Christy and Marlin Stutzman (on the right) are pictured in this file photo from 2016 with Scott and Cindy Silveus during a fundraiser. Marlin is a former Congressman and Christy is seeking to fill the vacancy in Congress following the death of Jackie Walorski.

By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – Christy Stutzman – the only woman in a field of 12 seeking to fill the Congressional vacancy left by the death of Jackie Walorski – says her background makes her uniquely qualified for the job.

The Middlebury mother of two who previously served as a state lawmaker and whose husband, Marlin Stutzman, is a former Congressman, was in Warsaw Wednesday, Aug. 17, as she canvasses the 2nd Congressional District before Saturday’s GOP caucuses that will be used to fill Walorski’s seat and select a candidate for the Nov. 8 general election.

“This has been a fast process,” she said earlier this week. “We didn’t know who would jump and there wasn’t much time to think about it because first, you’re grieving and in shock over losing this bigger-than-life, wonderful Congresswoman who we’ve known for more than 20 years.”

Christy Stutzman

Stutzman was first elected to the District 49 seat in the Indiana Statehouse in 2018 but resigned abruptly three weeks after she was re-elected in 2020, saying the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was taking a toll on the family’s newly acquired Amish Acres, which is now known as The Barns at Nappanee.

She currently works as the executive producer of the Round Barn Theatre, which is part of the tourism complex in Nappanee. 

She said she thinks they’ve righted the ship in solidifying the business after the pandemic.

Stutzman felt compelled to save the company, the tradition and 80 jobs.

“I have weathered COVID with a property that should not have weathered COVID,” she said Wednesday during a meet and greet at Mad Anthony’s in Warsaw.

As the pandemic settled in two years ago, she was a vocal critic of Gov. Eric Holcomb for his handling of the health emergency. She was especially frustrated at the lack of information available in the governor’s office and health departments.

She said circumstances were made worse by misinformation.

“There are lots of studies out there that show it didn’t work. It didn’t work. In fact, it hurt everything. It made things worse,” she said. “There had to be a better way to do that.”

Her concerns have not faded. She said she thinks the mask mandate was unconstitutional.

“I think that is something that needs to be addressed in Washington and make sure it never happens again,” she said.

Her background, Stutzman said, matches up well with representing the district and is more diverse than many of the other caucus candidates.

She and her husband own several businesses, including an RV company in Middlebury. Along with being a former state legislator, she’s also a former teacher who believes in school choice.

Stutzman, 49, also points to her family’s background in agriculture. Marlin is on the board of Wishbone Medical, an orthopedic company in Warsaw.

“There are a lot of things I bring to the table that are unique,” she said.

She also worked in Washington D.C. wth Live Action, an anti-abortion group and set up meetings with lawmakers and staff.

During the job, she commuted from Indiana to D.C.

“That part is unique about me. I’ve been on the frontlines with Marlin watching how everything went down, and knowing who the players are and how the town works,” she said.

Given the political tumult across the nation involving the 2020 presidential election and Jan. 6, InkFreeNews asked several questions about current events.

She said she considers Joe Biden to be the legitimate president.

Stutzman said Republicans have a deep bench ahead of the 2024 presidential campaign, but believes Trump will run.

“I think Trump’s going to run and I would be glad if he did,” she said.

As for the Jan. 6 violence, Stutzman said that while there are many videos that document the violence, she said some of what has evolved has been “exaggerated.”

“I think the investigation has gone way too far. We need to be really careful what we are doing because … there is an agenda behind it. They’re going after Trump and trying to take him out and they’re using politics and using the FBI and using everything else to do it. People are scared to death in this country.”