Almost everyone knows that every 10 years the census is taken and every American is counted. What you may or may not know is that those census numbers are then given over to the State Legislature for the party in power (currently in Indiana, it's the Republicans) to draw the voting legislative districts, from City Council to US Congress FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS! It's an inherently unfair and undemocratic system that lends itself to our representatives choosing the voters rather than the voters choosing their representatives.

     What we need is an independent, bi-partisan commission to draw the voting districts in a fair, competitive way. So far, Republicans have pushed back on this need (since, obviously, they would stand to lose in actual, competitive elections). Until we have an independent commission drawing fair, competitive districts, we need a seat at the drawing board. We need someone at the table to say that the maps, as currently drawn, are not fair. Redistricting only happens once every 10 years, so it is imperative to flip the 81st district so that we have a say in our voting districts for the next decade. 

     If we want good, strong candidates, that are knowledgeable about the issues, to be able to compete in our local elections, we must ensure that the voters are getting to choose their representatives, not the other way around.