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Healthcare
4.00
Economics
4.00
Candidate Name
Wesley Haffenden
District
State House District 83
Values
Grade
Values
Party
Democrat
Experience
Challenger
Grade
Democracy
4.00
Accessibility
4
Governance
4
Cost
Choice
4
4
Freedom
Voting
4
4
Community
4.00
A+
Overall Grade
Education
4.00
Affordability
Equity
Opportunity
4
4
4
Environment
Public Safety
Inclusion
4
4
4
Stability
Funding
Belonging
4
4
4
Notable Information
Candidate Name
Candidate for:
State House District 83
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)
I support universal healthcare, but as a state representative my responsibility is protecting Hoosiers from the fallout of these Medicaid cuts. I would oppose balancing the budget on the backs of working families while giant corporations and hospital monopolies continue getting special treatment. I support closing corporate tax loopholes to help stabilize healthcare funding, cracking down on anti-competitive hospital mergers that drive up costs, and expanding preventative and mental health care to reduce expensive emergency care. I’ll fight to protect rural hospitals and community clinics so people don’t lose access to care because of political decisions made in Washington.
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)
I support a moratorium on new AI data centers. Indiana needs stronger protections in place for local communities, utility ratepayers, farmland, and water resources. Billion dollar corporations are getting massive tax breaks while ordinary Hoosiers are paying higher utility bills.
Any future projects should face strict public oversight, transparent environmental and utility impact studies, and enforceable community benefit agreements. If corporations want access to Indiana’s land, water, and energy resources, they should be required to create meaningful long term jobs and fully pay for the infrastructure demands they create instead of shifting costs onto our families.
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)
Indiana’s voucher program has expanded far beyond helping low income families and is now subsidizing private tuition for households making well into six figures. I support lowering the income cap back down and phasing out the voucher program over time so public tax dollars are focused on strengthening public schools that serve every child.
If private and charter schools receive taxpayer funding, they should meet the same transparency, accountability, and non-discrimination standards as public schools.
Our priority should be fully funding neighborhood schools, paying teachers professional salaries, and expanding career training, trades, and special education, not diverting billions away from public classrooms.
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?
Our democracy is being bought and sold by wealthy donors, corporate lobbyists, and political insiders while working people are pushed to the sidelines. This is the central challenge facing our system and every other important issue depends on fixing it.
If elected, I will take on that broken system directly: term limits for career politicians, campaign finance reform to get big money out of politics, an end to gerrymandered districts, and expanding citizen power through ballot referendums. I support ranked choice voting and other electoral reforms that force politicians to actually earn support from voters.
We must return the power to the people.
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?
Local and state governments must focus on public safety, not act as extensions of federal ICE enforcement. Under the Trump administration, we’ve seen federal overreach erode trust in our local police and make people less willing to report crimes or cooperate with investigations.
I support keeping local law enforcement focused on community safety, not supporting federal overreach, while respecting due process and basic human dignity for everyone who lives here.