Former New Albany City Council member and longtime state lawmaker compete for Indiana House seat
Southern Indiana Republican Ed Clere has won eight terms in Indiana's House of Representatives, facing many opponents since 2008 who hoped to unseat him.
Few have come close, although Democrat Jason Applegate hopes his name recognition as a former New Albany City Council member and publisher of Extol magazine could make him the one who flips the seat.
"With my experience in local government, sitting on New Albany City Council as an at large member, I learned a lot about just how government works from a local side," Applegate said about his decision to run. "It interested me from looking around and learning more about how the state impacts our local area. And right now, I feel like there is a void in our representation."
Clere is a real estate agent who has risen as chair of the subcommittee on Health and Medicaid Services.
"I believe experience matters," he said. "And I've spent a lot of time learning about Medicaid and working on Medicaid issues, as well as other health and human services issues. That's something I'm very passionate about."
Clere said he is determined to fix the state's troubled Medicaid system, which ran into trouble this year after the state agency underestimated how much money it would need in the state budget.
As a result, the state agency that administers Medicaid in Indiana has faced a $1 billion shortfall, and services have had to be cut, something Clere hopes he can remedy in the next legislative session if he is reelected.