PRESS RELEASES
“This race isn’t about left vs. right. It’s about decline vs. direction. We can’t just manage collapse — we have to start the climb.”
Monday, April 28, 2025
Indianapolis, IN — Today, Democrat George Hornedo, running in the congressional primary IN-07, issued a direct challenge to the status quo, releasing two defining campaign statements — Why This Race Matters and The Real Divide — that call for urgent change within the Democratic Party and Indianapolis.
Hornedo’s message is simple: In an era when public systems are being dismantled, Democrats can’t settle for passive incumbents or outdated playbooks. They need leaders ready to rebuild, deliver, and fight for the future.
“This race isn’t about left vs. right. It’s about decline vs. direction,” Hornedo said. “We can’t just manage collapse — we have to start the climb.”
The full statements are below and online here & here.
Why This Race Matters
This is a campaign rooted in the belief that we cannot afford to waste Democratic seats on passive incumbents while our democracy is being restructured beneath us.
This race matters—for three key reasons:
1. A Seat That’s Not Delivering
Rep. Andre Carson is consistently ranked as one of the least effective members of Congress by the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking.
Seventeen years in office. No leadership role. No legislative impact. And in a moment this urgent, that’s a seat being wasted.
Indianapolis deserves stronger, more accountable representation—someone who can do more for the people who live here.
2. Party Infrastructure Is Collapsing in Indiana
When Democrats were winning statewide, it was because Indianapolis was organized—it anchored turnout and built the bench.
That infrastructure has completely hollowed out. Under Rep. Carson’s watch, this district now ranks last in voter turnout in the entire state—dragging Democrats down across Indiana.
George is running to rebuild it—not just to win this race, but to help bring Indiana Democrats back to life.
3. This Isn’t Left vs. Right—It’s Decline vs. Direction
The real divide in the Democratic Party isn’t about age or ideology. It’s between those managing decline—and those building what comes next.
Rep. Carson believes our institutions mostly work—and that the job of a Democrat is to defend them. For him, fighting back means standing behind Chuck Schumer at a press conference.
George believes that when Democrats win back power, we won’t be walking into the same government. Trump and Musk are actively dismantling public systems. The task ahead isn’t just to protect what’s left—it’s to build something better than what we had.
That’s the difference. And that’s why this race matters.
The Real Divide
Most people think the biggest fight in politics is between the left and the right. That’s wrong.
The real divide is between people who believe our political system is still working—and those of us who know it’s not.
It’s between those trying to manage a slow decline—and those of us trying to build what comes next.
The Politics of Direction, Not Division
We don’t need more “left vs. right” debates. We need leadership that moves us forward.
Our campaign is about direction. It’s about the climb. It’s about building something new and better—not defending the status quo, and not burning it all down either.
In Indianapolis, and across the country, people don’t need slogans or purity tests. They need real solutions:
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Safer streets in neighborhoods like Haughville and Martindale-Brightwood.
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Affordable housing in areas where rent has doubled but wages haven’t moved.
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A government that actually shows up—and delivers.
That’s what we’re focused on. And that’s what matters.
A Loud Faction Isn’t the Whole Left
Let’s be clear: there’s a small but vocal faction on the far left that doesn’t speak for progressives—or for people who actually want to make things better.
These aren’t organizers. They’re agitators.
If you’re not 100% in lockstep with them on a single issue of the day, they’ll try to tear you down. They’re loud. They’re toxic. And they hurt the very causes they claim to care about. Quite simply, they’re unserious people.
The Democratic Party doesn’t need to chase their approval. We don’t need to fear them because they’re loud online. And we don’t need to pretend they’re speaking in good faith when they’re clearly not.
We need to stop letting the loudest voices drown out the real work happening in our communities—because the people doing the work don’t have time for all that noise.
In Indy, that work looks like church groups feeding families, barbershop owners keeping kids safe, and tenants organizing to stop illegal evictions—none of whom have time to argue on the internet.
When Moderation Becomes an Excuse for Inaction
At the same time, moderation without action is just managed decline.
There are too many Democrats who confuse caution for leadership—and who think the best we can do is slow the fall and hope voters thank us for it.
Let’s be clear: Democrats look different in different places. What it takes to win in rural Indiana doesn’t look the same as what it takes to win in downtown Chicago. And we have to be okay with that—because at the end of the day, we need more Democrats in office.
But we don’t just need more Democrats. We need stronger Democrats.
We need leaders who are willing to actually use power—not just hold office. Leaders who show up, solve problems, and build for the future.
The real center isn’t moderation. The real center is proportionality—making sure the scale of our solutions matches the scale of the problems we face.
That’s what people in Indianapolis have been waiting on for too long. That’s what working families deserve. And that’s what this campaign is here to finally deliver.
Why This Race Matters—for Indy and Beyond
This campaign isn’t about ideology. It’s about direction.
It’s not about managing collapse. It’s about building power.
And it’s not about passing purity tests. It’s about delivering for people who have waited long enough.
Because when the system stops working for places like Indianapolis, we have two options: manage the decline—or start the climb. We’re choosing the climb.
About George Hornedo
George Hornedo, 34, grew up on the Northside of Indianapolis where he learned the values of grit, resilience, and community that now drive his campaign for Congress. A former Obama Administration official at the U.S. Department of Justice, George has spent his career fighting for civil rights, safer communities, and economic opportunity. He’s helped cities like Indianapolis secure millions in federal funding to create jobs and rebuild infrastructure.
A graduate of Cornell, Harvard, and George Washington University Law School, George brings next-generation leadership and a track record of results rooted in the real-life challenges Hoosiers face. He’s running because Indianapolis deserves a new generation of leadership, one that actually delivers. George and his wife live in Washington Township on Indy’s Northside.