INDIANAPOLIS — Four Republican candidates for Indiana Governor met Tuesday in the FOX59/CBS4 studios in Indianapolis for the election season’s first televised debate.

During the debate, candidates discussed a wide range of topics about their policies and actions should they be elected. The participants included:

  • U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.)
  • Brad Chambers, the former Indiana Secretary of Commerce
  • Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s lieutenant governor
  • Eric Doden, the former president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation

Of the many topics discussed by the candidates, five stood out: Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s past performance, immigration policy, time zones, marijuana legality and small-town infrastructure.

Videos and a breakdown of candidate responses are below:

Grading Gov. Holcomb

Tuesday’s debate comes as Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, a Republican, is prevented from seeking reelection this year because of state term limit laws.

Given that debate participants would be taking over for Holcomb if elected, they were asked to give a grade to the Governor’s performance.

  • Mike Braun:
    • Grade: B-
    • Comments: Braun said that Gov. Holcomb has done an “okay” job in regard to economic development. However, he said the Governor did a lot of “lip service” when talking about bringing more jobs to Indiana. He finished by saying that there is a lot of room to do better given Holcomb’s performance.
  • Brad Chambers:
    • Grade: A
    • Comments: Chambers said that he thinks Gov. Holcomb has “tackled some real issues” and that last year’s legislative session was a real achievement. Chambers added that Holcomb has done a good job in securing funding for law enforcement and public health initiatives.
  • Suzanne Crouch:
    • Grade: A or C
    • Comments: Crouch split her grading of Holcomb into two. For the Governor’s handling of economic development in the state, Crouch gave him an A. However, for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Crouch gave Holcomb a C.
  • Eric Doden:
    • Grade: N/A
    • Comments: Doden said he refuses to grade past performances because he is “focused on the future of Indiana.” Doden said that many small-town Hoosiers have been ignored for too long and that that would change under his administration if elected.

Immigration policies

With the issue of immigration and border security being front and center in the nation’s capital, many Hoosiers have found themselves questioning the state’s policies.

Given that many Indiana residents feel passionately about immigrants moving into the Hoosier State, we asked the candidates how they would handle immigration policies if elected. State resources for migrant deportation

  • Mike Braun:
    • Comments: Braun praised both Florida Gov. Ron Desantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for their handling of migrants in their states. Braun then said that President Joe Biden has undone all of former President Donald Trump’s progress in regards to immigration. Finally, he said that anyone who has “barged into this country without a credible fear” will have to leave under his administration if elected.
  • Brad Chambers:
    • Comments: Chambers called the current state of immigration in the US a “failure of our federal government and Congress.” He said that, if elected, Indiana National Guard troops would be mobilized to combat the fentanyl crisis. Finally, Chambers said he would “wear out [his] welcome in DC” talking to officials about these issues.
  • Suzanne Crouch:
    • Comments: Crouch first said that President Joe Biden’s failed immigration policies have allowed “6 million illegals” into our country. She added that migrants are bringing fentanyl into the state, killing our children and destroying our communities. She said the National Guard would be used to protect borders if elected. Furthermore, Crouch said she would fight to protect Indiana’s borders, farmlands and military sites.
  • Eric Doden:
    • Comments: Doden began his response by saying that President Joe Biden and Congress “need to do their jobs.” Doden also said that, if elected, he would send National Guard troops to the southern border. He added that, in addition to mobilizing troops, he would support Indiana law enforcement agencies to combat local drug dealers. Finally, he said his administration would give people suffering from addiction help and support to combat the fentanyl crisis.

Stance on marijuana

Indiana stands on the outside looking in when it comes to the marijuana industry, with every bordering state leaping into the lucrative cannabis business.

But despite research showing that 85% of Hoosiers support the legalization of marijuana in one form or another, Indiana continues to be left behind. We asked candidates about their stance on marijuana legalization in the Hoosier state.

  • Mike Braun:
    • Comments: Braun said that the topic of marijuana has become even trickier because it can now be laced with fentanyl and other drugs. He said that making decisions on marijuana legalization is difficult when the federal and state governments aren’t on the same page. Braun finished by saying that while he is potentially open to legalizing medicinal marijuana, he would take his lead from law enforcement since they would have to deal with the brunt of it.
  • Brad Chambers:
    • Comments: Chambers said that while traveling the state throughout his campaign, he has spoken with many seniors and veterans interested in legalizing marijuana. He said that, because of this, he is supportive of medicinal marijuana. However, Chambers cited conflicts between federal and state laws he said would need to be solved before looking at legalizing recreational marijuana.
  • Suzanne Crouch:
    • Comments: Crouch said that when it comes to legalizing marijuana, she stands with law enforcement in being fully opposed. Rather, Crouch said that if elected her administration would focus on battling Hoosiers’ addiction and mental health issues rather than “legalizing another drug.”
  • Eric Doden:
    • Comments: Doden began by saying that he is “clearly not in favor of legalizing marijuana” because the state is dealing with an “addiction issue.” He added that he has been listening to law enforcement about the potency of modern marijuana. Doden finished by saying that he is open to the idea of talking about legalizing marijuana for medical perspectives, but that overall he is opposed.

Time zone debate

There is a debate amongst Hoosiers across the state regarding how Indiana should handle time zones.

For years, Indiana lawmakers have argued whether or not Indiana should be in the eastern time zone or the central time zone.

To address this issue, we asked the candidates whether they’d support putting Indiana in a unified time zone – and if so, which one?

  • Mike Braun:
    • Comments: Braun said that the time zone issue comes up each year in Congress as well. Braun said the state is positioned in the Central Time Zone and that people would not like to change their clocks. He said his preference would be for the Central Time Zone.
  • Brad Chambers:
    • Comments: Chambers said that farmers have taught him the importance of being in one time zone, stressing that he would prefer the Central Time Zone for Indiana.
  • Suzanne Crouch:
    • Comments: Crouch said that she is constantly moving back and forth between Central and Eastern time zones to get home to Evansville. She then stressed that if the General Assembly is open to the discussion, then she is too.
  • Eric Doden:
    • Comments: Doden said that he has heard varying arguments from Hoosiers regarding time zones and that he is open to collaboration and discussion to decide the best move for the state.

Small-town infrastructure

Dirk Rowley from our sister station WANE15 in Fort Wayne asked about how the candidates would address critical needs in small towns. During the question, Rowley referenced how the town of Andrews in Huntington County has a questionable drinking water situation.

To address these issues for rural Hoosiers, we asked candidates what they would do to improve small-town infrastructure if elected.

  • Mike Braun:
    • Comments: Braun said that two people, Doden and Chambers, are on the stage and have economic development experience. However, he said that they did not do anything for small towns when they were involved with economic development. As far as solutions, Braun said he would initially nurture these developments through the private sector.
  • Brad Chambers:
    • Comments: Chambers said that improving small towns comes down to infrastructure, which he said is a duty of government. To fund this, he said that the state’s economy needs to grow. He finished by saying that if you grow the economy it will put more money in Hoosiers’ pockets.
  • Suzanne Crouch:
    • Comments: Crouch said that she is interested in helping the city of Andrews. She said she has helped rural Indiana in the past by expanding broadband. Crouch said the next chapter in the state’s history is to improve the quality of life as a whole, including rural Indiana.
  • Eric Doden:
    • Comments: Doden said that for 50 years, Indiana has ignored and forgotten small towns. He stressed his small-town policy and past work with the private sector to restore the communities. He concluded by saying that there is going to be a “flexible approach” from local leaders where they can share with the state what their problems are.