Craig Haggard and Jim Baird Trade Endorsement Blows in 4th District

Todd Rokita, the attorney general, has made a big endorsement in what is probably the most watched congressional primary this year in the state of Indiana, and that is the Fourth Congressional District. The incumbent is Jim Baird, who is 80 years old. He is being challenged by Craig Haggard, a state representative from the Mooresville area. There is also a third candidate in the race, John Piper, who I believe is a veterinarian by trade. So you have three people running. The two who have received most of the media attention so far are Craig Haggard and Jim Baird. Naturally, elected officials tend to get more attention because they already hold office and have the ability to generate coverage. Jim Baird has been the representative since 2018. In eight years he has accomplished essentially nothing. We’ve talked before about the way he uses taxpayer resources to campaign legally for himself through franked mail, sending out what amounts to campaign-style material that he can distribute as official communication because it does not explicitly tell people to vote for him. Before his time in Congress, Baird served in the Indiana House. He accomplished about the same amount there as he has in Congress, which is next to nothing. Jim Baird is a great example of someone who stays around long enough, smooches the right people, and just keeps climbing. I think he was a county commissioner before that. At 80 years old, he feels no compelling reason to give someone else a chance. That mindset is incredible. It reminds me of the line from the movie Caddyshack. Ted Knight plays the antagonist, Judge Smails. In one scene he’s in the locker room surrounded by people he clearly despises, and he looks at them and says, “Don’t you people have homes?” That would be my question for Jim Baird. At 80 years old, after decades in public office, don’t you have a home? Don’t you have somewhere else to go so someone else can have a chance? At some point you would think a person would say they’ve been in office long enough, they’ve taken enough from the system, and it’s time to go home, be a grandfather, be a father, and live the rest of their life. But we all know what the plan is here. The plan is to stay in office long enough for his son, Beau Baird, who is a state representative, to take the seat. Everyone knows that’s what is going on. Craig Haggard is the main challenger and probably the first high-profile one Baird has faced during his time in Congress. Many people may recognize Haggard’s name because his wife was allegedly the subject of AI-generated porn created by employees connected to Micah Beckwith’s office. Those allegations led to a grand jury investigation. According to reporting from the IndyStar and others, the investigation was looking not only at the AI pornography allegation but also possible ghost employment. At some point there will likely be some resolution to that, although we don’t know what the outcome will be. At the time, Haggard expressed strong outrage about the allegations. On our radio show and in newspaper articles, he appeared furious and determined to get answers. But not long after that, he posed for a photo with Micah Beckwith. If you truly believed that someone’s office was connected to creating AI porn involving your wife, would you take a photo with that person? The answer is no. Remember, there was an alleged eyewitness who appeared on our show and described in detail what she said happened. She named individuals involved and said those individuals told her Beckwith knew about it. That doesn’t mean it’s true, but those were her allegations. To my knowledge, she has not been sued by anyone, nor has the journalist who broke the story. If someone falsely accused you of that and you were innocent, you would think there would be legal action. The eyewitness also said she informed the chief of staff, someone very close to Beckwith, and that nothing was done. If you believed all that had happened to your wife, you wouldn’t be smiling in photos with that person. But this goes back to a larger point. For many politicians, the office is the most important thing. The power and the advancement are what matter. Craig Haggard also came on our radio show when the governor and others first floated the idea of redistricting. At that time he said the maps were great and very fair. He praised Greg Steuerwald, who helped lead the effort, and pointed out that Indiana’s maps had not even been legally challenged. Then Charlie Kirk publicly pressured lawmakers about redistricting, and suddenly Haggard changed his position. He reversed himself and supported redistricting. Again, it looked like someone prioritizing political survival over principle. Those are the two most visible candidates in the race. Maybe John Piper, the third candidate, will resonate with voters and offer a viable alternative. Maybe he will get his message out and give people another option. But the two better-known candidates are not exactly inspiring confidence. Jim Baird has a long record of simply going along with whatever the party leadership wants. Craig Haggard’s actions raise questions about whether he would stand up to pressure. Todd Rokita has now weighed in on the race. Rokita, of course, previously represented the Fourth Congressional District. Before that he was Secretary of State. He then ran for the U.S. Senate, lost, and later became attorney general. You notice how it’s always the same pattern with these politicians. One office to the next to the next. Rokita said that after serving the district for years, he knows the people of Indiana’s Fourth District need a strong conservative fighter. He said he looks forward to voting for Craig Haggard because it’s time for a change in the district. Meanwhile, Baird responded by pointing out that he has received the complete and total endorsement of President Donald Trump. That response tells you everything. Instead of highlighting legislative achievements, policy accomplishments, or anything meaningful he has done in office, the main point of his response is simply that Trump endorsed him. But how does that make living more affordable? How does Trump’s endorsement lower gas prices, food prices, or mortgage payments? It doesn’t. Baird can’t point to achievements because there aren’t many to highlight. He was part of the group that voted for the massive spending during the COVID era in 2020 that contributed to many of the economic issues people are dealing with now. In many ways, Baird functions as a yes man for the party. His slogan might as well be: vote for the Republican Party. Whatever the party leadership proposes, he will support it. Craig Haggard’s slogan might as well be that he wants the office badly enough to do whatever it takes to get it, even posing for photos with people connected to allegations involving his wife. These are the options in the Fourth District. It’s no wonder the country often feels so dysfunctional when these are the kinds of choices voters are presented with.