MUNCIE, IN — Andrew Dale, chairman of Delaware County’s Democratic Party, has announced he will be a candidate for an Indiana Senate seat in 2026.
“Rarely does an officeholder ask constituents what they believe their best future could be if they had the opportunity to help build it,” Dale said in a news release.
“I’m running for Indiana Senate District 26 because I believe that question should be asked and because I want us to embrace our best future together given the serious problems we face,” he said. “I’m people-focused and future-driven.”
Indiana Senate District 26, made up of Delaware and Randolph counties, is now represented by Republican Scott Alexander, who recently announced plans to seek re-election.
“The threat of increased struggles among farmers, people living in distressed neighborhoods, and those in small towns aren’t imagined,” Dale said. “They’re real. And not to be overlooked are those simply trying to make ends meet. Our ability to pass along generational wealth is becoming impossible.”
Dale said incumbent Alexander “voted to add excessive financial hardship on Indiana’s local and county governments by supporting Senate Enrolled Act 1, and he wholeheartedly voted in favor of redistricting Indiana’s Congressional map that would have silenced the voices of voters and ended fair elections.”
Dale said he is an “advocate for even-handed approaches to achieve responsible governance.”
“This means courting less data center development — a fool’s errand that’s taxpayer-dependent and environmentally irresponsible — in exchange for incentivizing other industries that build upon and complement existing industries.”
“In the case of Delaware County this could very well mean growing a portion of our economy around the education industry, which is well within our reach given our established educational institutions,” Dale said.
“In the case of Randolph County, it means keeping good things going by finding more ways to support the growth of manufacturing, supporting farmers and maintaining rural health care.”
Dale, a specialist in construction management, has served several roles in local government, including as community development director and with the Muncie Fire Merit Commission and the Muncie Redevelopment Commission.
He has been local Democratic Party chairman since March.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Democratic chairman Andrew Dale will seek Indiana Senate seat
Reporting by Star Press, Muncie Star Press / Muncie Star Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
