Election & Politics

Democratic gubernatorial hopeful John Gregg wants to eliminate the corporate income tax for Indiana businesses. He plans to make up the lost revenue by collecting taxes from online retailers.   

Gregg’s plan eliminates the corporate income tax for businesses headquartered in Indiana by providing them tax credits of anywhere between $500 and $2,000 per employee.  The former Indiana House Speaker also wants to provide a tax credit to businesses that create jobs in the state – whether those businesses are headquartered in Indiana or elsewhere.  And the job credits would only go to businesses in targeted, high-paying sectors, like health care, research and development, life sciences, energy and agriculture.

The November ballot is set in House District 27.

Greater Lafayette Republican voters chose a man who touts his law and business background as the reason he will represent the area well in Indianapolis.

To do so, Chuck Hockema is going to have to defeat a woman who has served in Indianapolis for 30 years.

The political novice defeated Jan Payne in Tuesday's Primary by receiving nearly 64-percent of the votes.

Hockema believes his law degree and work in the private sector give him valuable experience that he thinks is needed in Indianapolis.

Now, the former business owner will face long-time District 27 representative Sheila Klinker in November.

Klinker began her service in the statehouse in 1982 and faced no primary challenger, Tuesday.

A former Lafayette City Councilor is going to try to further his political career as a state representative. 

Rick Cornstuble defeated Eric Thiel for the House District 26 Democratic nomination in Tuesday's Primary.

Cornstuble garnered nearly 59-percent of the vote. 

He says he is happy to have won the primary by such a wide margin, but knows he will have to fight hard to defeat incumbent Randy Truitt in November.

Before his term on the Lafayette city council, Cornstuble served for 30-years with the Indiana State Teacher’s Association.

Truitt is seeking his third term in office representing the Lafayette-area district.

Nineteen votes determined the final Republican candidate on the November ballot for the at-large Tippecanoe County Council seats.

Bryan Metzger got the nod over Gary Schroeder.

Metzger, who has worked both with the county extension office and fairgrounds, believes he can bring a unique set of skills to the council.

The county is going to examine 21-provisional ballots that were cast during Tuesday’s primary.  A determination on their legitimacy must come May 18th.

Incumbents John Basham and Kevin Underwood appear poised to return to the council.

They were the top two vote getters, with Basham receiving more than 22-percent of the vote and Underwood garnering nearly 19-percent.

Early voting before Tuesday's election has ended and turnout in Tippecanoe County is lower than the last presidential and midterm Primaries.

According to the county clerk’s office, 4,794 people cast a ballot over the past few weeks. That includes 3,851 taking a Republican ballot and 942 choosing Democrat.

That’s a little more than half of the record turnout during the 2008 Primary, which featured a still contested race between senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Compared to 2010, there were about 400 fewer voters. That year featured a large field of Republicans running to succeed retiring Congressman Steve Buyer in the 4th District and for the open U.S. Senate seat.

Primary voting Tuesday is from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The U.S. Senate candidates are making their final push for votes Monday.

Republicans Dick Lugar and Richard Mourdock are in a close race for the party’s nomination.

Lugar made stops in Otterbein, West Lafayette and Frankfort Monday morning.  The West Lafayette stop included a tour of the city's waste water treatment plant.

Mourdock is expected in West Lafayette at 4 p.m. He’s speaking at the Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church on County Road 600 North, just east of State Road 43.

Most polls show the race is close between the incumbent senator and current state treasurer.

WBAA's Kristin Malavenda previews the Republican primary for the District 27 House seat. Either Chuck Hockema or Jan Payne will challenge incumbent Sheila Klinker in the November General Election.

A candidate for governor is making the sales tax on gasoline a campaign issue.

Standing in front of a downtown Indianapolis gas station Wednesday, Democrat John Gregg announced that, as governor, he would push to immediately and permanently abolish the sales tax on gasoline.  Gregg says it’s a quick way to put money into the hands of Hoosiers.

“A Hoosier can be able to save up – a Hoosier family – up to over five hundred dollars per year.”

Eliminating the tax would cost the state around $540 million in annual revenue.  But Gregg proposes a way to make up that money is through an annual efficiency review of state government. 

WBAA's Kristin Malavenda previews the Republican candidates on the ballot for County Council at-large seats in the May 8th primary.