Hunley, Shearin Offer Sharply Different Views in Indiana Senate District 46 Race

Voters in Indianapolis will choose between Democrat Andrea Hunley and Republican Evan Shearin on Nov. 8 for Indiana Senate District 46, a seat created last year through the state's redistricting process.

Hunley, a former public school teacher and principal, won the Democratic nomination in May from a field of five candidates, taking more than 40 percent of the primary vote. Shearin, the Republican nominee, is a business consultant who served in the U.S. Navy. WFYI sent each candidate five questions to help voters prepare for early voting and Election Day, and their answers were edited for AP Style and clarity.

Asked about the top issue for the coming legislative session, Hunley pointed to the budget. She said lawmakers should use the state's financial resources to support working families, fully fund public education, expand pre-K access, reduce health disparities and fund infrastructure equitably. Shearin said he expects a long, deep recession and wants low-income Hoosiers protected through full funding of housing and bill-assistance programs. He also proposed cutting the gas tax, which he said falls mainly on blue-collar workers who cannot work remotely. He said he opposed the 2017 increase.

On education, Hunley said schools should be funded equitably so outcomes cannot be predicted by race or zip code. She focused on student mental health, calling for licensed providers in every school, and on teacher recruitment and retention. She noted more than 700 vacant teaching positions in Indiana and called for higher pay and alternatives to the current licensing process. Shearin, who is the son of a public school teacher, said the state and local governments micromanage schools. He wants a broad state curriculum centered on life skills and workforce preparation, more promotion of teaching as a career, and a willingness to borrow good ideas from other states and countries.

Both candidates criticized out-of-state investment firms buying up homes. Hunley said the state should define affordable housing, require developers to add or preserve a fixed percentage of affordable units, and give public health and safety offices ways to force landlords to correct violations. Shearin, a former Section 8 caseworker and housing grants manager, called for more funding for enforcing housing regulations and possibly stiffer penalties for negligent landlords.

On state versus local control, Hunley said Indiana's 92 counties have differing needs and that lawmakers should listen to constituents. She said consistency is sometimes needed to avoid a patchwork of business or environmental rules, while home rule should be protected at other times. Shearin said the legislature has overreached, citing the light-rail ban, and said he would seek to repeal such restrictions and resist new ones.

The candidates were furthest apart on abortion. Hunley opposes Indiana's ban and said she will fight to repeal it, arguing it takes medical decisions from families and doctors and gives them to politicians and law enforcement. Shearin supports the current ban but wants enforcement aimed far more at providers than at individuals seeking abortions.

The deadline to apply to vote by mail is Oct. 27, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. local time. Election Day is Nov. 8, and voters can find their polling place through the Indiana Voters Portal.