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Gayla Taylor
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Gayla Taylor (Republican Party) ran for election to the Indiana House of Representatives to represent District 54. She lost in the Republican primary on May 3, 2022.
Taylor completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Gayla Taylor was born in New Castle, Indiana. Taylor's professional experience includes working as an online communications and marketing specialist.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Indiana House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Indiana House of Representatives District 54
Cory Criswell defeated Nan Polk in the general election for Indiana House of Representatives District 54 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Cory Criswell (R)  | 73.7 | 13,886 |
| Nan Polk (D) | 26.3 | 4,955 | ||
| Total votes: 18,841 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Indiana House of Representatives District 54
Nan Polk advanced from the Democratic primary for Indiana House of Representatives District 54 on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Nan Polk | 100.0 | 906 | |
| Total votes: 906 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Indiana House of Representatives District 54
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Indiana House of Representatives District 54 on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Cory Criswell | 39.6 | 3,420 |
 | Betsy Mills | 16.1 | 1,388 | |
| Bobbi Plummer | 11.6 | 1,005 | ||
 | Melissa Meltzer | 11.3 | 977 | |
| Joshua Gillmore | 7.8 | 669 | ||
| Nansi Custer | 6.3 | 543 | ||
 | Heather Carie | 5.3 | 457 | |
 | Gayla Taylor | 1.9 | 168 | |
| Total votes: 8,627 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign finance
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Gayla Taylor completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Taylor's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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In July 2015, I walked away from the Democrats. I have become a tireless researcher and daring, conservative voice for local issues. Like so many people, I have grown very concerned about our government at the federal and state levels. I believe there are sensible solutions to critical issues that plague our government and negatively impact our country. If we want positive change at the federal level, it must start with positive change at the state level. I want to bring fresh eyes, new ideas, sensible solutions, and genuine transparency to the Indiana General Assembly as a state representative.
I am a fourth-generation Henry County resident. I spent most of my life on my family's farm between Kennard and Shirley and graduated from Shenandoah High School. Until 2010, I raised my twin boys on my own; then, I married Gus Taylor of Knightstown, a multi-generation resident of District 54. Together we blended to become a family of six. Today, Gayla, Gus, and their four kids (Justin Taylor, Trey and Dakota Baer, and Megan Asberry) with their spouses and my grandchildren live inside district 54, which I plan to represent.
- EDUCATION: My top priority is protecting our local schools and ensuring they have the necessary resources to give our kids a high-quality education. I support school choice. I do not support critical race theory (CRT) or social and emotional learning (SEL).
- MANDATORY VACCINES & MASKS: Mandating anything is wrong. I am neither pro- nor anti-vaccine. I trust Americans to consult with their doctor to decide what's best for them.
- 2ND AMENDMENT: I strongly support the right to bear arms for lawful purposes and do not support legislation or regulations that would infringe on law-abiding citizens' constitutional rights.
It's casting a large net to ask me what public policies I am most passionate about - the shortest answer is any policy that leads to smaller government and minimizes government overreach.
I look up to many people for different reasons. Of course, my parents and grandparents raised me with an iron fist and instilled a strong work ethic and a sense of personal responsibility. As far as politics goes, I have met people I like and respect as leaders—Senator Greg Pence and his wife, Denise. Former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has been a valuable resource of information and is a strong voice of reason when I need one. And, of course, I have to mention Kat Cammack. That woman is a fantastic example of what we need in Washington. I think she is cut from the same mold of grace and grit that I was.
The best resource to explore my political philosophy is my old blog. That old blog is where I documented all of my research during my slow, unintentional transition from a liberal Democrat to a staunch, law and order, fiscal conservative. That blog is NotB4Coffee.
Honesty, integrity and transparency.
Constituents should never have to question the intentions of their elected officials. Elected officials should be approachable and accessible to the voters who hired them.
Constituents should never have to question the intentions of their elected officials. Elected officials should be approachable and accessible to the voters who hired them.
Honesty, integrity, transparency and a good communicator.
The core responsibility of elected officials is to protect and preserve the US Constitution and the constitutional rights of American citizens.
Elected officials are responsible for creating laws, establishing and overseeing budgets, raising and lowering taxes, and representing the people in their state or district when making decisions that will impact them.
Elected officials are responsible for creating laws, establishing and overseeing budgets, raising and lowering taxes, and representing the people in their state or district when making decisions that will impact them.
To know that I leave the world a little better because I lived.
WATERGATE: I was between 5-7 years old during that time. I remember hearing my parents and grandparents discuss it often. Watergate and Deep Throat. I heard those topics over and over, every day. It would be years before I realized they weren't getting worked up over a green Jello salad.
My first job was at Jeff's Pizza. I worked every Thursday - Sunday which left little time to get into too much trouble. I think my parents planned it that way.
To Kill a Mockingbird.
It's a timeless classic. I read it in school and again as an adult. Each time it had a very different impact on me.
It's a timeless classic. I read it in school and again as an adult. Each time it had a very different impact on me.
Beth Dutton from Yellowstone
My greatest struggle has always been a Florence Nightingale spirit. I have spent my entire life taking care of my family and the people around me. This started because my older brother had a rare kidney disease from the time I was born. I learned early in life that if he was healthy, he and my parents didn't have to go away to the hospital. Serving people was ingrained in me from the time I was three-years-old.
There needs to be communication and accountability. The pandemic revealed the worst actions in several governors through mandates, shutdowns and gross overreach. No one person should have the power to shut down an entire state and economy.
