Crowded field for 4th Congressional District Democratic primary

Eight candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. 4th Congressional District seat in the May 5 primary. The candidates are Drew Cox, Roger Day, Darin Griesey, Thomas Hall Jr., Joe Mackey, Jayden McCash, Paul McPherson and John Whetstone. Republican Jim Baird is the incumbent. He is running for reelection. The candidates answered the following questions from Current. Day, Hall Jr. and Whetstone did not respond to Current’s request to answer the questions.. Why are you running for this office? Cox Cox: I was inspired to run after seeing ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) terrorize communities. We need to demand that ICE be held to the same standards as every other law enforcement agency. They need to remove their masks, produce judicially signed warrants and conduct themselves in a way that serves communities. Griesey: Washington is broken, and this district wants solutions! I promise day one to submit a series of bills focused on lifting the lives of Hoosiers, guaranteeing health care as a right, strengthening Social Security, balancing the federal budget, limiting the terms of Congress and ushering in a new American economy. Mackey: I believe residents of the 4th Congressional (District) have been, and I fear will continue to be, represented in Congress by people more committed to a party than they are to their district. It is time to place the needs of our citizens above the desires of their corporate masters. McCash: I am fed up with the status quo. We are under a regime that is dangerous for our future. I don’t like the direction our country is going in. We need our representative to focus on Hoosiers and not their corporate donors. McPherson: I am tired of the inaction in Washington and lifetime politicians not working for the American people, by continuing to repeatedly present the same legislation, knowing it is dead on arrival. I will bring new ideas and solutions to Washington, and work with lawmakers across the aisle. What sets you apart from your opponents? Cox: I’m the only military veteran in the democratic primary. I’m also the only one that regularly talks about reproductive freedom being a health care decision between a woman and her doctor. Griesey Griesey: My 30 years of professional experience in policy research, program development, organizational management and project evaluation in both urban and rural Indiana. I have traveled throughout 15 foreign countries, and across 40 US states, listening to the concerns of others and helping create solutions to organizational needs. McCash: I am an independent running in the Democratic primary. I’ve had a great success rate convincing republicans to support my campaign. I am unapologetically Hoosier first. I’ll keep our tax dollars at home. I’m the best campaign to beat incumbent Jim Baird in November. Mackey: I have served as chair of the 4th District Democratic Party. I am no stranger to our District. I hear the same concerns. Unaffordable health care. Ever increasing cost of energy, poorly funded public schools and higher education costs continue to increase. I am focused on the issues affecting everyone. McPherson: I have experience in farming, manufacturing and higher education, all of which are key sectors in Indiana’s 4 th district. I have been hired into various roles because of my out-of-the-box problem solving skills. Additionally, I am committed to meeting as many voters as possible, regardless of political affiliation. What are your top three campaign issues? Cox: Affordable health care and economy, regulation of ICE, regulation of data centers and any other industries that take more than they give to Indiana communities. Griesey: Ending corruption in Washington, putting more money in the pockets of Hoosiers and supporting local governments. Having been a single parent, I know the power of more disposable income. As a farm owner, I know the cost of inputs. I know Washington is broken and needs to be healed. McCash McCash: I am anti-war, pro-union and support Medicare for all. I won’t send a penny of your tax dollars overseas until we get Medicare for all. This is my red line. Your health insurance company doesn’t care about you. This is a separate “tax” that Hoosiers pay, $600,000 to $800,000 a month. Mackey: Health care is a human right. Education should be viewed as an investment in our future. We should invest in the reinvention of education. Should agriculture fail, rural communities will experience the incursion of massive factories, data centers, industrial energy farms and whatever governments want to place on farmland. McPherson: Three of my top issues include health care, education and farm bill reform. We need more affordable, better access, especially in rural communities, to health care. We need more investment in K-12 public education to strengthen the workforce. We need an updated, stronger Farm Bill to ensure vital programs continue. What do you most want voters to know about you? Cox: I’m a lifelong Hoosier, the son of a fourth-generation farmer and a 35-year teacher, and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. I’m a good listener. That’s how we’ve built the campaign — going around the 4th District and inputting concerns into our platform. That’s how representative democracy is supposed to work! Griesey: I am committed to creating a new era of servant leadership in Washington. I pledge to only run two-consecutive terms, will tithe 10 percent of my salary back to the district in scholarships, and will sponsor bills focused on lifting Hoosier families, while ushering in a new American economy. McCash: I am husband, father of three. I want to give them the best life that I can. I love being a Hoosier and an American. I won’t fall in line like other politicians. I’ll never forget my roots. Hoosiers in District 4 deserve a representative that will fight for them. Mackey Mackey: My wife Tami and I have been married 37 years. Tami is a nurse; I am a blue-collar guy; I worked in a factory for 30 years. Corporate interest or political PACs do not back me. My race is focused on the issues we face together regardless of political parties. McPherson: I want voters to know that I am a person who works tirelessly to get the job done. I will work across the aisle to find sound, affordable solutions to many of the ongoing social and economic challenges facing the American people. How will you balance the needs of Indiana’s agricultural sector with District 4’s rapid suburban and industrial growth? Cox: I couldn’t interfere with a farmer that wants to sell to a corporation. We can regulate industries (like data centers) to ensure they contribute to that community. We have lost a huge market share of crops, and I think legalizing cannabis could help. We should incentivize farmers to grow hemp. Griesey: As a fourth-generation farm owner, and 25-year community development professional, I support smart growth. So I propose protecting prime farm ground, and clustering new housing and industry near existing towns, creating conservation easements and recruiting ag-related and green technologies to add value to existing local farms. McCash: I’ll be the most transparent representative in America. I pledge to host town halls once a month. That’ll be 24 town halls in my first term. Jim Baird has done ZERO. I’ll always listen to the farmers’ and suburban Hoosiers’ problems and make sure we give a great solution together. Mackey: I would allow the residents at the county level to determine what is best in the way of growth. We can rely on our nation’s farmers, which makes us stronger, or we can continue to grow more reliant on foreign nations to feed us, which then sacrifices our national security. McPherson McPherson: I believe Congress needs to do more to protect farmland and natural resources across America. While regulations can be passed that promote industrial and urban growth without impacting and consuming prime farmland, I think a commission needs to be formed to better plan future growth throughout the district. What specific federal policies will you pursue to address inflation and the rising cost of living? Cox: Congress has the responsibility to administer tariffs, and they have completely failed to hold the president accountable. The senseless campaign in Iran is causing price increases. We need to deregulate the home-building industry. We need to prevent corporations from buying up homes and reselling them at an unaffordable price. Griesey: On day one, I pledge to submit a series of bills that can eliminate personal income taxes, will guarantee Social Security and mandate a health care-for-all program. If passed, these proposals can create up to 35 percent more disposable income for both individuals and businesses. McCash: I will fight government overspending. This is the main cost of inflation. We are $39 trillion and could be $40 trillion in debt by the time you are reading this. We must go after the billionaires. This is class warfare, and we must stick together to take down the establishment. Mackey: The United States has been on an America-first campaign long enough to know the economic situation is not getting any better. Voters must wake up and realize the direction we are headed is not to our benefit, but the benefits of the elite few businesses and their billionaire bosses. McPherson: To reduce living costs, Congress needs to put a stop to the illegal tariffs, break up monopolies in the property management sector to reduce rent on apartments, prevent corporations from buying up real estate, address wage discrepancies and transfer the burden of utility upgrades to the industries and energy companies. Related posts: No related posts. 2026 election Share. Tumblr