NW Indiana 1st Congressional District race heating up; what candidates are saying

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The race in Indiana's 1st Congressional District has become one of the more highly publicized contests in the area this election cycle.

The first district covers Lake and Porter counties, as well as some of La Porte County.

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Democrat Frank Mrvan is running for reelection against Republican Randy Niemeyer and Libertarian Dakotah Miskus.

Two-term incumbent Mrvan knows the voting history of Indiana's 1st Congressional District well. A Democrat has represented northwest Indiana in Congress for more than 90 years. Republican Niemeyer and Libertarian Miskus are both eager to represent a different option for voters.

"This district has transitioned into something that is competitive, which is good for the member of Congress, because I have to have an open dialog with everyone in northwest Indiana regardless of the political party in order to deliver," Mrvan said.

"We've seen an influx of people move from Illinois here in the northwest Indiana, and they're voting with their feet and their wallet. And they're voting more Republican. And really, the blue-collar workers now are starting to gravitate to the Republican Party as well," Niemeyer said.

"Young people like me, around 25, we're just kind of getting fed up. It's like we live in a world that's run by people that don't have to live in it as long as we do," Miskus said.

For the last four years, Mrvan said he's been working in Washington to bring new infrastructure and new investment to northwest Indiana, including securing funding for a massive multi-billion-dollar hydrogen hub at the BP Whiting oil refinery, a project expected to create 8,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs, while also upgrading the region's legacy industry.

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"Both big steel producers in northwest Indiana agreed to use hydrogen, so that we will have a cleaner steel and be able to market it globally. So, that gives longevity to our steel industry, again, creating work and wealth," Mrvan said.

And, on the subject of wealth, Niemeyer believes too many people in northwest Indiana are coming up short, pointing to federal spending during COVID and an ensuing 40-year-high inflation rate. Miskus pointed out the challenges facing Gen Z, as they begin their adult lives.

"To make sure that we can eventually buy a home, and start a family and not have to worry about: How are we going to put food on the table? Like most of our parents, it was a one-job household, and that was enough to take care of the whole family," Miskus said.

"The people that are out here working hard every day, the skilled laborers, the middle-class people, they feel it more than anyone, because inflation impacts those of us who get a paycheck every week," Niemeyer said.

Niemeyer co-owns a fourth-generation trucking business. Also a truck driver himself, Niemeyer said he's logged more than 3 million miles on the road. It's a background he thinks resonates with voters.

"I'm one of them, right? I've put on my work boots, and carry a lunchbox to work," Niemeyer said.

Meanwhile, Mrvan said his work speaks for itself, referencing new commuter rail service planned for southern Lake County, all the way to Michigan City, projects he says create jobs and are designed to grow the population and the tax base.

"We have delivered, and we have outcomes to show that. And we want to continue to make sure that northwest Indiana and the region continues to thrive," Mrvan said.

The candidates answered a number of questions this week, including those on:

The Economy

Mrvan: "We've talked about creating big projects and putting people, men and women, to work. That's a big part of it - making sure that there's work and wealth in our area. Of course, I buy groceries. I'm in the grocery store. That is a concern of mine, and collectively, in a bipartisan way, we have to work to reduce costs every single day. So why, as a member of Congress, should I get elected? Because I'm going to continue to make sure that we fight for those individuals who are the most vulnerable when it comes to health care access, when it comes to the cost of prescriptions, when it comes to the cost of groceries. We are doing everything we can to create work and wealth so that people can afford a new home, so that they can afford the luxuries that they want in northwest Indiana. Those are priorities. When we talk about the hydrogen hub, not only does that create those jobs, union jobs, 8,000 new union jobs, 1,500 (permanent jobs), but it also (impacts) our steel industry. Both big steel producers in northwest Indiana agreed to use hydrogen so that we will have a cleaner steel and be able to market it globally. So that gives longevity to our steel industry, again, creating work and wealth. So, if you can create bring back federal resources and create projects that you put people to work in conjunction with bringing down costs, then I believe that is a successful formula to be able to be a strong member of Congress that delivers for the district."

Niemeyer: "I'm a trucker. I'm a career trucker. I've got 3 million miles of trucking experience. I own a small company. So, I see this stuff firsthand in my life, with my employees and with people that we talk to. If you're a skilled tradesman, let's say your last contract was a 15% raise over five years. Well, in the last four years, the average cost of living in this area is up anywhere between 20 and 30% depending where you live. So you actually took a pay cut, right? So those sorts of spending spree bills that we saw in 2021 and 2022 where we had all this money pumped into the system, and we immediately saw a historic rise in inflation. It was a 40-year high. Those are things that had a massive impact. And the people that are out here working hard every day, the skilled laborers, the middle-class people; they feel it more than anyone, because inflation impacts those of us who get a paycheck every week. It doesn't impact the people as much as that make their money on assets. So that's what we see on the ground with those policies, and how it's hurt the average family. We've talked to a number of seniors that are in their 70s and are going back to work, picking up part-time jobs because they can't make ends meet on Social Security. So, it's been a pretty tough road for people here."

Miskus: "The (current) administration has done a good job at getting inflation back down to normal, acceptable levels. I believe we're still hovering around 2%, which is where we would like to be any given year. So we've definitely cut back on the COVID inflation. But the other big problem is that we have not seen the prices at the store go down yet, and that's an issue not with the inflation itself. That's an issue with the big corporations, and this administration hasn't done much to change that as of yet, but I know Kamala Harris is running on a platform of forcing them to lower their prices. Representing a younger generation, we need to make sure that we can eventually buy a home and start a family and not have to worry about putting food on the table. Most of our parents operated a one-job household, and that was enough to take care of the whole family."

