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Healthcare
4.00
Economics
4.00
Candidate Name
Brenna Geswein
District
State House District 13
Values
Grade
Values
Party
Democrat
Experience
Challenger
Grade
Democracy
3.33
Accessibility
4
Governance
4
Cost
Choice
4
4
Freedom
Voting
4
4
Community
3.67
A
Overall Grade
Education
4.00
Affordability
Equity
Opportunity
4
4
4
Environment
Public Safety
Inclusion
4
3
4
Stability
Funding
Belonging
4
4
4
Notable Information
Candidate Name
Candidate for:
State House District 13
Democrat
Challenger
Notable Information
MADVoters Survey Responses
Healthcare: The Big Beautiful Bill is projected to cut $31 billion from Indiana’s Medicaid funding, including almost $13 billion in hospital funding, over the next decade. What will you do if elected to ensure healthcare affordability and access given these changes? (Source: Indiana Hospital Association)
Indiana needs to restore funding for public health through the Health First Indiana initiative. There was a large increase in state funding in the 2024 & 2025 budget cycle which was cut by over 80% for the 2026 & 2027 cycle. However, the 2024-2025 increase did not even bring Indiana up to the national average of per person spending on healthcare. Public health grants from federal agencies are directly related to the amount of state spending so it creates a compounded effect by not having a properly funded state health department. A focus on county health departments and/or regional mobile health clinics to address chronic health issues, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes can help prevent, education and manage these issues, ultimately reducing healthcare costs. Overall, statewide revenue generation compared to budget allocations need to be holistically evaluated - many of the issues facing Hoosiers are intertwined and cannot be evaluated in silos. For example, rural broadband internet access can be tied into easier healthcare access via telehealth.
Economics: AI and data centers are having a huge impact on jobs and communities across the nation, particularly in Indiana. What is Congress’s role in addressing this developing technology? What action will you take to hear and represent the concerns of Hoosiers on this topic?
Economics: Dozens of AI data centers are planning to come to Indiana, drawn by the state’s “business-friendly” reputation. How should Indiana manage these large industrial site proposals and their potential impact on communities? (Source: Citizens Action Coalition)
Indiana needs to enact a statewide moratorium on new data-center developments until their true impact is fully understood. These multi-billion‑dollar hyperscale facilities are relatively new, and tax-break laws need updated.
We also need a clear assessment of the strain data centers place on our electric grid, the cost of new infrastructure, their heavy water usage, and broader environmental implications. Once construction ends, these facilities provide few full‑time jobs for the trade‑off in lost tax revenue. Trillion-dollar corporations should not be exempt from paying sales tax on their electricity – especially when the Republican supermajority legislature voted down an amendment to give residents the same tax break. These corporations are also paying a fraction in property taxes (percentage based) compared to homeowners – we should not be paying 4-5x higher property taxes than trillion-dollar corporations.
A pause gives Indiana the chance to study the impacts, update laws and regulations, and ensure that any future development actually provides long-term benefits to Hoosier communities.
Education: Describe your stance on the Department of Education and its role in education administration, funding, and protections for students with disabilities.
Education: Since 2012, Indiana has spent over $5.5 billion in taxpayer dollars on charter schools and the private school voucher program. If elected, would you support or oppose the use of taxpayer dollars to funding private schools and charter schools? Why or why not? (Source: ICPE)
I would advocate for elimination of the school voucher program so tax dollars are not being used at private schools. These private schools are selective on whom they admit, are not subject to public financial audits or open school board meetings. Our public school teachers and staff are incredible - and every year they are asked to do more with less. Public school funding has not kept pace with inflation and school vouchers are moving almost half a billion dollars of funds to private schools for the 2025-2026 school year. Starting in 2027, income limits are completely removed, meaning your tax dollars will be used to send wealthy students to private schools. These taxpayer funds should be used as intended – to fund public schools accessible to all students.
Democracy: In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge or threat facing our democracy right now? If elected, what will you do to help overcome this challenge or threat?
The biggest challenge facing our democracy is the billionaire oligarchs who are buying elections, influencing legislation that gives them even more tax breaks at the expense of gutting social systems and accumulating wealth most truly cannot even comprehend. These same individuals and the companies they are tied to are now building data centers at unprecedented rates and getting huge tax breaks while driving up electricity costs and threatening our water supply and quality. If elected, I support legislation that makes trillion- and billion-dollar companies pay their fair share in taxes and pay their workers a living wage.
Community: Describe your stance on ICE and its role in immigration enforcement and detention.
Community: What role or responsibility do local and state governments have with regards to immigration enforcement?
To protect our law-abiding population, violent offenders – regardless of legal status – need to be removed from our streets and neighborhoods. In the case of violent offenders, I fully support state and local cooperation with immigration enforcement. If immigration officers have a valid judicial warrant and request the cooperation of local law enforcement, I support those efforts. I do not support the way ICE has been terrorizing people based on the color of their skin and targeting law-abiding people, no matter their status. Not having legal status is a civil issue - families should not be separated and people should not be detained.