remain By BRIAN A. HOWEY COLUMBUS, Ind. – It was a tad more than a year ago that Indiana reported its first COVID-10 case on March 6, 2020. In the March 12 edition of Howey Politics Indiana, Gov. Eric Holcomb said, “We’re remark- ably prepared and you’re seeing that play out right now in our Gov. Eric Holcomb is joined by officials of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Gen- eral Assembly leaders at the mass vaccination site last Friday. coordination.” Purdue President Mitch Daniels told HPI, “I think Hoosier to die. And three days later in the March 19 there’s a good chance this will prove manageable, that it edition, HPI’s lead paragraph: “Hoosiers are facing their won’t be a cataclysmic global event. We can’t be sure of greatest physical and economic threat since the Great De- that yet. It may not quite be of the Y2K variety, but it may pression and on the most crucial aspect of this crisis – the not be 1918, either.” availability of coronavirus testing that would allow health On March 16, 2020, came news of the first known Continued on page 3 Donnelly won’t run in ‘22 By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – A week after U.S. Sen. Todd Young surprised no one by announcing for a second term, Democrat Joe Donnelly took a pass. In a statement to Howey Politics Indiana, Donnelly said that while he could “This is going to be an all-hands- run in the future, it won’t be against Sen. Young in 2022. on-deck effort under my adminis- “It was a great honor to tration to end the scourge of sex- serve our state in the U.S. House and Senate,” Donnelly said. “I ual assault in the military - and worked to create better health we’re going to be focused on that care for Hoosiers, provide more services for our Veterans, assist from the very top.” in job creation, and keep our - President Biden on Monday. nation safe. During the last two years, I have had the chance to teach U.S. national security at Notre Dame, to practice law, to Page 2 work on Hoosier renewable energy million race or $200 million, I’ll be issues, and to work with Indiana busi- ready. I’ve laid the groundwork for nesses to create more jobs. I remain reelection campaign from my two open to being involved in public ser- years of service as chairman of the vice again, but I will not be a candi- National Republican Senatorial Com- date for public office in 2022.” mittee. That position put me in touch Howey Politics Indiana Currently, Gary Human Rela- with some of the most Republican WWWHowey Media, LLC tions Commission Executive Director contributors in the country. I feel c/o Business Office Haneefah Khaaliq is the only Demo- strongly positioned to raise whatever PO Box 6553 crat seeking the nomination. we need to raise.” Young kicked off his first With Donnelly not running, Kokomo, IN, 46904 Senate reelection campaign a week it’s unclear whether there is a cred- www.howeypolitics.com ago, saying on Twitter and in a You- ible Democratic challenger in the Tube video, “When you entrusted me wings. Beyond Donnelly and with Brian A. Howey, Publisher the honor of serving you five years Young’s historic fundraising prowess, Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington ago, I swore an oath to defend the there doesn’t appear to be a Demo- constitution. I also pledged to you crat who could compete. Mary Lou Howey, Editor that I would work to on behalf of The Donald Trump/Mike Susan E. Howey, Editor all Hoosiers to deliver conservative Pence ticket helped Young swamp results. I believe I’ve lived up to that Bayh, who entered the race with a Subscriptions and kept my word but more work $10 million war chest in July 2016 remains, so today I’m announcing my after primary nominee Baron Hill HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 reelection campaign and I’m asking stepped aside. HPI Weekly, $350 for your support.” Asked about the differ- Lisa Hounchell, Account Manager It comes just months after ence between running in a mid-term (765) 452-3936 telephone Young headed the National Republican election as opposed to a presiden- (765) 452-3973 fax Senatorial Committee, raising a [email protected] record $70 million. Republicans were poised to maintain control Contact HPI of the Senate despite Joe Biden’s [email protected] seven million vote plurality, until Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 President Trump made controver- sial remarks that helped Demo- Washington: 202.256.5822 crats win two Georgia Senate Business Office: 765.452.3936 seats on Jan. 5. Since 2012, Indiana U.S. © 2021, Howey Politics Senate races