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INDIANAPOLIS — The deadline for the Indiana Republican Party to decide who will be running to fill the vacancy left by the late Congresswoman Jackie Walorski’s death is approaching. Candidates are stepping forward to show their interest.

Governor Eric Holcomb called for a special election to fill the vacancy. The election will take place the same day as the general election.

The late Congresswoman Walorski was elected in November 2020 to fill a two-year term beginning Jan. 3, 2021, through Jan. 3, 2023. She was up for re-election in the November general election.

The special election will decide who will take up the remainder of the term until whoever wins the election takes over in January 2023. The Democratic Party already has their nominee, chosen during the May primary. The Republican caucus will determine who will run for their party.

The Republican caucus is meeting Saturday at Grissom Middle School to nominate their candidate. This means interested candidates have until Wednesday at 11 a.m. to declare their interest to be chosen by the caucus.

As of Monday afternoon, six people have filed their interest to the Republican Caucus. Among those who entered are:

  • Former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill
  • Tiernan Kane, lawyer at Cooper and Kirk
  • Curtis Nisly, Indiana State Representative for District 22, who lost the May primary
  • Christy Stutzman, former Indiana State Representative for District 49
  • Rudolph (Rudy) Yakym, finance director for Walorski’s campaign.
  • Michael Hogberg, enrolled agent and tax preparer 

On Monday, late Congresswoman Walorski’s husband, Dean Swihart, issued a statement supporting Yakym for the position.

“I am confident that Jackie would want to weigh in on her successor to ensure that our voices continue to be represented in Congress. After deep reflection and deliberation, today I am supporting Rudy Yakym to represent the 2nd District of Indiana in Congress. Rudy has spent years working in public service alongside my beloved wife and will fight for our district to protect our faith, families and communities. Rudy is a political outsider who has what it takes to stand up to the Pelosi-Biden agenda. He will fight to do the right thing, just as Jackie did every day of her career. I encourage the precinct committeemen to support Rudy in this week’s caucus.”

Dean Swihart, husband to the late U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski

Hill served as Attorney General before losing the 2020 Republican Attorney General Nomination to current Attorney General Todd Rokita. During the campaign, allegations from several women who claimed Hill drunkenly groped them was a key issue.

While Hill has denied any wrongdoing, the state Supreme Court ordered a 30-day suspension of his law license after finding “by clear and convincing evidence that (Hill) committed the criminal act of battery” against the women and then-state Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, a Munster Democrat.

Recently, a federal appeals court ruled those women can not pursue a lawsuit against the state government under federal sexual harassment laws.

Along with figuring out who will serve as representative for the remainder of the late Congresswoman Walorski’s term, the caucus will fill the general election ballot vacancy.