2026 Voter Guide: Indiana's 8th Congressional District

Timothy Jagielo: First question, just tell us a little bit about yourself and why you're running.

Mary Allen:  Yeah, so a little bit about me. I have three daughters. I have two grandchildren. Over the course of my career, I've had the opportunity to work in several different spaces.

I served in the Army Reserve. I worked in healthcare for about 15 years. Served alongside my husband in a nonprofit community development ministry for about a decade. Then went on to small business ownership, where I owned a store on Main Street.

I recently sold that store actually in December to really fully focus on this race, and so I feel like having that opportunity to work in several different spaces gave me a front row seat to where policy really hits people, and it really motivated me. Maybe, I think prep, you know, prepared me a little bit for this role too.

I currently serve as an at-large city councilor here in Evansville, and I absolutely love what I do. And that's something that I was seeing, I feel like, with our elected officials, with our representatives in particular, that they're making decisions on policy but are really disconnected to the people that those policies impact.

And I know I could do it differently. Like I said, I love what I do, I've never missed a meeting, and I'm really proud of that fact. But more than just showing up for a meeting and taking a vote, I know you need to show up in the community and get to know the people that you are elected to represent.

How do you represent someone if you don't know them? And you deserve a representative that listens and represents you. And I will be that representative.

Jagielo: If you're elected, what will your first priorities be?

Allen: So that's a big question, and we get that a lot because there's a lot of work to do for sure. So my priorities will always be centered around listening and advocating for the people of the 8th District, and we've been traveling around a lot, all 21 counties, multiple times.

We've put about close to 50,000 miles on my Subaru, doing that traveling and lots of listening, and what we are hearing consistently all throughout is 'cost of living.' People can't afford their everyday essentials. You know, they're struggling, going into debt in order to have healthcare or housing, food, gas, utilities, all of those things.

And so we've got to get in and really address this cost of living crisis first and foremost. Another thing that we're hearing about a ton is getting money out of politics. You know, if we could distill it into two buckets, it's cost and corruption, and those are related.

You know, if we can't get unlimited corporate spending out of politics, you know, when corporations can give unlimited amounts of money to politicians, that shifts the focus and loyalty of that elected official.* They are going to be making decisions on behalf of that corporation, not to best benefit you. That needs to end.

*Editor's note: Corporations can't technically give directly to politicians but can make unlimited expenditures to fund ads and other promotions, actions deemed "speech" by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jagielo: You're running as a Democrat. How does legislating and working as a Democrat look for you?

Allen: So yes, we are in a, basically, a two-party system. So you do have to pick a side. So this is technically a partisan position, but that doesn't mean it has to dictate your decision making.

Funny enough, I have voted Republican for a good portion of my life, and when asked about that, you know, I look back and I see as time had gone on, I felt like that party was leaving everyday people behind. And, you know, I got into this work because I saw how policy impacts people, and I felt like we could do better.

You know, ultimately, I think, you know, ultimately, I want people to know that I will lead with integrity, with independent critical thought.

I believe we do best when we bring stakeholders to the table, when we bring a diverse set of thought to the table, because that's how you get to the most holistic solution. That I think, first and foremost, is what we need to do when making decisions, and always listening to the people. Again, that those decisions will impact.

Jagielo: You've kind of alluded to this already, talking about your opponent, Republican incumbent Mark Messmer. But how might you operate differently from him in D.C.?

Allen: Well, it's not just about operating in D.C. It's also about operating in your district, and a big difference will be, I'll show up. Period. I'll show up, and I'll be accessible and be held accountable, and not just accessible to the people who I think might agree with me.

You know, we are there to represent all people. And in another big way, I will not, I don't now, I never will take corporate PAC money. You know we talked about that and how that has a direct line in, in coordinating with costs, increased costs.

So I won't take PAC dollars. I won't take AIPAC dollars. Any foreign lobbying money. You deserve to know that your representative is there looking after your best interest, and that's exactly what I'll do.

Jagielo: WFYI did some polling, and they found that constituents feel like they're not being listened to by their elected officials. Why do you think that is, and what would you do to address that concern?

Allen: I don't think that's just what a poll is saying. That's what we're hearing. So we're hearing that all throughout the district, you know, everywhere we go, small towns.

I was in a long-term care facility recently, and I know both of us were invited to be there, and they were just so grateful that I showed up, and they said, 'I feel like I've been listened to for the first time. I feel like I've been heard. I feel like my voice matters.'

We hear, and I want them to know – I want you to know that your voice does matter. You matter. So it's not just polling. There's a reason for that poll because it's true. People have felt like they haven't been listened to for a really long time, and this is the people's government.

That's what it's about, is showing up into those spaces and listening and then governing on their behalf. And we're not seeing enough of that. But that's exactly one of the main reasons why I got into this race. It needs… it should be different. It is the people's government.

Jagielo: Well, we do have three minutes left. Can I ask a question, kind of off the cuff? Do you mind?

Allen: Sure.

Jagielo: We've consistently heard, and this is, this for decades, ‘We're in the most divided time we've ever been in. The most divided time we've ever been in,' and, and so if you're elected in a, in a district that has been 'red' for a long time now, since 2008, I believe. What would you say to people who didn't vote for you, but you get elected? What would you say to these people who might be concerned about what you're going to do?

Allen: Yeah, that 'I represent you too.' When you call me with a problem or an issue or a concern, it's exactly what I say here in Evansville, 'When you call me, I don't ask you if you voted for me.' I don't ask you if you're a Republican or a Democrat. You're my constituent, and I am there to serve you and your best interest.

So I want people to know that I'll listen. Like I said, that I'll be accessible, not just to the folks who agree with me.

That we need to be there equally, as much if not more so, to challenge our thoughts and beliefs and say how do we get to this best middle ground? That was one of the reasons I ran.

What, it's interesting that you say that because when I decided to run for city council, there was a book called 'The Space Between Us,' and in another book that I read, it was called 'I Think You're Wrong, But I'm Listening,' and we don't have enough of that anymore.

We don't have enough civil discourse to actually get, like I said, to the best decision. And that's what we need. We need one another, it's kind of a safeguard when we have differing opinions coming to the table, so we can get to the best answer. That's what it's all about.

You know, back in the day, they used to have, you know, like 'lunch on the lawn,' you know, in D.C. and those types of things. And, and you can disagree and. and disagree on policy, but you knew each other as people, and you interacted. You knew their kids, and, and there was humanity in politics.

Someone told me yesterday, and I was, you know, I really appreciated her sentiment where she said, 'I feel like, after listening to you, you bring humanity to politics.' And that's, that's really important to me because that's what it is about, bettering of humanity.

Jagielo: Less than a minute now. Let me ask you about data centers, because when we get past affordability and housing and food, data centers are a big concern in the U.S. The state government is kind of… the executive branch in Indiana is kind of pushing for it a little bit. How would you handle data centers if somebody asks you about those?

Allen: Yeah, and a lot of people do ask us about those, and I would say there are way more questions than answers at this point, which is why I do support a pause. You know, what does decommissioning look like? How much water? How much utilities? Are they paying their own way?

With you know, we, we have rolled out the red carpets as far as tax abatements and those types of things. Do we have decommissioning plans in place?

Again, a lot of things. I want to make sure they are used to build up our communities and not destroy them, and we need some safeguards to ensure that that's the case.

Jagielo: Thank you so much for your time. Thanks for coming in.