Elect Joshua Brant

My Republican opponent, Spencer Deery, decided to post about me today in response to what he calls my “weak attempt to appeal to conservative voters.” If my appeals were so weak, though, why did he feel the need to respond at all? It’s worth noting that he didn’t deny anything I said about his detached city lifestyle or his corporate-sponsored voting history. Instead, he just attacked my character and doubled down on already debunked false narratives.

First, he whined about the video I posted of his neighborhood, accusing me of “poor judgement, poor taste, and a lack of respect for [his] children’s safety,” citing threats of violence against his family over the past year. If you watch the video, though, there are no readable addresses or street signs exposing the location of his neighborhood beyond being in West Lafayette, I also posted my own neighborhood, and in case anyone’s forgotten, those threats came from his own Republican constituents. Check out the video in question HERE.

Next, he posted a list of lies and half-truths about me to try to undermine my character and paint me as some kind of secret Democrat Socialist. Many of which I have already addressed or debunked when Republicans tried to attack me for suggesting District 22’s Senator Ron Alting should step aside after being exposed for multiple incidents of shoplifting. You can view that video HERE.

For the points I haven’t already addressed, I’m happy to clear things up here.

• Yes, I did accept a whopping $100 donation from an independent candidate that identifies as socialist. Ben’s a nice guy and I appreciated the gesture, but that doesn’t make me a socialist and it pales in comparison to the amount money Deery has taken from corporate PACs, special interest groups, and political insiders who have directly benefitted from his votes in the General Assembly. A hundred bucks isn’t going to win me any elections, but hundreds of thousands of dollars have already won Deery a few.
• He claimed that I refuse to say how I would vote on some of our most “hot-button” issues, but this is an outright lie and constitutes libel. I have never refused to say how I would vote on any issue.
• He claimed that I want to raise many of your taxes, but I don’t want to raise anyone’s taxes. What I’ve proposed is a restructuring of taxes in a way that reduces the cost of living across the board and incentivizes corporations to pay fair wages, stop relying on the government to subsidize their workforce, and reinvest in Indiana’s economy instead of just extracting a profit from Hoosiers and shipping it elsewhere. You can read my tax proposals HERE.

The truth is, Deery’s hoping that if he keeps accusing me of being a socialist, you won’t notice that his voting record is in line with corporate socialism. He votes to reward and give tax breaks to large corporations while so many of the rest of us are out here struggling just to make ends meet. I’ve not attempted to hide who I am from anyone, and I’m not pretending to be anything that I’m not. My website lays out my priorities, proposals, and stances more transparently than either of my opponents.

I may not be perfect, but I don’t feel the need to deceive voters like Spencer Deery does, and I wouldn’t want to win that way anyway. I’ve built my platform on integrity, accountability, and a commitment to public service for a reason. Because that is what we need more of from our government, and I intend to lead by example.