Mimi Pruett
The Democratic Party has selected a candidate to run for the newly redrawn state House District 73, which now includes parts of Bartholomew, Decatur, Jennings and Shelby counties.
Decatur County Democratic Party Chair Mimi Pruett was selected in an unanimous vote during a caucus held Sunday in Columbus, said Bartholomew County Democratic Party Chair Steve Schoettmer.
Pruett, a 62-year-old licensed clinical social worker and mental health therapist at Centerstone, told The Republic on Monday that she decided to throw her hat in the ring after being encouraged by a community leader in the district.
Pruett will face Republican Jennifer Meltzer in the Nov. 8 general election.
Meltzer, Shelbyville City Attorney and former Indiana Deputy Attorney General, won the GOP primary last month with 56.7% of the vote, defeating Bob Carmony with 32.5% and Edward K. Comstock II with 10.8%, according to the Indiana Election Division.
If elected, Pruett said reducing political polarization would be among her priorities in office.
“I’m truly upset that we’ve become such a divided state and such a divided country, and I really want an opportunity to try and listen to people and try and help us start having a dialogue again,” Pruett said. “…I really want people to understand back to the founding of our government, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Pruett also said she is in favor of legalizing marijuana and cannabis products in Indiana.
“They’re not harmless, but the laws that have made them illegal are very harmful,” she said. “There are a lot of people who have seizure disorders that can benefit from (cannabis) products. There are people that have PTSD that can benefit from products made from that, and there are a lot of people that have convictions that cannot get housing, cannot get a decent job.”
Currently, the District 73 seat is held by Rep. J. Michael Davisson, R-Salem, who was selected in a party caucus last year to complete his late father’s term representing Washington County, as well as portions of Jackson, Orange, Lawrence, Clark and Harrison counties, the district boundaries before redistricting.
Former Rep. Steve Davisson died of cancer this past September.
