Gov. Eric Holcomb is seen in August 2021 at the Indiana Dunes State Park Pavilion in Porter County.
Doug Ross, file, The Times
Gov. Eric Holcomb gives up a thumbs-up May 18, 2017, as he rides a South Shore Line train into the Carroll Avenue station at Michigan City. After disembarking, the Republican ceremonially signed legislation encouraging transit-oriented development near Northwest Indiana commuter rail stations.
Dan Carden
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signs a shovel Sept. 28, 2023, at the groundbreaking for the new Westville Correctional Facility in LaPorte County. He is joined by Christina Reagle, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction; and Kevin Orme, construction services director at the Indiana Department of Correction.
John J. Watkins, file, The Times
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb speaks April 6, 2021, at the opening of a COVID-19 mass vaccination site at the former Roosevelt High School in Gary.
John J. Watkins, file, The Times
Gov. Eric Holcomb, left, speaks with One Region President and CEO Leah Konrady during an Aug. 30, 2019, event in Merrillville.
Kale Wilk, file, The Times
Gov. Eric Holcomb, left, stands with state Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, while the governor waits to upgrade his driver's license to a REAL ID-compliant credential Nov. 21, 2017, at a mobile BMV office in the Statehouse.
Dan Carden, file, The Times
Gov. Eric Holcomb, center, along with East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland, left, and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch participate in a February 2017 roundtable discussion about lead in East Chicago during an event held at the East Chicago Health Department.
Despite containing approximately one-eighth of the state's population, no Indiana governor has been elected from any of the three counties located adjacent to Lake Michigan for nearly seven decades.
And yet, even though term-limited Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb hails from Indianapolis, he unquestionably has done more over the past eight years than any of his predecessors — including 1957-61 Gov. Harold Handley, a LaPorte native — to bolster Northwest Indiana in the short-term, and to set the Region on a sustainable course for continued success in the decades to come.
"You're undoubtedly a powerhouse," Holcomb said during a May 2017 Munster event — his fourth visit to Northwest Indiana during his first four full months in office. "I would love to bring 5 million Hoosiers up to the Region and show them the beaches, show them the scenery and show them how close to the world that their marketplace is."
"I jokingly told my wife before I departed that I may be looking for a second place up here; it would be a lot easier just to stay."
Holcomb ultimately didn't end up relocating the Governor's Residence to Northwest Indiana. But he's remained one of its biggest advocates at the Statehouse and, working with Hoosier lawmakers and local leaders, delivered wins for the Region on myriad issues large and small.
Some of the numbers are just eye-popping. Consider the nearly completed double-tracking of the South Shore Line between Gary and Michigan City to speed commuter rail service to Chicago and the well-underway construction of the West Lake extension running from Hammond to Dyer.
The price tag for both projects together totals approximately $1.6 billion. State funds account for about half of that amount, including a last-minute additional investment of $205 million in the 2019 state budget after the federal government reduced its match to 37.5% instead of the anticipated 49%.
Or take the reconstruction of the Westville Correctional Facility in LaPorte County. Originally budgeted at $400 million in 2021, Holcomb last year insisted the state see the project through to completion even though its projected price tag soared to $1.2 billion due to inflated labor and materials costs.
When complete in early 2027, the new Westville will be a state-of-the-art replacement for the current facility, a state mental health center constructed in 1951 that awkwardly was converted into a prison more than 40 years ago, as well as the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City — opening up some 24 acres of rail-adjacent property just steps from Lake Michigan for redevelopment.
That kind of win-win has been a hallmark of Holcomb's administration of the Hoosier State.
He's unlocked billions of private investment dollars by strategically deploying state quality-of-place (READI) grants in Northwest Indiana and elsewhere, and he authorized the creation of Transit Development Districts (TDDs) adjacent to new and existing South Shore Line stations to incentivize transit-oriented development and attract new residents and businesses to the Region.
State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, the sponsor of the TDD proposal in House Enrolled Act 1144 (2017), said he wasn't surprised Holcomb got on board since "he rightfully sees Northwest Indiana as an economic engine for the state."
"We sold the Legislature on the project as a good investment for Indiana based on studies indicating we could expect within 10 years of completion, $2 billion in additional private investment with the creation of the Transit Development Districts," Slager said.
"To date and prior to completion, we've already tallied commitments of $500 million! The governor's confidence was well placed in Northwest Indiana."
Holcomb also placed another bet on Northwest Indiana in 2019 when he signed a law authorizing Gary's languishing Majestic Star casinos to relocate from a Lake Michigan harbor to a more accessible land-based site adjacent to Interstate 80-94 at Burr Street.
The $300 million Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana opened in Gary on May 14, 2021. It's been the highest grossing casino in Indiana every month since October 2021.
