Two Republicans vie to serve Delaware, Randolph counties in new state Senate District 26

MUNCIE, Ind. — Delaware County Council President Scott Alexander is running against businesswoman Katherine "Kat" Kritsch in the Republican primary, both seeking to become senator for a newly reconstituted Indiana Senate District 26.

In past years, District 26 had included part of Madison County. Now District 26 includes all of Delaware and Randolph counties. Following redistricting, the district no longer has an incumbent living within the new boundaries.

The winner will face Democrat Melanie Wright, who previously served as the District 35 representative in the Indiana House and who is unopposed in the primary.

Alexander said Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton, the current senator from District 26, advised him late last year to run for the senate seat.

"After that things started falling into place," Alexander said. "Generally, the state has been doing a good job."

While he didn't approve of some of the pandemic mandates the state imposed, generally he thinks the Republican-dominated General Assembly has done well, especially in taking care of the state's finances.

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He said the real issue is leadership, which he says he has demonstrated in his time leading the county council.

As he has gone about campaigning, Alexander said he has been hearing from employers about the difficulty finding employees. "It was an issue before COVID," he said. "But COVID made it worse."

He said the state should work on ways to improve the workforce and prepare people for available jobs.

Alexander said the state needs to also lessen red tape and bureaucratic rules that are a burden for employers, and work on finding ways to get people back to work. That would include support for trade schools and vocational training.

Improving school performance is important, he said, and supporting school choice is part of that improvement. He said school choice has been a good thing for Indiana.

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Regarding Muncie Community Schools, which has been under the control of Ball State University since 2018, Alexander said he doesn't think the university is ready to return the schools to the control of an elected school board. "I think that will be a process," he said. "It's not like flipping a switch."

The statehouse has discussed public school curriculum, including controversial subjects such as discussions on gender fluidity and critical race theory. Those are matters of which the General Assembly should be aware. he said. But until there is reason to take action at the state level, Alexander said he preferred to let local elected school boards handle those issues.

He added that he is supportive of parents and their involvement in the schools their children attend.

The recent General Assembly session saw leadership in the House and Senate call on hospitals and health insurance companies throughout the state to find ways to lower costs to consumers. Recent studies have found Indiana has some of the most expensive hospital costs in the country, and industry executives have been asked to bring their prices in line with the national average.

"I do agree that it is a problem," said Alexander, who works as a real estate appraiser in Delaware County.

He said the best approach is to let the hospitals and insurance companies develop the solutions but, if not, the General Assembly should take action.

Union City woman offers challenge to status quo

Kritsch said she was motivated to run for office by the hypocrisy of elected officials who, she said, have failed to do the things necessary to help people dying of drug abuse in Indiana.

She lost a son to a fentanyl overdose in 2017. He had been able to order the drug over the internet, which should not be possible, she said.

The Union City resident said the people who allow hard drugs to be so available need to be accountable for their impact of the lives of families.

Krisch also said those providing treatment to addicts need to consider the mental health of patients, adding that physicians should not be allowed to discontinue a prescription for an opioid drug to an addict without making another drug or treatment available to help the patient.

Kritsch is secretary of the Indiana chapter of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), and would like to see Indiana join other states in making medical use of marijuana legal.

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Eventually, marijuana might be legal for recreational use, she said, but making it available to people who need the substance to improve their health is more vital.

Kritsch is a cosmetologist and operates Beautiful Disaster studio inside The Bash on Mulberry Street in Muncie, also works at Hairlooms in Winchester. She also serves as a CASA volunteer, advocating for children in the court system in Randolph County.

She said that she believes in greater government transparency and in helping veterans make their way in the community following their service. She is also supportive of the Second Amendment regarding a right to keep and bear arms.

Kritsch said she would alert her constituents about legislation being proposed and how it will impact their lives.

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Regarding the cost of hospitalization in Indiana, she agreed that it needs to be dealt with and that she has seen the issue of healthcare pricing from the inside, having been a respiratory therapist prior to becoming a cosmetologist in 2019..

The candidate says she has been campaigning by talking to many people, having spent only $669, but still hoping to win by asking voters: "Who best represents what you want and need,"

David Penticuff is the local government reporter at the Star Press. Contact him at dpenticuff@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: New Indiana Senate District 26 has two Republicans seeking party's nod