Special Judge Says Ballots Must be Sent Out in Senate District 38

Now let’s talk about what’s going on with Senate District 38. This story really is the gift that keeps on giving. First, a quick reset on the situation. And by the way, coming up in the next segment, Spike Cohen will be joining us. I had a chance to sit down with him over the weekend. You may remember Spike as the Libertarian nominee for vice president in 2020. He started a group called You Are The Power. The idea behind the organization is to give people a way to push back on bad government. People from around the country can contact the group, explain what’s happening in their communities, and the organization will publicize the issue. They also help coordinate ways for citizens to contact their legislators, educate them, and push back against harmful policies. Spike Cohen and You Are The Power have been very helpful in raising awareness about the Mid-States Corridor. They’ve helped spread the word about how controversial and unpopular that project has become. Think about that for a second. Spike Cohen is based in Myrtle Beach, yet the problems surrounding the Mid-States Corridor in Indiana have reached all the way to his organization. That tells you how significant the issue has become. They’ve been doing a lot of work trying to help educate lawmakers and the public about it. But back to Senate District 38. Just to reestablish where this is: the district includes three counties in western Indiana — Vigo County, which includes Terre Haute, Clay County, which includes Brazil, and Sullivan County. Jason and I were actually debating the other day whether it’s pronounced “BrAzil” or “Brazil.” I even talked with someone who lives there, and they said you can say it either way. It’s like Vigo County — another pronunciation people debate. Anyway, Greg Goode is the incumbent state senator in that district. He’s up for reelection. He voted against redistricting, and because of that, Trump allies and Turning Point USA recruited a challenger named Brenda Wilson. Brenda Wilson is a Vigo County councilwoman. She was endorsed by President Trump, although in the endorsement he actually got her office wrong. But that’s beside the point. There’s also a third candidate in the race, Alexandra Wilson. Supporters of Brenda Wilson believe Greg Goode’s camp recruited Alexandra Wilson to run in order to confuse voters. The two candidates share the same last name, which can obviously create confusion on a ballot. However, the legal challenge to Alexandra Wilson’s candidacy isn’t based on the shared name. The challenge comes from attorney Jim Bopp, a well-known Indiana lawyer who has argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Bopp claims Alexandra Wilson is ineligible to run because he alleges she was convicted of a felony when she was younger. Alexandra Wilson disputes that. She says she was charged with a felony but ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. Her attorney says the same. Bopp took the issue to the Indiana Election Commission. The commission split 2-to-2, which meant Alexandra Wilson remained on the ballot. After that, Bopp challenged the case in Clay County court. Initially, a judge sided with Bopp at least in part. The judge ruled that absentee ballots could not be sent out until the case was resolved. The judge said he wasn’t ruling on the merits yet but believed ballots should be held until a decision was made about Wilson’s eligibility. Now there’s been another development. According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, a new special judge has taken over the case. His last name is Bridges. I believe he’s from Putnam County. Alexandra Wilson’s attorney requested a new judge, which is allowed. The special judge stepped in and issued a new ruling. He said the ballots must go out. His reasoning was that delaying absentee ballots would violate federal law. The county court, he said, could not stop clerks from carrying out their constitutional duties regarding mailing absentee ballots. In other words, even though the case isn’t fully decided yet, federal law requires those ballots to be mailed because federal races appear on the ballot as well, such as congressional races. So the judge ruled that ballots must be sent out with Alexandra Wilson’s name on them. The case itself will still move forward. A hearing on the merits is scheduled for March 24, which is tomorrow. At that hearing the judge is expected to review the full case and then issue a decision fairly quickly. But the story gets even more complicated. Brenda Wilson — the Trump-endorsed candidate — was married to a man named Fred Wilson. From what I’ve been able to gather, they were married for about 12 or 13 years. I believe both had previous marriages, and I don’t think they had children together, though if any of that is incorrect someone can certainly correct me. Fred Wilson unfortunately passed away a couple of years ago. He has family members — children and relatives — who are not connected to Brenda Wilson. Over the weekend, Greg Goode announced that Fred Wilson’s family has endorsed him. Think about that. Brenda Wilson was married to Fred Wilson, yet Fred Wilson’s family is publicly backing her opponent. Greg Goode even released a video, about a minute and a half long, filmed at Fred Wilson’s farm. In the video, family members stand around him while Goode explains that the family supports his campaign. He also posted the endorsement online, writing: “ This afternoon, I was endorsed by the family of beloved farmer and friend, the late Fred Wilson. I’m grateful for this strong family and will uplift Fred’s legacy by serving with integrity and fighting for our farmers and rural communities." That’s not exactly great news if you’re Brenda Wilson. When you were married to someone for more than a decade and their family — the people who likely know you best — publicly supports your opponent, that’s a significant political moment. And that’s why the Senate District 38 race has become so fascinating. Between the ballot eligibility fight, the competing Wilson candidates, and now this endorsement drama, it really does keep producing new developments.