Three Democrats file to run for local Indiana House of Representative seats

INDIANAPOLIS — Three Democrats filed recently for local Indiana House of Representative seats to be on the May primary election ballot.

Sue Errington, state representative in House District 34, filed to run for re-election in 2024. Errington has represented the 34th District for 12 years. Prior to her first election to the House in 2012, Errington served the area in the Indiana State Senate from 2006 to 2010.

“I chose to file for re-election this year because I know how important it is to fight for Hoosiers. I am ready to fight for the freedoms of women and working families in Muncie and across Indiana,” said Errington in a prepared statement. “I will fight for women to regain their freedom to choose abortion without government interference, for families to have the opportunity to find affordable childcare and early childhood education, and for people to have the freedom to go about their day without having to face gun violence.”

District 34 makes up most of the city of Muncie. She has been active in recent months campaigning in support of efforts to bring solar farms to northern Delaware County.

Errington said she filed for re-election with fellow Democrat candidate John Bartlett, running in House District 33, which includes Randolph County, Blackford County, eastern Delaware County and a portion of northeast Henry County.

Bartlett, a resident of rural Blackford County, also ran as for the seat in the 2022 election. He is a native of the district and has lived his entire life in East Central Indiana. He grew up in the northeast corner of Randolph County, having a Ridgeville address, Redkey phone, attending Parker City Elementary and Monroe Central High School.

In a prepared statement, Bartlett said he wants to help initiate new ideas which will improve the lives of the rural and small-town district residents.

“When you look at the demographics, rural Indiana never recovered from the Great Recession of 2008.  In fact, life has gotten worse in many aspects," he said.  "When I campaigned in the towns in 2022, I was shocked at state these places I had known well in my childhood.  The stores, banks, schools, churches, and restaurants are largely gone except for the Dollar General and a gas station."

He said the Republicans have held a majority in both houses of the legislature since 2010 and a super majority since 2012, and he charges that they have done nothing to improve the economy in rural Indiana.

Bartlett said he proposes more state investment from the state budget surplus be used to help rural and small-town economies and provide improvements to the health and safety of the public.

District 33 is currently represented by Republican J.D. Prescott of Randolph County.

The third local Democrat filing for a General Assembly seat with Bartlett and Errington was Phil Gift of Gaston, who is running for state representative in District 35.

Gift's social media profile says he is a retired Veterans Administration nurse and describes himself as being pro choice. District 35 is currently represented by Republican Elizabeth Rowray of Yorktown. Rowray also serves as president and CEO of the Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce.

David Penticuff is a reporter with The Star Press. He can be contacted at dpenticuff@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Trio of Democrats run for local Indiana General Assembly seats in 2024