Education, health care and China will be prongs of his campaign for governor but Brad Chambers is banking on experience in his first foray into elected office with an emphasis on business and the economy.
After two years as the unpaid Indiana Secretary of Commerce, he stepped down with a goal to succeed outgoing and term-limited Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb. With his entrepreneurial background, Chambers remains focused on the state’s economy and still doesn’t consider himself a politician — a stance he acknowledged would need to change if he won.
“I think there’s enormous potential in this state and I don’t think we’re maximizing that potential,” he told the Indiana Capital Chronicle Tuesday. “It’s a very, very difficult decision to leave a private life … to enter public life.
“But I believe that’s, in some ways, what the founding fathers wanted: people that cared and had experience to serve. This is not a career change; for me, this is service.”
Chambers founded his real estate business, Buckingham Companies, as a student at Indiana University in 1984 and now commands a portfolio exceeding $3 billion as the company’s president and CEO. Though Chambers has a bipartisan record as a political donor, he hasn’t run for office until now.
For Chambers, having a state that falls in the middle of the pack or, worse, below average in education, wages or economic growth is frustrating.
“It frustrates me that Indiana’s average wage is below the U.S. average and it’s been that way for a long time. There’s been a lot of great governors that have worked on that and we cannot stop working on that,” Chambers said. “We have this great product I call Indiana and it frustrates me that it’s average or below average in any metric… We need to aspire for more, be bold and be confident in this great state.”
How he would fare against the competition
Chambers entered an already crowded race in August, following announcements from: U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Fort Wayne businessman Eric Doden, former Attorney General Curtis Hill and the devout Jamie Reitenour — all of whom are running in the May Republican primary.
But he said he felt compelled to enter the race because none shared his views or priorities.
The outside of Chambers’ campaign headquarters in downtown Indianapolis. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
“I believe that the number one job of a governor is to grow the economy and I think I’m uniquely qualified for that,” Chambers said. “… I didn’t see that the (five) other people have my unique background and laser focus on growing the economy of the future and lifting Hoosiers up through higher wages. I think economic stability, economic prosperity is fundamental to quality of life.
“When people are economically prosperous and they’re stable, guess what happens? Government can get smaller.”
Aside from that contrast, Chambers said he trusted voters to differentiate him from the rest of the contenders.
“I believe that voters are smart and they’re going to filter through the noise and nonsense and they’re going to laser in on the things that they believe in and the person they believe that can deliver the most,” Chambers said.
He pointed to his two-year tenure with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) as evidence of his ability to deliver upon promises, saying that he had to assess the global economic landscape and Indiana’s role in it to enable the state to compete.
“And I think the results speak for themselves,” he said.
Under Chambers, the IEDC reported $22.2 billion in capital investment, surpassing a 2021 record of $8.7 billion, and created over 24,000 new jobs with an average hourly wage of $34.71.
“I under-promised and overachieved in my two years at the IEDC from an economic results perspective and I think that’s what voters want. They don’t want promises broken,” Chambers said.
Another key part of his IEDC legacy is the controversial LEAP District in Lebanon and its related water war.
Leaving social issues to lawmakers
Chambers’ role as secretary also put him face-to-face with the most powerful members of the Senate and House when crafting economic development bills and pushing for funding. Indiana’s gubernatorial role is relatively weak in favor of the legislature, meaning that any administration must work closely with lawmakers to advance their policy priorities.
“Let me be clear: the results that we put on the board over the last two years could not have happened without a great partnership not only with the governor but also the legislature. And I’m very proud of that,” Chambers said. “I feel that that’s a relationship that can be built upon and strengthened even further as we tackle other challenges.”
Chambers characterized himself as a “conservative Republican … with conservative Republican beliefs,” but didn’t have the same appetite for social issues — whether it’s “Don’t Say Gay” bills, banning abortion or discussing marijuana legalization — as legislators.
“The legislature is going to lead on those issues. I’m going to lead on economic issues,” Chambers said, emphasizing that conversations needed to be had with “empathy and understanding on both sides.”
“… I would like to focus my four years on growing the economy and lifting people up economically and making sure that Indiana is perceived to be a great state with a great quality of life,” Chambers continued. “I think it is or I wouldn’t be running for governor.”
On the road, he said he heard more from Hoosiers about the economy, struggles with inflation or property taxes than social issues.
“That’s where I’m going to stay focused,” Chambers said. “I also think that while social issues are important and they have a role in our conversation … but I think there’s a tone, a focus that I’m going to have around those issues. One of empathy and understanding.”
Chambers said key issues included curating Indiana jobs to keep college graduates, addressing the educational system and prioritizing public safety.
A preview of what’s next
Chambers’ campaign intends to continue releasing detailed policy proposals, with Tuesday’s “Combating China” plan following up on online safety and public safety plans. Next on the docket would be education, though Chambers declined to share details ahead of its release.
“We’ll have a full rollout of that educational plan,” Chambers said. “I’m a business guy, business guys have plans and strategies and I think you can tell that’s the way we want to approach this.”
Having details, rather than broad statements, is a priority for Chambers.
“We’re not just putting out sound bites; we’re putting out actual material and detailed policy proposals,” he continued. “Education is soon to come out and it’ll address all of those questions.”
But Chambers did emphasize the importance of tracking outcomes when it came to education and its role in building Indiana’s economy for the years to come.
“Economic development starts in third grade and if we have an increasing number of kids that can’t read, that’s not good for the Indiana economy,” he said. “I think we need to have a forward-looking educational system that’s more focused on individualized education and not a backward-looking educational system.”