A System Built to Stall
The systems shaping daily life in Indianapolis weren’t designed to help people climb. They were designed to manage inertia—to protect incumbents, preserve power, and explain away failure.
That’s why so many people are working harder and falling further behind. And why trust in politics keeps breaking down.
This campaign starts from a different premise. If the system isn’t working, you don’t defend it. You rebuild it.
CLIMB
A different model of leadership.
CLIMB isn’t a slogan. It’s how this campaign operates and how leadership should work.
It’s what happens when you stop waiting for permission and start showing up. When progress is built door by door, call by call, relationship by relationship.
CLIMB is how trust gets rebuilt and how real change actually happens.
Then the CLIMB breakdown, lightly edited for clarity:
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Courage — Doing what’s right even when it’s uncomfortable.
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Leadership — Showing up, taking responsibility, and making things work.
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Integrity — Alignment between what we say, what we do, and who we fight for.
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Movement — Building power that lasts beyond one election.
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Belief — Refusing to accept decline as inevitable.
Why This Race Matters
Indianapolis doesn’t have a representation problem because people don’t care. It has a representation problem because leadership stopped showing up.
For too long, this district has been treated as safe, static, and managed—even as trust collapsed, turnout cratered, and systems stopped working for the people who rely on them.
This race matters because maintaining the status quo is no longer neutral. It’s a choice to fall further behind.
A Seat That's Been Wasted
Rep. André Carson has spent nearly two decades in Congress. In that time:
• No leadership role
• No sustained legislative impact
• Consistently ranked among the least effective members of Congress by the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking
In ordinary times, that might be overlooked. But in a moment of democratic erosion, institutional breakdown, and rising inequality, it’s unacceptable.
Indianapolis deserves representation that treats the job as active work, not passive tenure.
The Cost of Complacency
When Democrats were winning statewide in Indiana, Indianapolis was organized.
It anchored turnout. It built the bench. It powered victories beyond city limits.
That infrastructure has been allowed to hollow out. Under Carson’s watch, this district now ranks last in voter turnout statewide—weakening Democrats everywhere in Indiana.
This campaign exists to rebuild trust and that foundation from the ground up:
• Block by block
• Volunteer by volunteer
• Conversation by conversation
Not just to win one race, but to restore the party’s capacity to govern.
The Real Divide
The real divide in the Democratic Party isn’t age or ideology. It’s between those managing decline and those building what comes next.
Some believe the job is to defend institutions as they are. This campaign believes the job is to rebuild systems so they actually work again.
That’s the difference. And that’s why this race matters.
The Fair Shot Agenda
The Fair Shot Agenda is what CLIMB looks like in action.
It’s a commitment to rebuild systems so that effort actually leads to opportunity and government delivers for the people who make this city run.
Not slogans. Not excuses. Results.
A Better Indianapolis
An Economy That Works
Our economy should reward work, not just wealth.
Wages are too low, costs are too high, and small businesses are being squeezed while the wealthiest get tax breaks. We’re fighting to raise wages, lower costs, support local ownership, and ensure every job can actually support a life.
A Better Indianapolis:
A Democracy That Puts People First
When government works for the powerful, people lose trust and power.
We’re fighting to protect voting rights, end gerrymandering, ban dark money, and ensure accountability from those in office. Because democracy should work for the people, not just those at the top.