Heads are shaking in rueful acknowledgment across the Indiana GOP today. What has long been suspected by many has been confirmed according to the Northwest Indiana Times, “One of the worst-kept secrets in Indiana politics officially is out of the bag — Jennifer McCormick is a Democrat.” McCormick, the former Superintendent of Public Instruction has announced that she “no longer identifies with the Indiana Republican party” the very party that nominated and elected her to lead the Indiana Department of Education five years ago.
Based upon her statements the longtime former Republican has become convinced that only Democrat policies and elected officials can provide the funding she wants to provide teachers and schools.
“I know there are Republican voters across Indiana who believe in the ideas to fully fund our public schools and provide our educators the quality of life they deserve, but I have some advice for them: it’ll be the Indiana Democrats — not Republican elected officials — who’ll get it done.”
According to The Northwest Indiana Times,
“McCormick’s party switch was foreshadowed by her agreement last year to stay on at the Department of Education if Democratic Dr. Woody Myers was elected governor and won the right to appoint the first Indiana secretary of education.
In 2019, the Republican-controlled General Assembly decided to replace the elected state superintendent with a governor-appointed schools chief once McCormick’s term expired.”
GOP Governor Holcomb Saw This Coming And Cleaned House
The writing was on the wall, it would seem that McCormick was more interested in getting her job back under a new Democrat administration. The 2020 election fell quite differently though with Republican Governor Eric Holcomb winning re-election with the most votes in Indiana History. Dr. Katie Jenner was sworn on Jan. 11th as the first Indiana Secretary of Education, replacing McCormick as her role was eliminated.
The Associated Press reported,
“McCormick’s endorsements of Myers and Democrats during her tenure laid bare her split from Holcomb and GOP legislative leaders since she was elected to be state schools superintendent in 2016 with Republican Party support. She has disagreed with Republican legislators on several education issues including the use of standardized testing to rate schools and teachers, and her support for increased scrutiny of charter and voucher schools that receive state money.”
Jason Bearce, Indiana Chamber of Commerce vice president of education and workforce development, told the AP,
“The Indiana Chamber has long supported making Indiana’s top education official an appointed position so the governor has someone aligned with his policy priorities in such a key role,” Bearce said in a statement Thursday. “That enhanced level of cooperation and collaboration will make the state’s education direction clear and allow for more impactful efforts on behalf of Indiana students.”
The internecine fighting between McCormick and Governor Holcomb was only hurting Indiana and its’ students, Republican Governors all over the nation should take notice, and clean up their own houses accordingly.
With her plans scuttled McCormick like many other RINO’s throughout the nation have opted to simply out themselves rather than attempting to hold their own in a Republican party that has become far less tolerant of those working against the party’s goals from within. As the polarization of American politics continues we’re very likely to see an increase in politicians realigning their party affiliations. It’s only a matter of time before the likes of Mitt Romney, Liz Cheney, Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Ben Sasse, and Pat Toomey also shed their false GOP veneers.
