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Indianas largest teachers union gave its official support to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick on Wednesday, citing her common sense and bipartisanship approach to state politics and education policy.

Speaking on the south steps of the Statehouse Wednesday morning, Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) President Keith Gambill announced its political action committee, I-PACE, has endorsed McCormick, a former teacher and principal who served as Indianas final elected superintendent of public instruction from 2017 to 2021.

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Shes the only gubernatorial candidate on the Democratic primary ballot and has already effectively secured her place on the November ballot.

There are six candidates vying for the Republican nomination. The victor will face McCormick and Libertarian nominee Donald Rainwater who was chosen in a party convention in the general election.

Today, as we face continuous challenges that threaten the fabric of public education, we need a leader like Dr. McCormick, someone who understands these issues deeply not just from the perspective of policy but through the lens of personal experience as a teacher, and a principal and an administrator, Gambill said. I call upon all supporters of public education, all who believe in a brighter future for Indiana, to stand with us. Stand with a leader who has proven she can uplift our educational standards and advocate tirelessly for our needs.

Speaking to a small crowd at the announcement event, McCormick emphasized that Indiana must reinvest in its traditional public schools not private voucher programs in order to reverse lagging literacy, increase teacher recruitment and retention, and improve overall outcomes for Hoosier students.

As the governor, I will be committed to kids kids first, always. I will tell you, though, in order to make that promise come true, we must take care of our teachers, McCormick said. If we take care of our teachers and give them the support that they dont only need, but that they deserve, everybody wins. Our kids win. Our families win. Our communities win. The State of Indiana wins. We need to make sure that is the goal.

I-PACEs endorsement provides McCormicks campaign with financial support and other resources, Gambill said. The PAC currently has about $1.3 million cash on hand, according to state campaign finance filings. Gambill said the committee hasnt decided if it will support any other statewide candidates yet.

Lawmakers seek to require science of reading in all Indiana schools to improve literacy rates

A former Republican, McCormick fell out of favor with the Indiana GOP while serving as state superintendent.

The Republican-controlled legislature with approval from Gov. Eric Holcomb eliminated the elected position and replaced it with a Secretary of Education, who is appointed by the governor.

McCormick switched sides to become a Democrat shortly after. She announced her campaign for governor in May 2023 and formally filed to run in February.

Angie Hood, an educator in Warren Township in Indianapolis, said that in her 25 years of teaching, things have drastically changed and not for the better. She said she wants to see McCormick in office to better support teachers and the tools they need in their classrooms.

Theres been a lot of push for testing. Unfortunately, with the push for testing, we have seen a decline in students mental health as well as teachers mental health because it is a lot of stress on the young people, and they feel like theyre being tested too much. And they are not being encouraged to use the different sensory skills in order to learn, Hood said.

Jennifer understands that schools must meet the needs of individual students, she continued. She believes that all students can learn with appropriate support, starting with early childhood through post-secondary education. Her common sense approach is needed to move our community forward.

In her remarks, McCormick criticized existing statewide education policies, including changes to teacher licensure requirements and increased standardized testing for students.

She specifically took aim at a new law passed earlier this year that requires educators for Pre-K to Grade 6 to complete 80 hours of professional development on science of reading concepts and pass a written exam. Teachers wont be able to renew their license without doing so.

Stacy Kurdelak, a special education teacher at Rensselaer Central High School, said the new rule makes her and her colleagues feel disrespected.

Along with my 28 years of experience, I hold a masters degree, I have a professionalized Indiana teaching license in four areas, and I am consistently evaluated as highly effective by my building administrator. But, according to the state, it is no longer enough, said Kurdelak, who voiced support for McCormick on Wednesday.

Indiana schools get legislative green light to break up ILEARN testing throughout school year

I think it was a knee-jerk reaction to the literacy rate problem, McCormick added. I thought it was sloppy, at best. And I just think it was a knee-jerk reaction to appease that theyre doing something under the Republican Party.

