Two current Indianapolis city-county councilors will go head-to-head in pursuit of a seat in the state Senate.
Jefferson Shreve is kicking off his campaign for the seat being vacated by Sen. Brent Waltz (R-Greenwood), weeks after fellow Republican Jack Sandlin threw his hat in the ring. Shreve praises Sandlin's work on the council, but argues his own credentials are better suited to the legislature than Sandlin's public-safety resume.
Shreve points to his business experience, and says his travels around the state on behalf of his storage business have given him more familiarity with issues beyond Marion County. Still, Shreve says there need to be more legislators with local government experience.
“I don’t think most people realize what relative lack of sovereignty we enjoy from a city-county government standpoint,” Shreve says. “We are very much subject to the decisions made at the west end of Market Street.”
Shreve will be facing voters for the first time. He won a Republican caucus to win his council seat, and didn't seek reelection this year. He says he'd urge legislators to expand state funding for preschool.
“Especially in our state’s urbanized areas, that pre-K money is critical, and most especially in some of the more challenged zip codes of Marion County,” Shreve says.
Waltz is leaving the Senate to run for Congress. The district is a potential swing district -- Waltz won reelection in 2012 by six points.