have cost exponen- Indiana. All rights reserved. tially more each cycle. In 2012, Sen. Richard Lugar, Donnelly Photocopying, Internet forward- and Republican nominee Richard ing, faxing or reproducing in any Mourdock and PACs raised and form, whole or part, is a violation spent some $51 million. In his of federal law without permission race against Evan Bayh which from the publisher. Young won 52.1% to 42.4%, there was $75 million raised. In 2018, Braun, Republicans Todd Jack E. Howey Rokita and Luke Messer, Donnelly editor emeritus and their PAC allies raised and 1926-2019 spent more than $100 million. “I’m prepared for an incred- tial year, Young said, “I think I’ll ibly expensive race,” Young told HPI get more airtime. Former President just an hour before Donnelly an- Trump had an uncanny ability to nounced he wouldn’t challenge. “I’ve generate earned media that sucked always entered these races and am some of the oxygen from some down entering this one assuming the worst ballot candidates. It had an upside but hoping for the best and I prepare here in Indiana that really benefitted accordingly. Whether this is a $150 down ballot candidates. I really look Page 3 forward to leading the ticket, to communicating my vision for the Republican Party and the conservative movement.” Young, who has $2.4 million in his war chest, has also gathered up endorsements across the GOP establishment, from the congressional del- egation to the Indiana Statehouse, and throughout the state. It was designed to preclude any sort of primary challenge. Young has been close to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has fallen out of favor with the Trump base. “He is a colleague of mine,” Young said of McConnell. “I was elected to a leadership position independent of Mitch McConnell. Mitch McConnell Mayor Joe Hogsett hasn’t won any of the statewide races remains a powerful Republican and it benefits Hoosiers he’s run for the U.S. Senate and attorney general. The that I’m able to work constructively with him, just as it party’s mayoral and General Assembly benches yield no ob- benefited Hoosiers I was able to work constructively with vious challengers, and the state’s most conspicuous Demo- President Trump. I feel like I’ve made the necessary rela- cratic rising star, U.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg, is tionships both on the Republican and Democratic side to more likely to seek the presidency than to come back and deliver conservative results to all Hoosiers.” challenge Young. For Hoosier Democrats, the bench is wafer thin. Young may be facing what Sen. Lugar did in his U.S. Reps. Andre Carson and Frank Mrvan have not ex- 2006 reelection, which is a Libertarian opponent. v pressed any interest in running statewide. Indianapolis tering those vaccinations Pandemic, from page 1 ... this is huge. “I count my lucky and policy executives to learn of the stars every day that we’re extent of the spread and contact trace having this discussion those in a cluster – we are flying blind.” about hundreds of thou- Out of 6.85 million Hoosiers, sands of Hoosiers getting there had been a mere 193 tests, 39 vaccinated and that we’re confirmed cases and two deaths. not waiting seven years,” A year later, the state’s death Holcomb added. “This is a toll stood at 12,315, more than the esti- good thing.” mated 10,000 Hoosiers who died during On Thursday, the 1918-19 Spanish flu epidemic, mak- President Biden has ing the COVID-19 pandemic the most scheduled a primetime lethal event in Indiana history. The state national address to mark has established 300 test sites, testing 3 the pandemic’s first an- million Hoosiers 8 million times, with 10 niversary. labs established and some 2,300 labs Holcomb, 52, be- reporting results. As of Monday, 1,113,856 first doses of came one of 8,200 Hoosiers vaccinated at the Indianapolis vaccine have been administered in Indiana, and 703,808 Motor Speedway on Friday, one of more than a million individuals are fully vaccinated, according to the Indiana Hoosiers to do so. With three vaccines, he has taken part Department of Health. in a modern American endeavor that will rank among Dr. “We’re obviously coming up this Saturday on Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine, the three-year Manhattan Proj- March 6, which is a year to date of our first reported case, ect that produced the atomic bomb that ended World War so yes, we have been through a lot together and we’re II, and the space race to the moon as the greatest scien- going to get out of this together,” Holcomb said last week.