In terms of win-win, the former Majestic Star site at Buffington Harbor is set to be redeveloped under the guidance of Gary Mayor Eddie Melton, the second Gary casino license was relocated to Terre Haute where the state's 13th commercial casino opened in early April, and Hard Rock donated $3 million in March to access a state match authorized by Holcomb in 2023 to demolish blighted buildings in downtown Gary in connection with the upcoming redevelopment of its Metro Center transit hub.
"It's been a privilege to work with Gov. Holcomb during my time in the Legislature. It's clear that he recognizes the economic potential in Gary, and the impact it brings to the entire state," Melton said. "Working with Gov. Holcomb has allowed us to set the stage for Gary's economic resurgence. Despite our differences on social and political matters, our friendship has allowed us to prioritize the greater good for Gary."
Holcomb's commitment to improving Northwest Indiana and helping its residents hasn't always depended on a 7-, 8-, 9- or 10-figure dollar amounts.
Weeks after taking office in 2017, the new governor signed an executive order declaring a disaster emergency for East Chicago's USS Lead Superfund site to help expedite the relocation of some 100 residents who had yet to move from the lead contaminated West Calumet Housing Complex, demolish the property, and pay for lead testing and treatment of the adults and children who once lived there.
Holcomb also personally visited the East Chicago site, just as he would fly in a state police helicopter over the frozen Lake Michigan shoreline in early 2020 to see firsthand the devastating effects of high water levels and erosion on the beaches, bluffs and other properties along the lakefront — particularly in Beverly Shores, Ogden Dunes, Portage and Long Beach — before signing an executive order directing the work of state agencies to preserve "one of our state's crown jewels."
Indeed, the preservation and enjoyment of Lake Michigan has been a consistent theme of Holcomb's administration, which saw on his watch the establishment of Indiana Dunes National Park in 2019, the revitalization of the Pavilion at Indiana Dunes State Park, and a 2024 mandate for lakeshore municipalities to install life rings on the beach to reduce the annual number of drownings in the lake.
Even Holcomb's policies with a statewide focus, such as the governor's early reopening of Indiana amid the COVID-19 pandemic, benefited Northwest Indiana as locked-down Illinois residents crossed the state line to dine and shop at Region businesses.
The roads and bridges in Northwest Indiana also are in better shape these days after Holcomb controversially hiked fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees to fund a 20-year program of construction and maintenance projects on both state and local highways.
Though the governor's gas tax hikes have been paired with consistent reductions in personal and corporate income tax rates — making Indiana a more attractive and competitive state for residents and businesses interested in relocating.
Looking ahead, Holcomb's efforts to attract federal funding have positioned Northwest Indiana for billions of dollars in coming investments in hydrogen technology, quantum computing, data processing and other industries of the future.
He described Northwest Indiana last year as "the promised land" for fitting together all the pieces necessary for successful economic development on a regional scale.
"You're proving just how critically important cooperation and collaboration is," Holcomb said. "A very methodical, thoughtful regional approach is what separates us from so many other states."
Holcomb isn't saying what he plans to do after he leaves the governor's office in early 2025. He almost certainly would find grateful and welcoming neighbors in Northwest Indiana if he ever follows through on his notion of making his home in the Region.
Gallery: Get to know the state symbols of Indiana
State Aircraft: Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt
State Bird: Cardinal
State Flag
State Flower: Peony
State Fossil: Mastodon
State Gun: Grouseland Rifle
State Insect: Say's Firefly
State Language: English
State Motto: "Crossroads of America"
State Nickname: The Hoosier State
State Pie: Sugar Cream Pie (unofficial)
State Poem: "Indiana"
State River: Wabash
State Seal
State Snack: Indiana-Grown Popcorn
State Song: "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away"
State Stone: Limestone
State Tree: Tulip tree
A Hall of Fame ceremony fixture
Gov. Eric Holcomb is scheduled to speak at the annual Northwest Indiana Business & Industry Hall of Fame induction ceremony for the sixth time during his two terms as governor of Indiana.
Gov. Eric Holcomb gives up a thumbs-up May 18, 2017, as he rides a South Shore Line train into the Carroll Avenue station at Michigan City. After disembarking, the Republican ceremonially signed legislation encouraging transit-oriented development near Northwest Indiana commuter rail stations.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signs a shovel Sept. 28, 2023, at the groundbreaking for the new Westville Correctional Facility in LaPorte County. He is joined by Christina Reagle, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction; and Kevin Orme, construction services director at the Indiana Department of Correction.
Gov. Eric Holcomb, left, stands with state Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, while the governor waits to upgrade his driver's license to a REAL ID-compliant credential Nov. 21, 2017, at a mobile BMV office in the Statehouse.
Gov. Eric Holcomb, center, along with East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland, left, and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch participate in a February 2017 roundtable discussion about lead in East Chicago during an event held at the East Chicago Health Department.