Jackie Walorski

Bob Kern

A total of 11 candidates, on both Republican and Democratic tickets, will be running during the May primary to appear on the ballot for U.S. Representative District 2 and 3 in November.

In District 3, incumbent U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski will be running unopposed on the Republican ticket while four Democratic candidates, Joe Bock, Douglas M. Carpenter, Bob Kern and Dan Morrison, will be running to earn the nomination.

Incumbent U.S. Representative of District 3, Marlin A. Stutzman, will be running against fellow Republicans James E. Mahoney III and Mark William Baringer. Democratic candidates for the District 3 primary are Justin Kuhnle, Jim Redmond and Tommy A. Schrader.

Each candidate was asked to provide a brief biography, in addition to a response to a question. As of press time, Baringer, Mahoney, Redmond and Schrader could not be reached.

Meet The Candidates

Jackie Walorski is a lifelong Hoosier, born and raised in South Bend. As the daughter of an Air Force veteran and South Bend firefighter, Walorski learned the value of public service at a young age. She attended Riley High School and graduated with a BA from Taylor University. She remains committed to helping Hoosier families, creating jobs and supporting the nation’s veterans. She resides in Jimtown with her husband, Dean, mother and their three dogs.

Joe Bock oversees Notre Dame’s Global Health Training program, where he trains students in humanitarian ethics and the use of information and communication technologies to promote global health. He has been a consultant to the World Bank on conflict resolution designed to enable economic development and has served on the Safety and Security Committee of the South Bend Community School Corporation. He has lived in South Bend for seven years and his wife, Sue, is a kindergarten teacher there.

Douglas M. Carpenter, MD, learned the values of drive and determination from the Boy Scouts of America Troop 110 Mishawaka and the 4th Battalion/33 FA U.S. Army. Wayne “The Eggman” Shafer taught him to love working hard. These experiences empowered him to graduate from medical school in 1995. His medical training took him to many impoverished neighborhoods in Detroit, Chicago and his hometown of South Bend. It was there Carpenter saw the disparity of the nation’s health care system. His time at Purdue and in the 4-H fostered his commitment to rural communities. Raising his son as a single parent and caring for his mother has also given Carpenter insight into the many struggles Hoosier families have been facing.

Bob Kern, 50, is a lifelong resident of Indianapolis and proud Hoosier. He is a part-time paralegal, having received his paralegal degree from IUPUI. He has worked as a paralegal in the private sector since 1993. Kern was the 1998 democratic nominee for Congress, and previously served as a Democratic state delegate and precinct committeeman. He has helped create legislature aimed to help convicted, nonviolent felons change their lives by giving them a way out.

Dan Morrison has lived and worked in Indiana for 35 years, becoming a full-time resident 27 years ago. He has worked for Fortune 500 companies, the recreation vehicle industry and started his own small business. Morrison earned his Bachelor’s of Art in political science along with a minor in business administration from Millikin University. He and his wife, Nancy, belong to St. Thomas Church, where Nancy serves as an Eucharistic minister while Morrison serves as a lector.

Marlin Stutzman is a fourth-generation farmer who grew up on a farm in Howe. As co-owner, with his father, his brother and brother-in-law, he helps run Stutzman Farms. Congressman Stutzman currently serves on the influential Financial Services Committee and previously served on the Budget, Agriculture and Veterans Affairs committees. Marlin and his wife, Christy, still live in Howe and have two sons, Payton and Preston.

Justin Kuhnle was born and raised in Decatur and now resides in Kendallville with his wife of eight months. They are expecting their first baby this July. Kuhnle has been a case manager for the past seven years: five and half years with Park Center; a year with Bowen Center; and now with Indiana Professional Management Group, working with individuals on Medicaid waivers. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in organizational leadership and supervision. He also has education in psychology from IPFW and human services through Ivy Tech.

Question And Answer

Each candidate — unless running uncontested — was asked, if elected, what core areas (such as education, health care, economy, etc.) would they choose to focus on.

Bock: “I am running because Congress is broken and my Congresswoman is part of the dysfunction of our government, so I have a patriotic duty to run. My priorities are creating and maintaining good paying jobs for the people of northern Indiana, creating a stable economic environment in Congress to foster economic security and growth, and leveling the playing field so seniors, middle class families and other people trying to stay above water have a voice in Congress.”

Carpenter: “If elected, my core areas of focus are health care and the economy. I am concerned about our nation’s quality of health care and those who have struggled economically in the last few years.”

Kern: “I am running because I am every man’s candidate. The people of the second district deserve a leader they can count on. I promise to listen, learn and act in accordance with the overarching goals and needs of the community. In the coming months ahead, you will send me to Congress on the issues of jobs/economy, living wage, health care, prescription drug plans, education, immigration, war on terrorism, affordable housing, public transportation, protecting senior and people with disabilities, protecting Social Security, technology, domesticate violence, Medicaid and Medicare fraud, EDT Food and Cash assistance fraud (and more).”

Morrison: “My number one focus is going to be ending the gridlock in Washington, D.C. Nothing is going to get done unless we can reach across the aisle. When I’m elected I’m going to knock on all doors (in Washington). We need to work together as Americans. The second area is education. We need to make college and tech schools more affordable. Purdue has done a nice job of freezing their tuition. We need more to do the same. Last thing, we need to do is get people back to work in jobs that they can afford to make a living.”

Stutzman: No response.

Kuhnle: “If elected, my core areas of concern are on traditional public education, jobs and eliminating government waste. For education, my vision is having a broad education philosophy, investing in our education and our teachers, giving an emphasis on learning and giving the control ultimately to the local school districts. For jobs, we need to promote our small businesses, give protection to our workers and ensure they are able to earn a living wage, and increase job skills training to close the skills gap. For elimination of government waste, there are thousands of government programs that overlap services, have redundancy and have no respect for spending our tax money efficiently.”