Indiana
Carmichael vs. McCray: Two Democrats vie to face off against Banks in U.S. Senate race • Indiana Capital Chronicle
Third District Congressman Jim Banks has been running for the Senate like he has an opponent, and primary voters on May 7 will give him one.
Two Democrats want the nomination — Marc Carmichael and Dr. Valerie McCray — both of whom said that reinstating abortion rights and tackling ongoing immigration issues are among their top priorities, if elected.
Still, it’s been more than a decade since Hoosiers sent a Democrat, Joe Donnelly, to the U.S. Senate.
McCray, a clinical psychologist, is championing mental and reproductive healthcare, emphasizing that her work in the field, as well as her “personal and up close experiences as a female,” make her best suited to tackle policy solutions on those topics.
A former state lawmaker and longtime lobbyist, Carmichael said he’s looking to model himself after Indiana’s senior U.S. Sen. Todd Young and find bipartisan solutions to issues affecting Hoosiers.
“My whole political career I spent working with Republicans, making friendships with Republicans that I’ve maintained to this day, and I think we’ve got to get back to that if we’re ever going to get things done and quit these culture wars that we have now,” Carmichael said. “I just do not want someone out of that ‘chaos caucus’ in the U.S. House, like Banks, to be my United States senator. That means I’ve got to run.”
Banks, a GOP favorite who has already spent nearly eight years in Congress, has a multimillion-dollar campaign war chest and an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. Even so, both Democratic contenders said they’re confident they could win over Banks in this November’s general election. Hoosiers, they said, are looking for someone more moderate and less “extreme.”
“I think Jim Banks is focused on divisive issues. How do we round people up? How do we make them angry? How do we make them feel that someone else is getting something that they are not, that somehow they’re being shorted?” McCray said. “There is, I believe, so many more commonalities among people. I can unite all these groups, regardless of whatever their political signage is.”
Banks is unopposed in the Republican primary after Seymour egg farmer John Rust was removed due to Indiana’s two-primary rule. Also confirmed on this fall’s general election ballot is Libertarian Andrew Horning, who was selected as the party’s candidate during its annual convention last month.
The Senate seat is being vacated by Republican Mike Braun, who is currently vying for the GOP nomination in Indiana’s gubernatorial race.
‘Uniting’ Hoosiers and increasing healthcare access
McCray first launched a Senate campaign two years ago. She didn’t get enough voter signatures to make it on the ballot, however, calling the signature campaign “a horrendous, complicated task.”
But this time around, McCray said her grassroots team was “relentless,” having learned from past runs “how not to get distracted and where to go for signatures.” She reached the 4,500 signatures needed “with time to spare.”
Federal campaign finance data shows Carmichael raised nearly $112,000 through mid-April. McCray has raised a little more than $14,000. Banks has raised more than $4.1 million this election cycle so far. There are no federal reports on Horning’s Senate fundraising as of mid-April.
“Every time I do these campaigns, it’s a financial sacrifice for me. It leaves me struggling, usually. And then I have to get into gear to make that up,” said McCray, who also ran a brief campaign for president in 2020. “But I’m thankful for that process because it makes me remember what my constituents are going through.”
She was working within several Indiana prisons when she initially made the decision to seek federal office.
“So many things I was seeing in there were going wrong,” McCray said, in part pointing to mistreatment of transgender inmates. “We need someone in office that is really sensitive to these issues — that are sensitive to the mental health issues.”
Although immigration isn’t “top of the list” for McCray, she said “it gets in the way of things that should be … like our schools and our medical care system, and addressing climate change.”
Immigration is important for me because it’s in the way of reasonable conversations to get the whole society going.
“In Indiana, we need migrant workers to help with our farming, to help with some of the infrastructure things — we’re using these people to get our economy rolling. But yet, still, we have this conversation that is so negative,” she said. “Immigration is important for me because it’s in the way of reasonable conversations to get the whole society going. Let’s speed up the process to make sure that people are safe coming over … and let’s move onto other things.”
McCray said the “Israeli-Palestine issue” is among those other topics.
“What’s going on now feels cruel, one-sided. It feels like we’re not holding the values of both people equally,” she said. “It would have been so nice to get a two state solution. I don’t know if we can go back to that. My goal is to make sure that we can try to heal that situation and find a solution. But in the meantime, we’re not going to be able to find a solution if we don’t stop the killing.”
Seeking return to elected office
Although retired from politics, Carmichael said he was compelled to run for the open Senate seat after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
“I have four granddaughters … and now, they don’t have the same rights that their moms and their grandmothers had for 50 years,” he said. “I’ve got to do something about that.”
