Ben Carson (Tippecanoe County Council At-large, Indiana, candidate 2024)

Ben Carson

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Democratic Party

Candidate, Tippecanoe County Council At-large

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 7, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Purdue University, 2018

Personal

Birthplace

Lafayette, Ind.

Profession

Educator and business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Ben Carson (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Tippecanoe County Council At-large in Indiana. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

Carson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ben Carson provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on November 1, 2024:

• Birth date: November 25, 1994
• Birth place: Lafayette, Indiana
• High school: West Lafayette High School
• Bachelor's: Purdue University, 2018
• Gender: Male
• Profession: Educator and Business Owner
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Timeless Values. New Voice.
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook

Elections

General election

General election for Tippecanoe County Council At-large (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Tippecanoe County Council At-large on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Katy O'Malley Bunder (D)
	Submit photo	Ben Carson (D)
	Submit photo	Amanda Eldridge (D)
	Submit photo	John Basham (R)
	Submit photo	Barry Richard (R)
	Submit photo	Kevin L. Underwood (R)
	Submit photo	Dean Bertelli (L)
	Submit photo	Holly Mayoras (L)
	Submit photo	Randall J. Young (L)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Tippecanoe County Council At-large (3 seats)

Katy O'Malley Bunder, Ben Carson, Amanda Eldridge, Joe Mackey, and Wendy L. Starr ran in the Democratic primary for Tippecanoe County Council At-large on May 7, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Katy O'Malley Bunder
	Submit photo	Ben Carson
	Submit photo	Amanda Eldridge
	Submit photo	Joe Mackey
	Submit photo	Wendy L. Starr

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Tippecanoe County Council At-large (3 seats)

John Basham, Paige Britton, Dan Dunten, Barry Richard, and Kevin L. Underwood ran in the Republican primary for Tippecanoe County Council At-large on May 7, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	John Basham
	Submit photo	Paige Britton
	Submit photo	Dan Dunten
	Submit photo	Barry Richard
	Submit photo	Kevin L. Underwood

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Carson in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ben Carson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Carson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Ben Carson is a lifelong Hoosier and resident of Tippecanoe County. Ben graduated from West Lafayette High School and earned a Bachelor's degree from Purdue University in Philosophy along with Minors in Political Science, German, and LGBT Studies. After graduating High School, Ben worked as a teacher, primarily teaching Speech and Debate to middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students, eventually coaching the winners of both the Middle School and High School Tournament of Champions.

Aside from teaching, Ben has worked for and volunteered at various Community Foundations and Organizations. Ben currently is a co-founder of an Education Technology startup, which aims to improve access and educational quality for academic competitors around the world.

Ben has a firm commitment to the betterment of the community. When not meeting with voters or volunteering with organizations, Ben enjoys spending his free time caring for his animals, watching films, and reading non-fiction.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Provide timeless values with a new voice to better represent our community and future generational issues.
• Strengthen our health and well-being, by fighting for comprehensive public support--including adequate funding of mental health workers, social workers, officers, community corrections staff, and more.
• Invest strategically in the community to prepare ourselves for rapid economic growth.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

All of them! But if I had to choose a few: Mental health, Environment, "third places", infrastructure, and housing.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

It's a cheesy answer, but George Washington. I admire his pragmatism and incredible energy.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Not really, but I love reading presidential biographies, as you can learn a lot about what motivates people--for better or for worse--to vie for power. I think understanding people is a critical part of government. It's also a critical part of making sure that we elect people who aren't corrupt and whose heart is in the right place. I'll name a book for fun that's only slightly political, but is just a great read: "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down".

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Intelligence, Humility, Leadership, and a small ego.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a strong leader and good public speaker, which is an underrated aspect of being a champion of the people. I also have experience in teaching, government, and business, which I believe develops almost all of the skills you need to do the job well.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities of this office are to manage our budget appropriately, to determine new ways in which our funds can be used, and to meet with our constituents to better understand our pain points.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would simply like to my constituents to feel like I cared about them, I fought for them, and that I did what's right.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Bush defeating Al Gore. I was 6, I think.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was a dishwasher at a retirement home. I believe I worked there for about 1.5 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. It's an incredible story of how dramatically different cultures can be, and how that can create a whole host of problems for communities, governments, and people.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

The Dude

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Finding a main interest and putting all of my energy into it. I have so many different things in my life that are fun and interest me, but they sometimes get in the way of each other. I would love to be able to isolate one and really improve on it.

Tell us your favorite joke.

How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it!

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

West Lafayette Mayor Erin Easter, Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski, State Representatives Chris Campbell and Sheila Klinker, numerous Lafayette and West Lafayette City Councilors and Township Trustees. Organizations: Run For Something.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The more the merrier.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Tippecanoe County Council At-large

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