McCormick noted, too, that existing literacy intervention programming for the states youngest students has underfunded for years. Dollars needed for local school districts to host summer school have also been cut short, she said.

She maintained that increased funding for those areas would be a more effective use of state resources for ensuring Hoosier kids are on track with reading. Looking at the root causes of literacy deficiencies will be expensive, though, she said.

Education makes up just over 50% of the states biennial budget. Lawmakers will convene and craft the next budget during the 2025 legislative session.

The Democratic hopeful also criticized a separate new law that will require IREAD standardized testing to begin in second grade and continue into third grade. Students who fail the test three times will be held back and have to repeat third grade.

McCormick said investments in childcare and providing universal pre-K education would be better approaches. If elected, those are the types of issues she promised her administration would focus on.

(Voters) are tired of extremism. Theyre tired of infighting amongst the party. They want a focus on everyday issues impacting our lives, like taking away our healthcare rights and freedoms, like not having access to affordable healthcare, like not having access to great paying jobs. Theyre worried about our public schools. Theyre worried about their kids education. Theyre worried about our environment, McCormick said. They want to see someone who can have those conversations in a civil, calm, commonsense, bipartisan way.

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Democrat Jennifer McCormick gets teacher union endorsement in race for Indiana governor Indiana Capital Chronicle - Indiana Capital Chronicle

The Biden campaign is mounting a concerted push to attack former President Donald J. Trump over statements he made to Time magazine in a wide-ranging interview published Tuesday morning, particularly on abortion.

In the interview, Mr. Trump refused to commit to vetoing a national abortion ban and said he would allow states to monitor womens pregnancies and prosecute those who violated abortion restrictions.

This is reprehensible, President Biden wrote on X. Donald Trump doesnt trust women. I do.

Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Mr. Bidens campaign manager, said in a statement that Mr. Trump would sign a national abortion ban, allow women who have an abortion to be prosecuted and punished, allow the government to invade womens privacy to monitor their pregnancies and put I.V.F. and contraception in jeopardy nationwide.

Abortion has become a winning issue for Democrats, and Mr. Biden has argued that Mr. Trump and Republicans will continue to erode abortion rights. He and Vice President Kamala Harris have campaigned heavily on the issue in battleground states, and Democrats hope that state ballot initiatives to protect abortion rights will help their candidates for president, Congress and state offices. Their messaging has sought to pin state abortion bans directly on Mr. Trump, whose appointees to the Supreme Court helped overturn Roe v. Wade.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democrat of California, posted screenshots of the interview on X, writing that Mr. Trump had said he would let red states monitor womens pregnancies and prosecute those who violate abortion bans and had hinted at banning abortion pills.

Hell see what women think about that this November, said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, also a Democrat.

The former president also told Time that he would deploy the U.S. military to detain and deport migrants, and did not dismiss the possibility of political violence should he lose the election.

Democrats highlighted some of those statements as well.

Donald Trumps repeated threats of political violence are as horrifying and dangerous as they are un-American, said Alex Floyd, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. Trump is hellbent on threatening our democracy, win or lose.

Hillary Clinton urged her followers on X to read about Mr. Trumps plans for a second term and take them seriously.

Mr. Trumps interview in which he faced detailed and probing questions about his policy positions reveals the pitfalls for candidates when they sit down with mainstream news organizations. Mr. Trump does so rarely. But Mr. Biden has been even more averse to being questioned by journalists, a traditional undertaking of those running for the White House.

The presidents two most recently released interviews have been on The Howard Stern Show and the comedy podcast SmartLess.

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Biden and Democrats Seize on Trumps Interview With Time Magazine - The New York Times

A rematch of the Republican primary for the 50th state House District is now set for the fall.

Stephanie Waggett, who lost to state Rep. Bud Cook in the Republican primary last week, secured enough Democratic write-in votes to run against him again in November.