Carmichael said his Indiana Statehouse resumé is a testament to what he can accomplish in Congress. He additionally pointed to his first race for the Indiana House in 1986, when he was up against J. Roberts Dailey, then the Republican House Speaker.
“He was sitting in a 60% Republican district, and no one thought that I could beat him. Starting in July with a cheap little brochure, I went door to door because I didn’t have any money, but I had the time after work. I would spend a couple of hours each evening in the precincts, handing out that brochure and getting to know people,” Carmichael said. His shoe leather campaigning helped him secure an 18-point margin — “a huge upset” — over Dailey that fall.
I just do not want someone out of that ‘chaos caucus’ in the U.S. House, like Banks, to be my United States senator. That means I’ve got to run.
– Democratic hopeful Marc Carmichael
“The perception is that statewide in Indiana, Democrats can’t win. And yet I’ve been in that situation before, and I know the only thing you can do is just work and go places and meet people and make speeches,” Carmichael continued. “I know what’s ahead of me. I know how to do that.”
In the U.S. Senate, he would quickly seek to work on banning the sale of assault weapons, requiring universal background checks for those purchasing firearms and enacting a national “red flag” law to ensure guns don’t end up in the wrong hands.
“We need to try and do what we can to affect gun violence and mass shootings that occur and are enabled by the purchase of assault weapons,” Carmichael said.
“Immediate action on global warming” is also high on his to-do list, along with affordable housing, especially in rural regions, and a “Medicare for All” plan, so “everyone has access to medical care — especially our our LGBTQ youth, who are being used as political pawns by rightwing Republican legislatures.”
With the Democratic nominees for president and governor already effectively secured, Carmichael said he’s hoping that Democrats still show up for the primary and cast their votes in the Senate race.
“I want to defend our democracy against Trumpism. Banks is a Trumper, through and through, and I just can’t imagine how bad things could get if Trump and Banks were elected at the same time, along with Braun and (Indiana Attorney General) Todd Rokita,” Carmichael said.
“This is a campaign that is going to be dominated by women and people who support women coming out to vote,” he continued. “If they come out in the way I think they’re going to come out, and if the people who are upset about gun violence come out, and if the people who are upset about global warming come out, and if the people are concerned about our LGBTQ youth come out, and people who are concerned about democracy or housing — if all those groups come out and vote the way I think they’re going to vote, then I think I’ll be just fine.”
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The resort area of southwest Michigan along Lake Michigan is wildly popular with Chicagoans in summer and fall for good reason. The coastal stretch offers sophisticated dining and shops, breweries, wineries, beaches, sunsets on Lake Michigan and a vacation vibe wherever you go.
If you haven’t been in a couple of years, you’ll find Indiana’s coast, home of the Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes State Park, is worth more than a hiking or gas-station stop.
Though the towns along the lake are small and don’t have centers of commerce, many exciting new places have sprung up on U.S. Route 12, the scenic drive that skirts the lake’s edge.
Beverly Shores and Michigan City, Ind.
Miles from Chicago: 54
Sadly, the orange Studebaker that for years served up excellent wood-fired pizza is no longer parked in Beverly Shores, a small lake community famous for its collection of historic homes from the 1933-34 Chicago World’s Fair. The only way to get a South Shore Ovenworks pie now is to reserve the food truck for a private event.
Console yourself with shopping. The founder and former owner of Cowboys and Astronauts, a men’s store in Andersonville, has opened Blanket Fort (1 E. Dunes Highway), a design studio and shop in Beverly Shores. Matthew Buccilla describes his style as “vintage modern meets-cozy cabin-meets Japanese wabi-sabi.” His bona fides include designing spaces around the world for furniture maker Herman Miller. Blanket Fort, located in a cool midcentury building, is open the first and third weekends of the month.
The Heron, a French restaurant in Michigan City, Ind.
Neighboring Michigan City has seen an explosion of new restaurants, including The Heron (522 Franklin St.) which thankfully has strayed from the usual New American/Italian playbook and instead focuses on French food. A great happy hour from 4-6 p.m. (even Fridays!) features $10 martinis and deeply discounted wine and beer.
Up the street is Rocco’s Tavern (827 Franklin St.) from the family who owns Cafe Farina next door and Farina’s Supper Club in Michiana. Rocco’s makes you feel like you’re in a Rush Street steakhouse.
Interior of Rocco’s Tavern in Michigan City, Ind.
A reservation-only 12-seat Lebanese restaurant, C.12, (132 E. 6th St.) just opened in the lower level of a 100-year-old Masonic Temple. It’s owned by longtime area restaurateur Momahed “Moe” Mroueh. Diners sit around a horseshoe-shaped counter with an open kitchen. There’s one seating a night, offering a prix-fixe tasting menu ($65).
