This and that: Democrat announces run for Alting’s seat in Indiana Senate
Party chair says to expect a Democratic primary in Indiana Senate District 22. Plus, residents take to the streets again to protest SK hynix site. And more.
Support for this edition comes from Mark Zwolanek, a Lafayette citizen celebrating 10 years of participation in Extra Life, a fundraising program of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. This year, Mark hopes to exceed a grand total of $20,000 raised for Riley Hospital for Children over his decade of Extra Life. Thanks for your support ... For The Kids! To learn more, check out: https://www.extra-life.org/participant/markz
Support for this edition also comes from Purdue Musical Organizations, presenting the 92nd annual Purdue Christmas Show. The Christmas Show will shine Boilermaker bright with an all-student cast, festive music and dazzling performances. Tickets are now on sale for the Dec. 6-7 shows, where audiences of all ages will come together to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season at this timeless Purdue tradition. Get your tickets here.
Some notes and other reads on a Wednesday evening …
DEMOCRAT ANNOUNCES RUN IN INDIANA SENATE DISTRICT 22: Natasha Baker, a school teacher and a Harrison High School and Purdue grad, announced Wednesday that she’d run as a Democrat in Indiana Senate District 22.
“I’m running for Senate in District 22, because we need real people with real lives to help real Indiana families,” Baker said in a 90-second announcement on TikTok, featuring her running through a day with her family and set to Taylor Swift’s “Opalite.”
She’s the first Democrat to publicly announce for a seat held by Sen. Ron Alting, a Lafayette Republican who is the longest tenured member of the Indiana Senate. Alting also faces a Republican challenger, Richard Bagsby, in a district that includes Lafayette, the eastern half of Tippecanoe County and Carroll County.
Ken Jones, Tippecanoe County Democratic Party chair, said Wednesday that he expected another candidate to announce a run for the seat, setting up a Democratic primary in May 2026.
Baker did not immediately respond Wednesday evening for additional comment about her campaign.
On her campaign page, Baker lists herself as a public school family and consumer sciences teacher in Carroll County, married to a volunteer firefighter and raising children ages 3 and 6 in Tippecanoe County. Among her “campaign cornerstones,” Baker lists strong public schools, state funding for child care, universal pre-K, expanded access to Medicaid, mental health and addiction services, and raising Indiana’s minimum wage.
The official candidate filing period ahead of the 2026 primaries starts Jan. 7.
RESIDENTS DON CLEAN ROOM-STYLE GEAR IN NEXT PROTEST OF SK HYNIX SITE: West Lafayette neighbors who have been protesting the planned site of a $3.87 billion SK hynix high-bandwidth memory facility since the spring were back on the streets Wednesday afternoon, dressed in semiconductor clean room-like coveralls and strategically placed along Kalberer Road, Yeager Road, Salisbury Street and other points within a half-mile of the property.
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