Tully: Eric Holcomb’s pitch to Indiana voters

I need to make a point clear before starting today’s column about Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb, the Republican nominee for governor. Here it is: If I made a list of the 10 or 15 politicos I’ve covered over the years that I respect most, because I believe they have used their past positions in particularly impressive ways, Holcomb would likely be on that list.

Back when he was an aide to then-Gov. Mitch Daniels, he was a key voice pushing the “we-can-do-more” mantra. When he was chairman of the Indiana Republican Party, our conversations almost always veered much more toward policy and pushing big ideas than politics — and I can’t tell you how rare that is in a political party chairman. And when he served as Sen. Dan Coats’ chief of staff, I watched as Holcomb effectively brought together a wide and fractious set of conservative voices, while also making clear his interest in reaching across party lines.

In short, the rapid political ascendance of Holcomb this year has been a positive for the state, and without question for the GOP. And since I also think Democratic nominee John Gregg has transformed himself into a more thoughtful version of the candidate he was in 2012, it seems that this might be a race for governor in which voters can actually vote for someone, at a time when it seems like many people are voting against candidates.

The first challenge for Holcomb, of course, is getting more Hoosiers to know who he is. That’s a particular challenge for someone who has been lieutenant governor for less than six months, following the resignation of his predecessor, and the GOP nominee for governor for only a month, following Gov. Mike Pence’s departure for the Trump campaign.

“This has never happened to anyone in Indiana’s history so you couldn’t have predicted it,” Holcomb said Wednesday. “But I think I’m prepared for it.”

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Holcomb’s message is a simple and, thus far, positive one: Indiana has seen dramatic economic, fiscal and government-operations improvements under Republican leadership these past 12 years, and that needs to continue. This race will likely turn on whether Hoosiers agree with that assessment, or with Gregg’s argument that the Pence era has damaged Indiana.

“I think Indiana has proven we cannot just meet challenges, we can solve the problems,” Holcomb said, pointing to improvements at the BMV and the roads-funding Toll Road lease he helped sell during the Daniels era. “To me, what is next is to take Indiana to the next level. ... We have built such a strong foundation and I want to now create separation between us and our competitors, whether that is other countries or other states. I want it to be obvious that Indiana is a destination for talent. I want to accelerate that.”

Holcomb has not yet laid out a clear set of policy proposals; that’s understandable given his late entry into the race. “We have time,” he said, and he is right, though he will have to produce those proposals before long. For now, he is outlining a broad set of issues, from economic and community development, to supporting public education and focusing on improving the way state government operates.

He talked at length about the nitty gritty, saying so much else stems from how well government operates and how solid the fiscal picture is. I couldn’t agree more. But he also said the state must do more to help communities develop the amenities needed to attract employers and new residents.

“I hope by Election Day people have a better understanding of who I am, of what kind of person I am, and what kind of leadership I will provide,” he said. “I am running to continue Indiana’s momentum. Our trajectory is on the right slope and I want to continue to climb up that mountain.”

After years of ugly battles over state education policy, Holcomb is convinced Indiana can continue to support school choice through vouchers while making clear that public education must be supported above all else. A gregarious 48-year-old, Holcomb like Gregg insists he would be a bridge-builder, one who sounds like he has learned from the divisions that broke out during the tenure of education Superintendent Tony Bennett, whose rise he championed.

“Choices don’t have to work against one another,” he said. “They can complement one another.”

Again, I agree.

I asked Holcomb about concerns from many on both sides of the aisle that Pence and the General Assembly have veered too often into social debates. A social conservative, Holcomb reminded me he has not been talking about social issues, saying, “I will be focused on economic development, community development and striving to make sure our public school education is the best in America. That’s what I am going to be laser focused on.”

Holcomb talked at length about the importance of continuing to produce honestly balanced state government budgets and a regulatory environment that some of us believe veers too far in favor of polluters and business. On the other hand, he made clear the need to support cities and towns, and he has embraced the concept of increased investment in preschool. He insisted that he would “seek input from people who come at these issues from a different perspective than me.”

That sounds great, but it will be important to see if his upcoming policy proposals back up that sentiment. Let’s hope they do.

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You can reach me at matthew.tully@indystar.com or on Twitter: @matthewltully.