Also below ground is The Nightingale (1108 Franklin St.), a moody spot with small lamp-lit tables, great old-school cocktails, and live music, mostly jazz and blues. It’s open only occasionally so check before you go.
Cellar Door (1901 Franklin St.) opened last year in an historic building that once housed Harmony Bar. Cellar Door is everything you want in a classic neighborhood tavern — friendly service, carved wooden bar, games (10-pin bowling! Vintage pinball!), patio — and then add good wine and creative food. The head bartender and chef came from the well-regarded Hummingbird Lounge in New Buffalo.
A few new shopping options have popped up in Michigan City, too: The Wren (410 Wabash St.), a gift shop with a focus on sustainable, natural products, is across from Lighthouse Place Outlet Mall. Abigail Hayden Interiors & Design (607 Franklin St.) is a charming shop in the Arts District, filled with home accessories and art, as well as the owner’s own line of upholstered furniture.
The Standard 1208 in Michigan City, Ind.
The Standard 1208 (1208 E. Second St. at U.S. 12), formerly called Unsalted No Sharks and located in downtown Michigan City, has opened in an old Standard Oil station across from Burn ’Em Brewing (1215 E. Second St.). In addition to cool gifts and souvenirs, The Standard serves Italian sub sandwiches, great for taking to the beach. A second location just opened in New Buffalo (19 N. Whittaker St.).
Michiana, Ind.
Miles from Chicago: 67
The bar at Tavern on Twelve in Michiana, Ind.
Heading north on Route 12, Swells: A Dive Bar (3201 U.S. 12), cooks up four kinds of pizza: tavern style, Detroit style, deep dish and hand-tossed (New York style) and manages to do it all extremely well. There are soups, salads and sandwiches, too. It’s the sort of place where groups come to watch their team on TV. A dive bar with Veuve Clicquot on the menu? Sign me up.
Just up the road is Tonelli’s Tavern on Twelve (3103 U.S. 12), from the owner of Michigan City’s popular Tonelli’s, which closed a few years ago. This property has hosted a few restaurants in recent years (Blind Pig, Trip’s Tree House), but Tonelli’s seems to have found a groove in its 12 months in business, serving up classic Italian red-sauce fare at decent prices.
New Buffalo and Union Pier, Mich.
Miles from Chicago: 70
Farmette, a provisions store on the outskirts of New Buffalo
Across the border in Michigan, you might think not much changes in the little towns along Red Arrow Highway save for the time change. But many new restaurants and shops have opened, and a couple of longtime favorites have shuttered.
Just past all the new cannabis dispensaries on Route 12 (some 18 or so with more on the way), Farmette (18439 U.S. 12) on the outskirts of New Buffalo has become an instant favorite, with an in-house bakery specializing in sourdough, a coffee and drinks bar, and specialty food shop with a well-stocked freezer and refrigerator case, as well as produce and flowers in season (much of it grown on site). The owner tended Rick Bayless’ garden in Chicago once upon a time.
New Buffalo is home to arguably the hottest restaurant along this coast: PostBoy (207 N. Whittaker St.), which opened in fall of 2024. Heading the kitchen is James Galbraith, who founded Benton Harbor’s foodie favorites Houndstooth and Anemel. Galbraith previously worked under Chicago chefs at Intro, Blackbird, Elske, S.K.Y., Bellemore, and Boka. There’s a hopping patio and indoor/outdoor bar; be sure to reserve ahead. This place gets jammed.
If you’re looking for food to take to your Airbnb or vacation home, Angela’s Provisions (225 N. Whittaker St.) has homemade soups, pastas, breakfast and lunch sandwiches and salads, made to order or stocked in the fridge/freezer case.
Bookshore in New Buffalo, Mich.
The perfect hostess gift for discerning hosts is at Bookshore, which features big, gorgeous art books meant for a coffee table — or any surface. It’s owned by the same family that runs the popular tourist draw Stray Dog restaurant.
Harbor Country’s biggest news lately was the closing of Greenbush Brewing Company in Sawyer, a popular spot for 12 years. But beer lovers have other options.
The newest of the lot, which opened last fall, is Mangata Beer Co. (15936 Red Arrow Highway) in Union Pier, a sister operation of the award-winning Transient Artisan Ales (4229 Lake St.) in Bridgman. This tasting room focuses on easy-drinking, lower-alcohol beers such as pilsners, lagers, saisons and Belgian ales, all created at Transient’s brewhouse.
Sawyer and Three Oaks, Mich.
Miles from Chicago: 80
Longstory, a restaurant in Three Oaks, Mich.
