Kevin Derr
Kevin Derr was a 2012 Democratic candidate for District 75 of the Indiana House of Representatives.
Issues
In information submitted to Ballotpedia, Derr outlined his political philosophy as follows:[1]
"Protect our public schools and other public institutions from destructive privatization, limit the rate of growth of university tuition in Indiana, support state grants and guaranteed loans to fund post-secondary education, promote the growth of private sector jobs providing good wages and benefits for every Hoosier, increase funding for our crumbling infrastructure, bring back crucial funding for Child Protective Services and reduce the regressive nature of Indiana's tax system to create a basket of fair and equitable income, property, sales and excise taxes."
Elections
2012
Derr ran in the 2012 election for Indiana House of Representatives District 75. Derr ran unopposed in the May 8 Democratic primary and was defeated by incumbent Ron Bacon (R) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[2][3]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Ron Bacon Incumbent |
57.5% | 15,210 | |
| Democratic | Kevin Derr | 42.5% | 11,260 | |
| Total Votes | 26,470 | |||
Campaign themes
2012
Derr told Ballotpedia why he is running, stating,[1]
"My folks divorced when I was young. My mother suffered from drug and alcohol addiction. This caused my sister and me to live in foster care for some time. We were wards of the state and of the taxpayers. My father fought to gain custody as hard as he fought in the jungles of Vietnam. He had a good union job with good wages, healthcare, and vacations and was one of the first single fathers to raise his children in Warrick County. He sent us to public school, the public library and we watched public television. I went on to a tax payer funded U.S. Navy and the Navy and the taxpayers gave me a G.I. Bill in return. I used those taxpayer dollars to go to a tax payer funded state university and that education allowed me to go to a private bank and get a Small Business Administration guaranteed loan to start my private business, a business which relies on publicly funded roads to survive.
Public education and our teachers aren’t the villains. Tax payer programs to ensure upward mobility into the middle class isn’t the enemy. Labor unions aren’t our adversaries. Libraries aren’t trying to kill us. But bad ideas which destroy public institutions will kill our shot at the American dream.
I personally have benefited from nearly every one of the programs the House Republicans are trying to kill. I imagine most of you have too. I am rising to defend our Hoosier way of life. I am standing to defend our American Dream. That is why I am running to represent district 75 in the Indiana General Assembly."
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Biographical information submitted Ballotpedia, May 31, 2012
- ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "List of May 8, 2012, primary candidates," accessed March 6, 2014
- ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, “Election Results – Indiana General Election, November 6, 2012,” accessed January 24, 2013