Reproductive Rights

Mrvan: "A big part of our region is being able to protect women's reproductive rights. I am in favor of making sure we codify Roe versus Wade, and we do everything that we can to make sure that we protect women's reproductive rights. We're in Indiana. Indiana was the first state to make sure that they outlawed any form of abortion. One state it's legal. One state it's not. Ultimately, in Indiana, it created a health care crisis because physicians are pausing when they're making life and death decisions for our families. So I believe that it's a family's choice, and we need to go back to that and codify Roe versus Wade."

Niemeyer: "I'm a guy who believes in constitutionality and legislative lanes. As someone that's making an effort to be a part of the federal government, I don't believe that the place of a politician is in the doctor's office. That is one thing that I've stood by the whole time. Also legislatively, constitutionally, the Dobbs case referenced the 10th Amendment as legislative authority belonging to the states. So those are the things that that I see if anyone tries to enact a ban; I don't think it's going to pass the Supreme Court. Or if they try to codify Roe v Wade and won't pass the Supreme Court. So we have to recognize what lane we're in, who has the legislative authority. And when it comes to medical privacy, I think it's important that politicians stay out of the doctor's office."

Miskus: "We need to be able to trust women and their doctors to make the right decision. The government should not be legislating what happens behind those doors of your doctor's office in really any sense, and especially that one. I would love to see (Roe vs. Wade) codified."

The U.S.-Mexico Border

Mrvan: "The reason why it's a key issue is because it is a national security issue. We want to know who's coming in and out of our country. Sen. Lankford out of Oklahoma put together a bipartisan piece of legislation. I know him well, and he worked in a bipartisan way. It increased border patrol by 1,500 agents. It increased technology to make sure that our border patrol agents also had the technology to identify fentanyl, which mostly comes through the ports of entry. It also increased judges for asylum, and it also made sure that we were vetting people coming into our country. So that bipartisan piece of legislation didn't get brought to the floor because it would have passed. So let me say that again, it didn't come to the floor because it would fail. It came to the floor because it wouldn't pass. And what that means is there was politics over people; so, it is a national security issue. I mentioned that I was a township trustee. Part of that responsibility was the burial of the indigent people who couldn't afford burials when they passed away unexpectedly. My last month in 2020, there were over eight burials of the indigent, of people who passed away from getting a bad batch of heroin in our communities. I sat across the table from people who lost their sons and daughters, moms and dads. It really is a fact that that is an epidemic. So, when we had a piece of legislation that didn't come to the floor, it impacts me personally, because I do want to make a difference. As we go forward when that bill comes back up, it will have my support - strengthening our national security. Having a clear pathway to citizenship is something that's vitally important for our country, and I will work towards that goal."

Niemeyer: "We're seeing immigration trickle into every community. Chicago is overloaded right now; so, there's a lot of it that trickles in here to northwest Indiana. I hear from our police chiefs around here that they're having more and more in encounters with people that are committing small crimes and theft and things like that. There was also a stabbing in the southern part of this (Lake) county not long ago. It was a 13- or 14-year-old young lady that was stabbed by an illegal immigrant who had been deported before. And he's affiliated with MS-13. So, people are aware of it, and they're worried about it. It also comes down to resources. People see what kind of money is being spent on this nationwide. In 2023, a congressional report estimated $160 billion between state, local and federal (dollars), was spent on illegal immigration. And yet, we have homeless veterans out on the streets, problems with addiction, and PTSD. We have police departments that are understaffed. So we have a lack of priority right now, and people see that."

Miskus: "It does play a large role in our national security, just because we do need to know who's coming into our country and make sure that they are well-suited to be here. I don't believe that it is necessarily as big of a threat as a lot of people to the right of me would like to portray. Obviously, we can't just let anybody come into the country, but we do need to make it easier for people to enter the country. Our country, and especially our region, has been built by a lot of immigrants. I come from an immigrant background. My great grandparents came here from Poland. It wasn't an easy process, but it was much easier than it is today. I believe that it's important to give people an easier path to entering the country, and especially citizenship."

'A vote for me is a vote for'

Mrvan: "A vote for Frank Mrvan is, more importantly, a vote for northwest Indiana. It's a vote to make sure that we continue to create work and wealth. It's a vote to make sure that people have access to health care, are able to live in a safe community. It's a vote for making sure people understand that women's reproductive health is a priority, making sure that we create jobs that attract young people, and that we fulfill the commitment to getting a tech hub in this area and working regionally in a bipartisan way."

Niemeyer: "I'll run things in government the same way I do at my own house. When we look at our checkbook and our checking account, is there enough money at the end of the month or too much month at the end of the money? This is about getting back to the common and core principles of government, making sure that we understand that government actually has no money. It only has people's money. The things that we do and the actions that we take have a massive impact on people's ability to live a comfortable life. When it comes to immigration, we have a duty to protect our borders and have an immigration system that works to enhance our country. We're all immigrants. We always have to remember that, but it's important that the system runs by law and smoothly and that people can count on the United States government to protect their own borders. I'm a lifelong conservative guy, but I'm a common sense person, a working man, and I'm solution-oriented. I'm more interested in solving the problems than continuing to create them. So, a vote for me means a vote for you as one of the people."

Miskus: "It's a vote for the future, a vote for a future where everybody can live their American dream, and a vote for a future of peace."