Fulcra Brewing Company (13400 Red Arrow Highway) opened last July in a two-room bungalow in Sawyer, the dream of two home brewers (one a Dark Matter Coffee alum.) Fulcra focuses on balanced, drinkable brews. A beer garden has just opened; look for live music, food trucks or restaurant pop-ups, the owners say.
Three Oaks saw the closing of its popular pizza take-out, Patellie’s, last winter. But while pizza lovers mourned the loss, the owners used the space to expand their wine and beer store. P.+E. Bottle Shop (28 N. Elm St.) now carries cheese, bread, crackers, olives and prepared food — all the stuff that goes great with wine. And speaking of wine, there’s now a much-expanded selection of wine and craft beer.
For breakfast or lunch, two Chicago transplants have reopened the popular Viola Cafe (102 N. Elm St.), which was closed for a few years. Along with their chef, former Chopping Block owner Shelley Young, they’ve put a Southern twist on it. Think po’ boys, beignets, meat loaf, greens, fried green tomatoes and mac ’n’ cheese alongside breakfast classics.
Three Oaks had not had a stylish dinner spot for dinner until recently, with the opening of Longstory (8 Maple St.) in December 2024. The restaurant has had some bumps, with chef changes and the like, but is popular with locals, who gather for happy hours and order from the New-American-with-an-accent menu of chicken shawarma, Tuscan kale salad, polenta torte, grilled fish, New York strip, roasted beets and more.
Inside the popular boutique Goods & Heroes (7 Maple St.), a former clearance room has become a store within a store, GH Yarn Haus, which specializes in natural fibers and holds knitting get-togethers and classes.
Dreihart Winery, a wine tasting room, in Three Oaks, Mich.
A small wine tasting room (capacity: 25) opened in spring 2025 just off Three Oaks’ main drag. Dreihart Winery (6 Linden St. E.) is an offshoot of 6 Linden, which sells local meat, produce, eggs and cheeses, along with imported pastas and such. Winemaker Gottfried Hart, a charming man with a few stories to tell, is usually pouring. A former co-owner of Hickory Creek Winery in Buchanan, he’s one of several area winemakers who understands that Michigan can produce dry, complex wines similar to those from Austria and his native Germany. Grab some smoked trout rillette to pair with your wine.
Jan Parr, a former Chicago journalist, lives in the middle of the Indiana Dunes, in Beverly Shores. She writes about local happenings at DunesDiva.com.
Saturday, May 30, 2026 12:14AM
HIGHLAND, Ind. (WLS) — Police are searching for a missing man with autism who was last seen riding a bicycle near his home in Northwest Indiana.
Brody Shelton, 21, was last seen around noon Thursday near Laporte Street and Johnston Street in Highland, Indiana, officials said.
Indiana State Police have issued a Silver Alert as the the search for Shelton continues.
He is 5 feet 2 inches tall, 155 pounds, brown hair with brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a beige and green sweatshirt, and riding a blue/green Huffy mountain bike, police said.
Anyone with information has been asked to contact the Highland Police Department at 219-838-3184 or 911.
Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
(The REPORTER) — The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 10, regarding a proposed corridor improvement project on State Road 32 in Hamilton County.
The hearing will provide an opportunity for the public to interact with the project team, review the features of the proposed roundabout project, and provide official public comment. Project documents are available for review at improvetomove32.com.
The project area is between East Street in Westfield and River Road in Noblesville. The proposed project includes adding lanes to accommodate two lanes in each direction, removing all traffic signals within the project limits, and constructing roundabouts at the following intersections with SR 32:
- Carey Road/Grassy Branch Road
- Gunther Boulevard
- Shady Nook Road
- Moontown Road/Gray Road
- Pebble Brook Boulevard
- Hazel Dell Road/Little Chicago Road
- Mill Creek Road
The hearing will take place at Prairie Waters Event Center, 4180 Westfield Road, Westfield. Doors will open at 5 p.m. to allow the public to view displays and talk with the project team. A presentation will be given at 5:30 p.m., with a public comment session held directly after. INDOT is offering livestreams of all public meetings and hearings. You must register here in order to participate in the livestream. Livestream audience comments will only be accepted in written electronic form, not verbally. A recording of the livestream presentation will be posted on the project webpage and INDOT YouTube page after the hearing and will be available for at least 90 days.
All verbal statements recorded during the public hearing and all written comments submitted prior to, during and for a period of two weeks following the hearing date, will be evaluated, considered, and addressed in subsequent environmental documentation.
Written comments may be submitted within the comment period to Nick Batta, CMT, 8790 Purdue Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268; or sent via email to SR32HamiltonCounty@cmtengr.com.
INDOT respectfully requests comments be submitted by June 26.
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