Candidates for Indiana’s House District 26 sat for a debate Wednesday evening in the studios of WBAA, moderated by reporters Emilie Syberg and Dave Bangert.
Incumbent Democrat Chris Campbell and Republican candidate Fred Duttlinger sparred over whether they supported the state’s near-total abortion ban and how they would handle working alongside - or within - the state’s Republican supermajority.
Duttlinger said Campbell has not been a good bipartisan representative of the district.
“She hasn’t even chosen to meet with our local mayor, Republican Mayor John Dennis, simply because there’s an R by his name,” Duttlinger said.
Campbell disagreed with Duttlinger’s assessment, saying she often texts with the mayor about legislation.
“I would say that’s completely false,” she said. “...the media captures a lot of negativity. It creates drama and it creates a false sense of what’s going on at the Statehouse.”
On abortion, candidates both disagreed with the state’s abortion legislation.
Campbell, who voted against the bill’s passage, said the law is horrible for Indiana - especially given the state’s already high maternal and infant mortality rates.
“This really did not take into account all of the infrastructure that’s missing that would help women not need abortions,” she said.
Duttlinger, whose campaign website cites his “strong belief in a right to life”, described a desire for better guardrails within the legislation.
“There was not enough done for women,” he said. “Seeing more support go towards women, especially in rural areas who need prenatal care, attacking and addressing our infant mortality rate is huge as well.”
Rounding out the night, the candidates were asked to lay out how they differ from their opponent.
“The ability to go and get things done and being effective,” Duttlinger said. “The effective leadership aspect of it is non-partisan, because you’re working on what is going to be best for the constituents.”
Campbell pointed to her strong relationships with local officials and an understanding of how things operate at a local level.
“I’ve brought a lot of personal experience from the local level down to the Statehouse,” she said.
Election day is on Nov. 8.