According to unofficial results from the April 23 primary, Waggett received 413 write-in votes from Democrats 338 of which came from Greene County voters giving her more than the 300 needed to get on the ballot in the general election. Cook received 228 write-ins, while registered Democrat Drew Ross Manko of North Bethlehem Township, who made the effort to run a write-in campaign, received 133 votes.

Cook, a four-term Republican incumbent from West Pike Run Township, easily defeated Waggett in the GOP primary, receiving 3,920 votes compared to her share of 2,367, according to unofficial results. Most surprising is that Cook had a sizable vote advantage in Greene County, despite Waggett living in Cumberland Township.

The district includes all of Greene County and parts of Washington County. While the district offers a voter registration advantage for Republicans, the general election will allow Democrats and independents to also have a say in who they want to represent them in the state legislature.

Meanwhile, in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, state Rep. Natalie Mihalek will have a Democratic challenger in the November election.

Peter Kohnke of Bethel Park easily surpassed the 300 write-in votes he needed from Democrats during the April 23 primary to get on the ballot to run for the 40th state House District seat.

The district, which Mihalek has represented since winning her first election in 2018, includes Peters Township in Washington County and Bethel Park and the southern area of Upper St. Clair in Allegheny County.

Democrats urged their voters to write-in Kohnkes name since the party did not have anyone receive enough nominating signatures to get on the primary ballot. According to unofficial vote totals, Kohnke received 534 votes in Allegheny County and 326 write-ins from Washington County voters, giving him nearly three times the number needed to qualify for the Nov. 5 general election.

Mihalek, R-Peters, received 5,757 votes from Republicans 3,755 in Allegheny County and 2,002 in Washington County in the uncontested primary.

The results must be certified by the county elections boards no later than May 13 and sent to the state Department of State.

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Waggett wins Democratic nomination in 50th, setting up rematch with Rep. Cook - Observer-Reporter

1. RFK Jr. challenges Trump to debate after 'Democrat plant' accusation  Fox News
2. More 'LIBERAL than anyone running as a Democrat': Trump keeps up attacks on RFK Jr.  POLITICO
3. Democrats are worried. But will RFK Jr take more votes away from Trump?  BBC.com

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RFK Jr. challenges Trump to debate after 'Democrat plant' accusation - Fox News

Utah Democrats on Saturday nominated an anti-Joe Biden candidate for Utahs 2nd Congressional District who has already promised he will step aside and let the party pick a replacement to take his spot on Novembers ballot.

Brian Adams came under fire from a variety of Democratic organizations, including the Young Democrats of Utah and the Disability Caucus, for claiming Jan. 6 rioters were being politically persecuted and criticizing President Biden for facilitating an invasion at the southern border.

Opponents were pushing the party to not nominate a candidate and leave the spot on the ballot vacant, since Adams was the only Democrat to file to run for the office, currently held by U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy.

[READ: Trump endorses Trent Staggs for Senate ahead of Utah GOP nominating convention]

But Utah Democratic Vice Chair Oscar Mata said at Saturdays State Nominating Convention that Adams had committed to withdrawing from the race if he is nominated. In the past, the party could only pick a replacement if a candidate died or withdrew because of health issues, but because of a recent change to the law, the party can now pick a replacement if a nominee drops out for any reason.

Adams confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune on Saturday that he would withdraw after he is nominated.

Everyone seems to agree with the course of action, Adams said in a text message. I agreed to it and told them I was happy to help.

Some delegates wanted Adams to confirm in writing that he would resign before he was nominated. But Brad Townley, the past Democratic Party parliamentarian said Adams committed to notify the lieutenant governors office that he was withdrawing on Monday. If he does not, Townley said, the partys constitution would let the central committee vote to remove Adams.

Adams owns a renewable energy company in Clearfield and, according to his campaign website, was a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army.

