INDIANAPOLIS — Going into November’s general election, Donald Rainwater, a Libertarian gubernatorial candidate for the state of Indiana, is encouraging individuals to forgo the focus on political parties, focusing on the person instead of the letter beside their name on the ballot.
“I think that people should support any candidate who they believe most closely represents what they want their government to be,” Rainwater said in an interview with FOX59/CBS4 last month. “I think that when we say major party candidate or third party candidate, I would love to live in a world where when we went to the ballot box, there was no letter behind any button or by anybody’s name. The idea that we need to vote for the individual, not for the party.”
Rainwater will be listed on November’s general election ballot alongside U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-Indiana), the Republican gubernatorial candidate, and Jennifer McCormick, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate who was Indiana’s former state superintendent of public instruction.
According to his campaign’s website, Rainwater is focusing on two main items as he talks with Hoosiers across Indiana: reducing taxation and spending as well as improving K-12 education in Indiana.
“Together, we can bring smaller government, quality education and economic prosperity to all Hoosiers,” Rainwater said.
Taxes/Economy
The bulk of Rainwater’s focus on the campaign surrounds taxes: ranging from the amount of taxes Hoosiers pay and the amount of money the state government receives.
If elected, Rainwater has proposed to abolish the state’s income tax, eliminate the state’s gasoline excise tax, abolish vehicle excise taxes and streamline the state’s vehicle registration processes.
“Those are things that I think are really weighing heavily on Hoosier households as they work through their weekly ‘how do we pay for all the things we need to pay for in today’s economy?’” Rainwater said.
Rainwater has also brought forward his plan to reform the residential property tax system in Indiana, a conversation which has been discussed amongst the gubernatorial candidates. Rainwater has proposed a residential property tax cap of 7% for the purchase price of the property or 1% for a maximum of seven years.
According to previous reports, Braun’s campaign released his property tax plan last month, stating he would cut homeowner property taxes and cap property tax bills for seniors, low-income Hoosiers and families with children under 18.
At the time, Rainwater said Braun’s proposal had many “concerning elements,” stressing how it is a “band-aid meant to temporarily quiet the citizen’s concerns during an election year instead of an actual resolution…”
“(My property tax plan) will be the same for all Hoosiers, regardless of your age, your military status, whether you have children at home or not,” Rainwater said. “One of the things about Senator Braun’s plan that he came up with on Friday was that I noticed that there seems to be different levels of Hoosiers in his plan.”
According to his website, Rainwater said he would formally request the Indiana General Assembly to enact a four-year freeze on the state budget if he is elected in November, stressing the need for the state to have a “rigorous halt to any new spending initiatives” and tax increases during this time.
Rainwater said he believes there has been a recent spending surge in Indiana, stating he pledges to use his veto power to block any attempts to raise the state budget or introduce new taxes during this period.
“By avoiding unnecessary budget expansions, we can allocate resources strategically, focusing on critical priorities such as education, healthcare and infrastructure,” Rainwater said on his website.
During his interview with FOX59/CBS4, Rainwater elaborated on this point saying:
“What we need to do is get back to the concept that local government services, your firefighters, your police, your schools and infrastructure should be the main focus of your local governments.”
For the state as a whole, Rainwater’s vision for economic development is “rooted in the principles of freedom, individual liberty and minimal government intervention.” Rainwater said the state’s job market needs to be driven by small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Education
Through the state’s education system, Rainwater said he believes through advocating for universal school choice, Indiana can become more of a beacon for opportunity, giving Hoosiers the freedom to do what’s best for their children.
According to his website, Rainwater said parents should have choices for the ultimate decision for their children’s education, from public schools and private schools to charter schools, online schools and homeschool options. Rainwater said education funding should follow each student, no matter what kind of school they are enrolled in.
Rainwater believes education should be locally driven and the state’s Department of Education should “relinquish decision-making power” to school boards and school districts. Rainwater also said he would aim to abolish statewide standardized testing.
Other Issues
Another issue Rainwater has focused on throughout his campaign is decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana in the state of Indiana. On his campaign website, Rainwater said this decision would promote “individual freedom, compassionate healthcare and sensible drug policies.”
Rainwater also said a regulated cannabis industry in Indiana could create jobs, bolster the state’s economy and create tax revenue.
“If beer, wine and liquor are legal for adult recreational consumption, it’s only fair that all forms of cannabis receive the same treatment,” he said. “Let’s prioritize compassion, justice and common sense. Legalizing and decriminalizing cannabis aligns with our values. Together, we can build a better Indiana – one where individual rights are respected and healing options abound.”
Ultimately, Rainwater said he is a “champion” for medical freedom and individual choice, stressing that Indiana residents have the freedom to make informed decisions about their health, from purchasing health insurance, to whether or not to get vaccinations or whether or not to wear a mask.
However, Rainwater calls himself a “pro-life libertarian,” stating he advocates for the rights of all individuals, born and pre-born. Rainwater said he believes there is a difference between talking about medical freedom and abortion.
“I think the basic foundation of that is in the case of abortion, we’re talking about the life of an unborn child that cannot speak for itself,” Rainwater said. “When we talk about any other aspect of medical freedom, we’re talking about individuals having the opportunity to decide with their medical provider what to do with their life. And so to me, that’s a significant difference.”
Lastly, Rainwater said he would advocate for strengthening direct democracy through ballot referendums, initiatives and recalls.
“By involving the electorate directly, we reaffirm the principle that government exists to serve the people, not the other way around,” Rainwater said on his website. “Let’s trust Hoosiers to make informed choices about the policies that impact their lives.”
Rainwater believes electing a Libertarian governor in Indiana would help bring back the “balance of power” to state government, something Rainwater said is nonexistent right now. Rainwater said if voters believe state government should be leaner, more responsive, taxing less and spending less, they should vote for him.
To sum up his campaign, Rainwater said Hoosiers need better government, not bigger government.
“If a voter is dissatisfied with the way state government is going, I would say that one of the reasons that we have the problems we have is because instead of electing individuals to represent us in government, we are electing organizations to rule us,” Rainwater said. “That’s a problem.”
According to the Indiana Secretary of State’s office, Hoosiers can register to vote for the 2024 General Election through Oct. 7. For more information on how Indiana residents can register to vote, click here.
