21alive - Meet And Greet With Congressional Candidates

News Article

By Emily Dwire

The General Election is just around the corner.

In DeKalb County Saturday, people had a chance to pick the brains of three men running for a seat in the House of Representatives, representing Indiana's 3rd congressional district.

On hand was Congressman Marlin Stutzman, who's looking for re-election. He's held the seat since 2010.

His challengers are Justin Kuhnle, a Democrat, and Scott Wise, a Libertarian. State Representative Ben Smaltz was also on hand for the meet and greet.

Members of the audience asked the candidates where they stand on certain issues, which included health care, struggles the VA has faced and education. Many of the candidates' answers pointed a finger at the federal government, with all three men agreeing that more power needs to be given to the states, particularly in education.

"I was in the state legislature and saw how the federal government continues to take over more of the responsibilities of the states. Education is one of those and so when you see programs like common core where the federal governement wants to come in and take over, that's not the role of the federal government," said Congressman Marlin Stutzman.

Kuhnle agress in part.

"It needs local control for the teachers to do the job that they need. And I do think that there needs to be federal involvement just to give guidelines as far as different grades. But give those resources to the teachers at the local level to do the best for them."

Running for a third time for the congressional seat, Scott Wise.

He says he feels very strongly that the government has been irresponsible when it comes to handling its budget.

"They need to cut spending, I think we spend a lot of money in areas that we don't need to. We have a bloated federal government that should be reduced in size which would reduce the spending," he said.

And Wise brings a fresh attitude to the table; he says he doesn't want to go to Washington, D.C. to be a politician, he smiply wants to be a voice for the people.

"I want to be someone who represents our community, who goes to Washington as a citizen and not as a professional politician. A political career isn't really what's needed in this day and age, it needs regular people who will go there and do things to help our government and then come home and be regular people."

The general election will be held November 4th, 2014.

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