On his campaign Facebook page, Adams leans into election security memes, trashes Biden and rails against the influx of immigration. And, he said, many of the Trump supporters who were present for the Jan. 6 riots were being politically persecuted and should not be charged.

On Friday, after there were demands in Democratic circles that the party not nominate him, Adams didnt back away from his positions and said he would see how the situation would unfold at the nominating convention.

My response would be: Do I have to think like them in order to represent people well? I thought diversity was our strength, Adams said in an interview Friday. And Id also say, thats not very inclusive of them.

Until last year, a nominee could only be replaced on the ballot if they die or are incapacitated. But the Legislature changed the law last year after Democrats sued to prevent the Republican Party from replacing Rep. Joel Ferry on the ballot after Ferry dropped out of the race to take a job as Gov. Spencer Coxs director of the Department of Natural Resources.

While Republicans at the Salt Palace fought early issues with election software and arguments if paper or electronic ballots should be used, the Democrats at Cottonwood High School opened their convention with a few minutes of meditating. Later, a candidate for U.S. Senate sang his pitch to delegates.

Still, as the convention dragged into its sixth hour, plus several hours of mingling with candidates at their booths beforehand, fatigue began to set in.

(Robert Gehrke | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Democratic delegates chose Caroline Gleich to be the party's nominee for U.S. Senate this year. Gleich is a ski mountaineer and climate activist.

In the end, Caroline Gleich becomes the third woman to win a nomination from one of the two major parties in Utah history. During her speech, she credited Ted Wilson who died earlier this month for setting her on a path to politics when she worked for him in Gov. Gary Herberts administration.

He taught me how to take my seat at the table at the head of the table and how to bring together people with differing viewpoints to create strong policy, she said.

Gleich said, as a senator, she would fight to address housing affordability and homelessness, move to clean energy to stem the climate crisis, promote good jobs across the state and fiercely defend reproductive freedom.

This issue is deeply personal to me, she said. A year and a half ago, I froze my eggs and embryos and they are in a freezer in Provo, and the latest Republican attacks on IVF are sickening. As Utahns, we are tired of being political pawns in these increasingly extremist games. Its time that we get the government to stop policing our bodies, our bathrooms and books.

Rudy Bautista received 65% of the vote to be the attorney general candidate. Bautista, who ran as the Libertarian Partys nominee in 2022, will go against the eventual Republican nominee. Frank Mylar, Rachel Terry and Derek Brown are vying for that spot.

We constantly see the attorney general take the puppet position of doing whatever the legislature, the governor wants. Well, they pass laws all the time that are unconstitutional. They pass laws all the time that take our individual freedoms, Bautista said. As attorney general, I will not stand for that. I will not just go into court and defend the legislatures positions.

(Robert Gehrke | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kika, one of state Democratic Sen. Jen Plumb's elderly pugs, showing signs of wear after spending hours Saturday at the Utah Democratic Convention.

In a contested race for state House District 23 a Salt Lake City seat currently held by Rep. Brian King Hoang Nguyen, a restaurateur and co-owner of a medical cannabis dispensary, beat out Jeff Howell, a tech consultant and former congressional staffer. Both candidates had already gathered enough signatures to qualify for the June primary.

Claudia Bigler, the artistic director for Cache Childrens Choir, beat out Chris Reid to run against Republican Thomas Peterson for state House District 1.

King, Catherine Voutaz and Neil Hansen are the partys uncontested nominees for governor, state auditor and treasurer, respectively.

Voutaz said in her nearly 30 years of being an accountant, one thing she learned is that there must be trusted oversight, and added Utah has a legislature without real oversight.

Bill Campbell was the uncontested nominee in the 1st Congressional District and Glenn Wright was the uncontested nominee in the 3rd District.

The crowd cheered when Wright mentioned Republicans at the Salt Palace were celebrating former President Donald Trump.

Trump can kiss my a-, he said.

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Utah Democrats nominate an anti-Biden congressional candidate only because he promises to step aside - Salt Lake Tribune