Voters in Indiana Senate District 22 will choose between two candidates this November to represent them in the Indiana Senate. The district includes all of Carroll County and a portion of Tippecanoe County. It includes the cities of Lafayette and Delphi.
There are 50 members of the Indiana Senate. Their job is to work alongside the governor and the Indiana House of Representatives to create laws and set the state budget. They serve four-year terms, and in Indiana there is no limit on the number of terms a senator can serve.
WFYI opened an ongoing voter survey in May, and the most common voting issues were data center policy, affordability, and feeling disempowered.
WFYI contacted each campaign and sent a survey based on voter questions — it asked candidates for their top priorities and their positions on civic health, data centers and affordability. For candidates who did not respond, information was gathered from websites and social media for a "Top priorities" note. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
Ron Alting
Candidate did not fill out WFYI's survey.
Incumbent
Party: Republican
Website: ronalting.com
Age: Not verified
Occupation: Indiana State Senator, District 22; Business Development Leader, Trane
Residence: Lafayette
Top donors (via Transparency USA):
- Indiana Realtors PAC
- Indiana Assn. of Beverage Retailers - Good Gov't Fund
- Centier Bank
- Senate Majority Campaign Committee (SMCC)
- Twg Brl LLC
Top priorities: On his website, Alting says he supports tax cuts, stronger education, the protection of constitutional rights, limited government overreach, and achieving economic growth while protecting local land and water access. In the Indiana State Senate, he currently serves on the Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee, and serves as Chair of the Public Policy Committee.
Natasha Baker
Personal information provided by candidate.
Party: Democrat
Website: electnatashabaker.org
Age: 34
Occupation: Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher
Residence: Battle Ground
Top donors (via Transparency USA):
- Natasha Baker (self)
- ActBlue Indiana
- Janet Baker
- Natalie Baker
- Pru Dillehay
Baker accepted WFYI's invitation to take a survey. WFYI fact checked statements about publicly available data.
If elected, what are your top policy priorities?
My top policy priorities are ending tax breaks for data centers, advocate for a moratorium on data centers, lower property taxes for everyday Hoosiers by closing property tax loopholes and reducing incentives for out of state corporate landlords, ending unconstitutional Flock camera surveillance, expanding access to contraceptives, adequately fund public schools by reducing school voucher spending, and clearing the childcare waitlist.
Many voters told us they don't think today's politicians listen to their constituents. Why do you think that is, and how would you address the concern?
I think that part of the reason voters do not feel like their representatives listen to them is because we have no balance in our statehouse. Politicians do not have to listen in order to keep their seats. Due to gerrymandering and swayed funding, it is easy for our representatives to work for their party instead of the people. Our supermajority does not have to compromise or listen to the will of over 40% of voters in the state.
What is your position on data center development in Indiana?
We need a data center moratorium in place so we can further student the economic and environmental impacts they have in states and communities.
Many voters told us they struggle to afford food, housing and healthcare. If elected, how would you help them address those needs?
To raise wages, Indiana needs to invest in workforce training, apprenticeships, and public education. Indiana can also expand childcare access to allow more people to enter the workforce and earn a living wage. In terms of housing, Indiana can streamline the permitting process while continuing to allow for local input in order to bring more houses to the area faster. Indiana can also expand affordable housing development tax credits, invest in infrastructure that makes more land suitable for housing developments, and strengthen eviction prevention and rental assistance programs for households facing temporary financial hardship. For healthcare, Indiana needs to increase prescription drug pricing transparency, increase the number of physicians, nurses, and behavioral health professionals through loan repayment or residency incentives in underserved areas, and invest in medicaid and expand preventative access to preventative care that prevents costly emergency room visits for the uninsured and medically vulnerable. To increase access to quality food, Indiana needs to support local farmers and food hubs that connect Indiana producers directly with consumers and schools, increase the supply of affordable grocery options in rural and underserved communities through incentives for new stores or mobile markets, and expand access to programs like SNAP, WIC, and summer meal programs for eligible families that put money back into our local farms and grocery stores.