Education, infrastructure and economic recovery are at the top of my list of challenges. All three areas have suffered because of the pandemic. It's going to take incredible strength to ensure recovery and progress is made but to do so without placing a greater burden on taxpayers.
The benefit would be less friction to get things done but no one party or chamber should have sole power. The obvious drawback is that a single chamber could be easily manipulated and corrupted simply because there is no real balance of power.
I believe less experience is actually a benefit because legislators can step into their respective roles and do the best work because they lack the political ties that come with the more experienced politicians.
Of course. Each legislator was elected to be the voice for their district. In order to do what's best for a broader area, communication is good, but a working relationship is a must.
As a population shrinks or expands it does make sense to adjust the district lines. I believe population size should be the only factor that plays into redistricting.
I would be best suited for committees related to family and children, rural development, criminal justice, immigration, education, small business and agriculture.
Kat Cammack is the congresswoman who stands out to me. She's transparent, genuine, communicative, interactive and is as honest as they come. Kat has set the bar high!
If I am an effective leader and the people of my area want me to continue in some capacity, I would not rule out running for a different office when I feel that I have fulfilled my duty to my current position.
There are so many stories of people who are hurting because of policies, laws or departments that are severely broken and need to be addressed. If I am blessed to win my election, I will give the people of my district the best effort I can give to ensure the most broken areas are addressed and fixed.
What's worse than finding a worm in your apple?
Finding half a worm in your apple!
Finding half a worm in your apple!
Yes. Emergency powers should have solid checks and balances in place to ensure there is never the blatant abuse of power that we have seen many times over the last couple of years.
Part of being a good leader is knowing when to compromise and when to hold the line. I hold some strong conservative values that are simply not negotiable which seems to be a lost quality in conservatives lately.
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.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
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Candidate Indiana House of Representatives District 54 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 5, 2022
Current members of the Indiana House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Todd Huston
Majority Leader:Matthew Lehman
Representatives
District 1
Carolyn Jackson (D)
District 2
Earl Harris (D)
District 3
Ragen Hatcher (D)
District 4
Edmond Soliday (R)
District 5
Dale DeVon (R)
District 6
Maureen Bauer (D)
District 7
Jake Teshka (R)
District 8
Ryan Dvorak (D)
District 9
Patricia Boy (D)
District 10
Charles Moseley (D)
District 11
District 12
Mike Andrade (D)
District 13
Matt Commons (R)
District 14
Vernon Smith (D)
District 15
Harold Slager (R)
District 16
Kendell Culp (R)
District 17
Jack Jordan (R)
District 18
David Abbott (R)
District 19
Julie Olthoff (R)
District 20
Jim Pressel (R)
District 21
Timothy Wesco (R)
District 22
Craig Snow (R)
District 23
Ethan Manning (R)
District 24
Hunter Smith (R)
District 25
Becky Cash (R)
District 26
Chris Campbell (D)
District 27
Sheila Klinker (D)
District 28
Jeffrey Thompson (R)
District 29
District 30
District 31
Lori Goss-Reaves (R)
District 32
District 33
John Prescott (R)
District 34
Sue Errington (D)
District 35
Elizabeth Rowray (R)
District 36
Kyle Pierce (R)
District 37
Todd Huston (R)
District 38
Heath VanNatter (R)
District 39
Daniel Lopez (R)
District 40
District 41
Mark Genda (R)
District 42
Tim Yocum (R)
District 43
Tonya Pfaff (D)
District 44
Beau Baird (R)
District 45
Bruce Borders (R)
District 46
Bob Heaton (R)
District 47
Robb Greene (R)
District 48
Doug Miller (R)
District 49
Joanna King (R)
District 50
Lorissa Sweet (R)
District 51
Tony Isa (R)
District 52
Ben Smaltz (R)
District 53
Ethan Lawson (R)
District 54
Cory Criswell (R)
District 55
District 56
Bradford Barrett (R)
District 57
Craig Haggard (R)
District 58
Michelle Davis (R)
District 59
Ryan Lauer (R)
District 60
Peggy Mayfield (R)
District 61
Matt Pierce (D)
District 62
Dave Hall (R)
District 63
Shane Lindauer (R)
District 64
Matt Hostettler (R)
District 65
Christopher May (R)
District 66
Zach Payne (R)
District 67
Alex Zimmerman (R)
District 68
Garrett Bascom (R)
District 69
Jim Lucas (R)
District 70
Karen Engleman (R)
District 71
District 72
Edward Clere (R)
District 73
Jennifer Meltzer (R)
District 74
Steve Bartels (R)
District 75
Cindy Ledbetter (R)
District 76
Wendy McNamara (R)
District 77
Alex Burton (D)
District 78
Tim O'Brien (R)
District 79
Matthew Lehman (R)
District 80
Phil GiaQuinta (D)
District 81
Martin Carbaugh (R)
District 82
Kyle Miller (D)
District 83
Christopher Judy (R)
District 84
Bob Morris (R)
District 85
David Heine (R)
District 86
Edward DeLaney (D)
District 87
Carey Hamilton (D)
District 88
Chris Jeter (R)
District 89
Mitch Gore (D)
District 90
Andrew Ireland (R)
District 91
Robert Behning (R)
District 92
Renee Pack (D)
District 93
Julie McGuire (R)
District 94
Cherrish Pryor (D)
District 95
John Bartlett (D)
District 96
Gregory Porter (D)
District 97
Justin Moed (D)
District 98
District 99
Vanessa Summers (D)
District 100
Robert Johnson (D)
Republican Party (70)
Democratic Party (30)
