Days before she had a solid lead to represent Indiana's redrawn 9th congressional district for US House of Representatives, Erin Houchin spoke at the Franklin County Republicans' meeting at Brookville Public Library.

A handful of local elected officials and a few hopefuls were on hand Nov. 3, the same day the speaker received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump in her race against Democrat Matthew Fyfe and Libertarian Tonya Millis.

A Statehouse intern while a student at Indiana University-Bloomington, Houchin, 46, returned home to Salem upon graduation and worked in child services. She kept that space in mind when she was elected to the state senate (Dist. 47) in 2014, a seat she held until February when she resigned to focus on filling Trey Hollingsworth's vacated congressional position. Houchin served on the Family and Children's Services Committee.

She was “very proud” of her work in the senate, including co-authoring SB1 in 2019 – also called the “Foster parent Bill of Rights.”

“It made sure what's best for kids is first and foremost and at the heart of every court decision on their behalf,” she added.

Prior to her senate service, Houchin stayed home to raise three children she has with husband Dustin – former Washington County Prosecutor and newly elected Judge of Washington Co. Superior Court. During that time, she earned a master's in political management online from George Washington University. 

She served as US Senator Dan Coats' regional director for southeastern Indiana (Franklin Co. included) a total of three years leading into her elected seat. Houchin unsuccessfully primaried Hollingsworth in the 2016 election. In May, she topped eight other candidates in the Republican primary.

“My parents taught me to never leave a job until you have another, to avoid gaps in your resume, and if you can do something to fix things, you should try,” she said. “I'll go to Washington to fight on your behalf.”

One question she received every day was, “Are you really ready for this?” Her quick response was yes, she'd go right away if she could.

“We have a lot of issues – inflation, spending, border security and fentanyl, need for energy independence - facing the country right now,” added Houchin. “We have to fight for a future that's free, a future that's built on freedom.”

She's a school-choice proponent and believes parents should have a right to know what their kids are being taught; she thinks traditional models of education should be reevaluated. Houchin wishes to see a more accountable government and less power to agencies whose members are not elected. Her example was ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance), being utilized in finance and banking sectors to discourage financing for companies not meeting certain environmental and social commitments.

“It will certainly be my pleasure and honor to serve in Congress,” she said prior to a Q&A session.

Concerns from attendees included rising tides to embrace socialism in Congress and congressional investigations that don't seem to have any consequences.

Houchin provided the controversial Student Loan Debt Relief Plan as an example of the former.

“I saw (somewhere) where it said, 'Congratulations, you didn't think you had a student loan but now you do,'” she said.

Others will have to foot those bills, she noted, and ultimately college tuition is likely to soar even higher.

“We can't just keep ratcheting up the cost of everything,” said Houchin. “This idea of socialism will do nothing to stimulate the workforce. It will only compound a problem that's already spiraling.”

Regarding investigations, the candidate again brought up entrenched bureaucracy.

“It's bureaucrats you can't fire,” she noted. “It's not that they're bad people, it's just they've been there for a long time. How's that working? They were never elected to make decisions (that affect our lives).”

A question was raised about solar farms. Houchin said she helped kill a bill that would have taken control of such items out of local voters' hands.

Solar companies may have gained approval simply by going to the Indiana Utility and Regulatory Commission.

Another audience member said he's learned solar is just a bridge to nuclear power.

Houchin confirmed there is a movement toward small nuclear reactors, which she called “safer than ever.” She doesn't believe wind and solar should be pushed in the interim, however. Panning the Obama administration's decommissioning of Lawrenceburg's Tanners Creek Generating Station, she said they had “no regard for jobs or local economy or the national security impact of closing that plant.”

The speaker cautioned against the drive toward electric vehicle usage.

“If you're in an EV, how far can you really go?” she asked. “I do believe (some people want) us contained to our own spaces, to push us online because certain people benefit from online shopping instead of retail.”

Asked what she'd do on day one, Houchin replied the repeal of 87,000 Internal Revenue Service agents set to be hired by the Biden administration at an estimated cost of $80 billion. “That's money we don't need to be spending and there are better uses at the border or in the State Department,” she noted.

Reflecting on her time in the Indiana senate, Houchin said she's most proud of fighting for rural broadband service. She researched broadband grant programs done in other states, from which Next Level Connections grew.

Another bill stemmed from discovering that a son was dyslexic. This led to requirements such as early dyslexia screenings, reading specialists for children with dyslexia, and the training of teachers.

She ended by saying she truly believed yesterday's election was the most important one ever.

“Vote for people that are going to be responsive to you and your needs and do a good job … for you.”  

(Editor's note: The Indianapolis Star was reporting Houchin had a 62.1% to 35.6% lead over Fyfe with 19.14% of the total vote counted as of 8:20 p.m. Tuesday night prior to our deadline.)