Fighters Wanted

Friends and constituents,

The people are crying out for leadership. High school students across the state are stepping up to provide it, engaging in daring and courageous walkouts in freezing temperatures in order to demand justice and peace. But where are the adults championing our youth and our grassroots? Check out my video update, then keep reading.

Voters want fighters. And despite all of the institutional discouragement, fighters are running for office. Today I'm issuing some personal endorsements - technically my first time ever doing so as an elected official.

But in several high-profile races, the political establishment seems to be focusing its energy and raising immense amounts of money in order to sabotage popular, populist candidates.

Blythe Potter had been campaigning across the state, speaking to huge applause in front of massive rallies like the No Kings and 50501 protests for months and months before officially launching her campaign for Secretary of State on June 1st of 2025. Blythe has run on bringing working class people back into a central place in politics and has taken her message to county after county meeting the Hoosiers who need leadership.

Rather than running for another statewide race like Comptroller - which as of today still has no declared candidates at all for the Democratic party - Beau decided to enter the race for Secretary of State. Big money, including from Republican billionaires linked to Jeffrey Epstein, has rushed in to offer bizarrely gigantic amounts of support to Bayh. I believe these evil men are less interested in defeating Diego Morales, and more interested in defeating Blythe Potter and the grassroots coalition she represents.

Jackson Franklin, too, had been organizing grassroots resistance to Trump and Representative Victoria Spartz in the 5th Congressional District for over a year, and had raised far more money and trained more volunteers than any of his Democratic competitors in that race. Franklin is meeting the moment - calling for the abolition of ICE, the immediate move to Medicare for All, and an end to foreign wars. All of these positions are incredibly popular with voters.

JD Ford, one of the very few sitting Indiana Democratic State Senators has now entered the same 5th District race, leaving his battleground State Senate seat without a clear successor only four months before the primary. I considered Ford a friend and a great representative in the Senate, but warned him before he announced that I thought this was a terrible idea and that he should just support Jackson Franklin and make good use of his existing seat instead.

Instead, Ford is running a vague “affordability” campaign that thus far has no specifics on policy recommendations. Ford - who does not even live in the 5th district he is running to represent - has not condemned ICE as an institution - only calling for an “investigation” into the obvious execution of Alex Pretti this weekend. He talks about “fighting to lower healthcare costs” without revealing that the only real way to prevent healthcare costs from skyrocketing is to nationalize the industry.

Because they court big donors, Beau Bayh and JD Ford both have access to vast sums of money that Blythe Potter and Jackson Franklin couldn’t dream of achieving.

Big donors - like MAGA billionaire and Trump’s Gaza “Board of Peace” appointee Marc Rowan, who gave Beau Bayh $25,000 - help control elected officials. Electeds who know that future financial support depends on these powerful individuals’ whims are a lot less likely to take votes that will turn the money spigot off.

Money can certainly help win elections - but as Kamala Harris could tell you, it does not always guarantee victory.

Only the support of voters can guarantee victory.

And voters want fighters.

Big donors could easily give money to moderate candidates running in districts that did not already have credible grassroots candidates who have the potential of becoming the Democratic nominee.

But it’s my contention that defeating Republicans is not the moderates’ top goal.

Defeating progressives and socialists is.

Just like Andrew Cuomo in New York City last year, moderates who never seem to be able to find motivation to stand up against the worst of Trump’s excesses suddenly leap into action when a leftist candidate starts gaining steam. Fascism, it seems, is good for business.

We are caught in a vicious cycle. Over and over again, the political establishment of “moderates” fights hard to keep progressives far away from power. These establishment politicians refuse to support left-leaning candidates, whether they are potential primary challengers or running in districts that rarely even field Democratic candidates at all. The insiders actively sabotage campaigns, giving bad advice and misinformation. They work hard behind closed doors to discourage donors and volunteers from lending support to candidates that are a threat to the moderate, bland brand of the party.

But sometimes, despite all of this inertia and opposition, good people with passion and popular positions manage to win their elections anyway. The only way I’ve seen this happen is when and if candidates inspire massive numbers of regular people to get organized and get involved in a political campaign. My own campaign worked that way. Zohran Mamdani’s campaign worked that way. Glenda Ritz’s campaign worked that way.

Together, regular people can unite, refuse to collaborate with billionaires and fascists, and insist on voting for candidates who represent us. There are excellent people running all up and down the state who have consistently stood alongside the people in our fights for democracy.

Today, I'm proud to endorse several candidates for office across the state. Each of these people has impressed me with their consistent orientation away from the political establishment, refusal to allow big money to buy our elections, and courage and principled resistance to fascism.

Blythe Potter is a working-class candidate running an extremely hard-working and authentically grassroots campaign for Secretary of State. Offer some grassroots support so she can reach delegates to win at Convention.

Jackson Franklin has shown more courage and principles in his campaign for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District than nearly any candidate in my lifetime. Give some money to help him keep fighting.

Pastor David Greene has used his positions as President of the Concerned Clergy and his seat at tables like the Mayor's Council on Homelessness to speak truth to power, insist on better treatment for our neighbors who most need support, and defend public education against the big money privatizers. He has my full support in his race for State Senate District 29. Show him your support as well.

Clif Marsiglio has faced down threats, intimidation, and physical assault in order to stand up against establishment politician bullies from both parties. He's proven that he always stands with the people, no matter what that costs him. I hope he becomes my own State Senator, representing District 46. Chip in to his campaign here.

Victoria Martz has stepped up into Democratic Party leadership in Ripley County, a place where she's fought an uphill battle to provide options and vision for House District 55. Give her some help here.

Hunter Collins is bringing his experience as a union organizer to his fight to represent House District 68. Show him some love here.

Karla López Owens has been fighting for the rights of working class people, immigrants, and democracy ever since she was a teenager. She's running an excellent campaign for Marion County Clerk. Send her some support here.

These bold fighters for the people deserve our support. Based on the amount of PAC money, law firm money, and billionaire money backing up their opposition, they'll need every bit of it!