Governor Eric Holcomb began his second term in office Monday, January 11, after being sworn in during a small, private ceremony at the Indiana State Museum. Holcomb, Attorney General Todd Rokita and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch all took their oaths of office during the ceremony before about 50 people who wore masks as COVID-19 precautions precautions against COVID-19.
The inaugural ceremony was scaled back from four years ago when Holcomb first took office before some 2,000 people at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Coliseum.
In a speech, the Governor attempted to highlight the immediate goals of his second term in office, including the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine as well as facilitating the rebound of the state’s economy.
“I will not ever minimize the challenges that we still face, of emerging from this pandemic, sustaining our recovery, continuing to strengthen our state and extending opportunity to all Hoosiers,” Holcomb said. “That is the work before us for sure. But I remain convinced that for Indiana the future is in fact now, and I will work every day to make that future a reality for all of us.”
Holcomb was able to win a second term by defeating two competitors in November, Libertarian Donald Rainwater and Democrat Woody Myers. Myers was able to win in areas like Lake County, however not receiving as large a share of votes as Joe Biden or Frank Mrvan, as well as his opponent’s crushing percentages downstate, led to his defeat.
For the entire state Holcomb received 58 percent of the votes. Myers got 29.5 percent of the votes and Rainwater received 12.5 percent.
“That must be nurtured, not further suppressed or ignored,” Myers said. “Voting, like breathing, should be easy, not hard. It’s way past time for that and so much else to change.”
Many in Myers’ campaign hoped for a swell of Black turnout, similar to what was seen in Georgia both in November and January’s runoff elections. Unfortunately for Myers, who was vying to become the state’s first Black governor, there wasn’t one.
“I thanked him for stepping up and stepping forward and offering an option, offering a real contribution to the conversation we are having as Hoosiers to where we want to lead this state,” Holcomb said of Myers during his victory speech in November.
Rokita also gave a speech at the event, making certain to cover most of his party’s major selling points, including when “you will see liberty in action.”
“In my administration you can expect our team to put liberty in action every single day, starting with the defense of our God-given rights, which the founders recorded in our Constitution and its original amendments,” he said.
“You will see liberty in action when we work to protect the freedom found in the right to life. You will see liberty in action when we stand up for the right of all Hoosiers to be free to peaceably assemble and go to church.”
