State Rep. Sean Eberhart, R-Shelbyville, is getting a primary challenge from Luke Campbell, a political newcomer and Army veteran trying to bring a new focus to District 57.
Voters in northeastern Bartholomew County will vote in this race, as well as Shelby County and a portion of Hancock County residents. No Democrats have filed for the seat, but the party has until late June to select a nominee.
Eberhart is seeking his seventh term in District 57, first winning election in 2006. Prior to that, he served on the Shelbyville County Council for eight years. His lengthy experience of serving at the county and state level make him the right candidate for the job, he said. Not only does he have the experience, Eberhart said, but he brings leadership to the table as well, serving as the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee in the Indiana House.
One of the biggest issues facing his district is the opioid epidemic, Eberhart said, something that can be said about most of Indiana’s districts. One of the ways to combat this problem is by adding more treatment programs, he said.
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Campbell, a self-employed insurance adjuster who also serves as a chaplain at Major Hospital in Shelbyville, said he is running to represent the constituents he feels are not being represented. While he has no experience running for a political office, he said his experience as a husband, U.S. Army soldier and Christian give him the qualities he needs to serve the people of the district.
Campbell’s faith was a strong factor in his decision to run, and will be his priority if he wins the primary in May and is ultimately successful in November, he said. He blames many of the current problems the state is facing on a failure to love God and love neighbors, which has led to sin and a perversion of justice, he said. If the sin problem can be fixed, he said, it will in turn fix a variety of other issues, including crime and the abuse of drugs and alcohol.
Campbell also supports term limits, something he said he would apply to himself if elected. His reasoning is too much time in office ends up with the elected official forgetting their roots and losing touch with the district.
Term limits are not something supported by Eberhart, who has no plans or desire to implement them.
Zach Osowski is a staff writer for the Daily Reporter, a sister publication of The Republic
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