Indiana House of Representatives District 73 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Indiana, 2022

---

On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Congressional special elections • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Appellate courts • School boards • Municipal

This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Indiana House of Representatives District 73 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

• Click here to see candidates and election results.
• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Indiana House of Representatives District 73

Jennifer Meltzer defeated Mimi Pruett in the general election for Indiana House of Representatives District 73 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Meltzer (R)	77.1	13,437
		Mimi Pruett (D)	22.9	3,988

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,425
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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.

Expand all | Collapse all

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?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

Pro Life: A human life begins at conception. Jennifer will work to protect all lives. As a proud mother of three daughters she cherishes each and every single moment she has with them everyday. Every child deserves the right to be born, loved, and cared for.

Pro 2nd Amendment: An individuals Second Amendment Right is their way of ensuring they are armed and able to defend themselves and their family if they need to. Jennifer will work to ensure that our Second Amendment Right is protected.

Anti Mandate: The State should stay out of mandating individual Hoosiers from receiving a vaccine and from mandating or prohibiting businesses from requiring a vaccine. The choice should be left up to each individual in consultation with their doctor.

Mimi Pruett (D)

Our mentally ill and addicted friends and family need treatment not incarceration

Rural broadband is our generations rural electrification it’s a economic development issue, agricultural issues, an educational issue and a healthcare issue

Propose strengthening the township trustee office and advisory boards with additional checks and balances and more oversight

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

Jennifer is passionate about mental health, education, and local control. Mental health is the elephant in the room that has been ignored for too long. Big Pharma lied to us. They advertised and encouraged the prescribing of opioids for their own financial gain knowing they were highly addictive. Now after years of litigation by local governments the State has an opportunity to receive millions in settlement dollars. These monies need to be channeled directly to local communities who have been on the frontlines of responding to the opioid epidemic for years. Local communities shouldn't have to compete with each other for these funds.

Education: parents need to have an active and ongoing voice in education. As a parent of three elementary school aged children I fully appreciate and recognize the voice that teachers and our schools administration have in my children's and your children's education and lives. It is imperative that parents have a voice.

Local Government: It is important that each level of government stay in their own lane. This begins with letting families make their own personal choices. Local governments need to be in charge of local issues and our State should tackle statewide issues and protect us from Federal overreach. The Federal government should mostly leave us alone and protect our country.

Mimi Pruett (D)

I am passionate about mental health, healthcare and rural life issues. People who live in rural communities in the US make up 14% of the population but provide the vast majority of food, clean water, energy and outdoor recreational area to the rest of the county but get very little back in return. They need an advocate looking out for them. One who listens and learns from them not ignores them. Also mental health and healthcare are areas I know well and understand. Legislation regulating third party payers and education to reduce the stigma of mental illness could go a long way to change outcomes long-term.

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

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney-Barrett. Jennifer respects Justice Coney-Barrett's ability and willingness to defend her conservative view points on various issues of law before Congress. Jennifer strives to be the same voice for conservative Hoosiers in the State House. She hopes she can be a strong and persuasive voice to her fellow Republican House Representatives.

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

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

Selflessness. Humility. Honesty. An elected House Representative is elected to represent the Hoosiers is their district. This requires an open dialogue between citizens and the House Representative. If I am elected to serve as your House Representative I truly believe it is an honor to do so. I believe I am elected to serve and represent and I will serve and represent the people that have elected me.

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

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

Jennifer is honest and straight forward. She is involved in her community and has the experience and knowledge to be a successful House Representative.

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

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

To uphold the Constitution and represent your Constituents. Each time I speak to the constituents I ask "What would you like your House Representative to do?". It is imperative that I uphold our constitution, while at the same time representing the desires of my constituents.

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

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

In 2000 Jennifer went to a rally for George W. Bush. in Cincinnati Oh. She was 16 at the time. Then on September 11, 2001 two planes struck the twin towers. Jennifer was in high school at the time. She remembers teachers talking in the hallways while not allowing the high school students to fully understand what was going on. Cross Country practice was cancelled that afternoon and her paternal grandparents were staying with their family that week. Upon getting home they sat as a family in front of the tv watching the planes hit the twin towers. Several of Jennifer's close friends joined the military upon graduation. Jennifer remembers watching the planes crash into the twin towers, seeing people jump from the buildings, and the aftermath of the terrorist attack. This has defined her generation.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

The Governor should focus on governing and the Legislature should be making the laws that the Governor needs to enforce.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

JOBS!! Indiana needs to be a destination for employers.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

Indiana has a bicameral state legislature with both houses controlled by Republican majorities. Good ideas will prevail, no matter what party they come from. It just so happens that the Republican party has a monopoly on those at this moment.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

I've had years of experience in both, and I think it leaves me uniquely qualified. This experience includes defending Indiana laws and policies in Federal Court. I've defended our pro-life legislation including shutting down abortion clinics. I've worked closely with numerous state agencies while a Deputy Attorney General and the knowledge and understanding I've gained from each of these experiences will be invaluable as a State Representative.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

Of course. Mutual respect is imperative to the legislative process.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

Pubic input begins with whom the public has elected prior to redistricting. Redistricting should be based on the data to best ensure that lines are drawn in a way that ensures that each district represents an equal number of residents.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

I'd love to be a part of any committee that leadership feels I'd be an asset to. As a lawyer I have a unique perspective and respect for our judiciary and therefore, ideally I'd be a member of the House Judiciary Committee.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

I welcome this opportunity to run for an open House Seat. I have no other ambitions.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

I've spoken with hundreds of constituents over the past several months. During this time period I've been asking residents what they would like to see out of their state house. I've heard pro-life, constitutional carry, educational matters, and local control. The story that has stuck with me is a mom of a sophmore in highschool who was so anxious about mandatory testing that she was hospitalized due to the annexiety. We need to take a serious look at standardized testing and determine if it is doing more good than harm.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

It is the duty of the Legislature to write laws, including all laws granting emergency powers. When emergency power laws are written to broadly, it is an invitation for the executive to abuse them. We have witnessed this over the past two years and the emergency powers need to be reeled back.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Jennifer Meltzer (R)

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. At least, that's what my father always told me. I'm willing to do what it takes to represent my constituent's interests, and sometimes, something is better than nothing.

See also

More about these elections:

• Indiana House of Representatives elections, 2022

Select a district below to read responses from candidates in those races:

District 1District 2District 3District 4District 5District 6District 7District 8District 9District 10District 11District 12District 13District 14District 15District 16District 17District 18District 19District 20District 21District 22District 23District 24District 25District 26District 27District 28District 29District 30District 31District 32District 33District 34District 35District 36District 37District 38District 39District 40District 41District 42District 43District 44District 45District 46District 47District 48District 49District 50District 51District 52District 53District 54District 55District 56District 57District 58District 59District 60District 61District 62District 63District 64District 65District 66District 67District 68District 69District 70District 71District 72District 73District 74District 75District 76District 77District 78District 79District 80District 81District 82District 83District 84District 85District 86District 87District 88District 89District 90District 91District 92District 93District 94District 95District 96District 97District 98District 99District 100Submit