State Sen. Ron Alting, linked in a published report of alleged thefts at stores in Lafayette and Monticello, said Wednesday he was stepping back from his re-election campaign in Indiana Senate District 22.
In a statement Wednesday, Alting, a Republican first elected to the Indiana Senate in 1998, did not detail specifics about allegations against him.
Earlier in the week, Alting had responded to questions from Based in Lafayette: “I don’t normally respond to social media rumors as you can guess why. I have never been arrested, cited or charged with any crime recently or any time in my entire life. Your research will show this.”
But on Wednesday, Alting acknowledged he’d done “things that were wrong.”
The Journal & Courier was first to report Wednesday afternoon that Alting had been connected with alleged thefts in a pair incidents in the span of two weeks at Walmart stores in Lafayette and Monticello.
“I have been experiencing concerning changes in my judgment and cognitive functioning,” Alting said in a statement Wednesday. “Those changes have become serious enough that I have sought medical help and am now undergoing further evaluation, testing and treatment. During this time, I did things that were wrong and completely out of character for me. I take responsibility for my actions and apologize to my family, my constituents and the store employees involved.”
Early in the week, the Monticello Police Department reported it had no pending charges, without giving specifics or providing reports about whether officers had been called to investigate any incidents involving Alting. Alting recently moved from Lafayette to the Carroll County side of the Twin Lakes region, near Monticello.
In Lafayette, Sgt. Nathan Stoneking, LPD’s public information officer, said the department had no record of an arrest or summons for Alting.
In J&C reporting, one incident happened Sept. 22. Stoneking did confirm that Lafayette police responded to a reported shoplifting Sept. 22 at a Walmart on Commerce Drive, on the east side of the city. He said store loss prevention personnel reported that a male and female suspect were briefly stopped by store security, before fleeing the area in a green pickup truck prior to officers’ arrival. “Following a preliminary investigation, officers gathered evidence confirming a theft occurred and have identified two persons of interest,” Stoneking said. He did not release the names of those individuals while the incident remained under investigation.
Tippecanoe County Prosecutor Pat Harrington said a request for a special prosecutor was filed Monday. He said Elkhart County Prosecutor Vickie Becker was appointed.
No charges had been filed against Alting, according to online court records, as of Wednesday.
Alting’s situation comes a day after early voting started in the Nov. 3 general election.
Alting is on the ballot in Senate District 22 with Democratic candidate Natasha Baker, a teacher who lives near Battle Ground.
“I have spent most of my adult life serving the people of Tippecanoe County and the state of Indiana,” Alting said in Wednesday’s statement. “Right now, however, I need to focus on my health and getting answers about what is happening to me. As a result, I am stepping back from actively campaigning while I continue my medical evaluation and treatment. I am grateful to everyone who has reached out with concern and support, and I ask for patience and privacy for my family as we work through this.”
Alting, a former Lafayette City Council member and restaurant owner, was first elected to the Indiana Senate in 1998, when he beat former Lafayette Mayor Jim Riehle.
In the Senate, Alting chairs the public policy committee.
Alting emerged from the May 2026 Republican primary after a challenge from Richard Bagsby, a Tippecanoe County minister and contractor, who came at the senator as not being conservative enough for the district. Bagsby singled out votes Alting made on a series of social issues, including his reluctance to side with a total abortion ban, and his support of the LGBTQ community. Alting still wound up with an endorsement from President Donald Trump based on his vote for the failed, White House-backed redistricting plan.
Alting advanced with 59.1% of the vote in the May 2026 primary.
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whoa!
Not going to be a campaign plus…