A former state lawmaker, two military veterans and a small business owner are in a crowded primary race for a chance to nab the new Indiana House seat representing Boone and Hendricks counties.
Republicans Kent Abernathy, Becky Cash, Douglas Rapp and Matt Whetstone are vying for their party’s nomination for the new Indiana House District 25 in the May 3 primary.
District 25, created when the Legislature drew new House maps this year, spans southeastern and some of central Boone County and the northeast corner of Hendricks County. It encompasses Zionsville, Whitestown and part of Brownsburg.
No Democratic candidate has filed to run for the seat, so the Republican who wins the primary could likely be the representative for District 25.
Kent Abernathy
Abernathy has lived three professional lives, he said, from his experiences serving in the military to working in banking and state government.
He joined the Army after high school and was on active duty for seven years before pursuing a career in banking, where he was vice president of National City Bank and Bank One in the ‘90s.
In 2003, he returned to active duty in the Army for six years, where he spent two tours at the Pentagon and one in Iraq.
While in Iraq, he met then-Gov. Mitch Daniels, and in 2010 he went to work for his administration as the chief of staff of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Abernathy then continued to work in state government under Gov. Mike Pence as the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commissioner for two years.
“The bottom line is, when you look at all candidates, I think that quite frankly, my broad background and experience and record of success makes me stand out,” Abernathy told the Indianapolis Business Journal.
Abernathy chose running for the new District 25 as his next venture because he said the Legislature needs leaders who “put Hoosier values first.”
This would be his second time running for elected office. He was one of several Republicans in 2020 who ran in the 5th Congressional District primary, which U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz won.
Abernathy’s top priority is supporting Hoosier values, which he said includes protecting individual liberties and the Second Amendment, ensuring fair elections and supporting anti-abortion legislation.
Other priorities include expanding economic development, high-paying jobs and government efficiency when spending tax dollars. He said he would also support initiatives that help the Indiana Economic Development Corp., such as the legislation to expand the organization’s toolkit that passed earlier this year.
Becky Cash
Though this is her first time running for elected office, Cash has been involved locally in the Republican Party for 16 years.
She participates in the Boone County Republican Women’s Club, and she often goes to the Statehouse to testify as a citizen on bills. Cash said she decided to run for office because she believes over the last two years, conservative beliefs and rights in Indiana have been infringed upon.
“I’ve already been in the trenches fighting for the rights, the freedoms, the liberties of the people of District 25,” Cash said.
Outside of politics, Cash is a naturopathic practitioner — meaning she diagnoses and treats clients using natural medicine and remedies — and she owns Indy Natural Health Center.
One of her top priorities is medical freedom, and she supports legislation to ban businesses from requiring any vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccine, which was a hot topic of debate in this year’s legislative session. She said another priority is focusing on improving mental health services.
Cash also supports parental rights in education and wants to see legislation passed regarding curriculum transparency. The House and Senate this session attempted to pass curriculum transparency legislation that would have also dictated how so-called “divisive concepts” could be taught in school, but both measures
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