Indiana

Indiana isn’t a battleground state. But national Dems want to help break GOP supermajority

Published

2 years ago

June 10, 2024

Indiana isn’t a battleground state. But national Dems want to help break GOP supermajority

The state Democratic Party will be getting some help from Washington D.C. in its effort to break the Republican supermajority at the Indiana Statehouse.

The Democratic National Committee told IndyStar it is investing nearly $70,000 to help the state party’s goal of flipping at least four open House seats this year, with a particular focus on Central Indiana.

“The DNC is committed to re-electing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and, as President Biden has made clear since his inauguration, Democrats must also win up and down the ballot and strengthen organizing across all fifty states,” said DNC Chair Jaime Harrison. “Today’s announced investment in the Indiana State Democratic Party shows that priority in action.”

More: As Central Indiana’s suburbs grow, Democrats see an opportunity in November elections

With their 30 members in a 100-member House, Democrats don’t have the power to stop legislation, even if some Republicans break with their party ranks. House Democrats are hoping at least four more seats could change that dynamic in the House.

Breaking the Republican supermajority in the Senate, where Democrats only hold 10 of 50 seats, would be more challenging.

State party officials and Democratic candidates have been traveling the state this spring and summer in what they call a “Break the Supermajority Tour,” which has included town halls with potential voters in Fort Wayne, West Lafayette and Carmel.

The money from the DNC will go toward voter database technology and supporting organizing staff in Central Indiana, where some open seats are.

These include seats being vacated by retiring Reps. Jerry Torr and Donna Schaibley, Republicans from Carmel; and state Reps. Chuck Goodrich, R-Noblesville, and Mike Speedy, R-Indianapolis, who both left to run for Congress. A total of eight Statehouse incumbents are not seeking reelection this year.

The DNC says it has been ramping up its annual investment in state parties by 25% each year, with a round of investments this year being the largest in DNC history. Since the midterm elections in 2022, the DNC has invested more than $500,000 in Indiana.

“There’s no secret that the presidential campaigns don’t compete here really. They don’t need our electoral votes,” Schmuhl said. “I have heard from candidates and party faithfuls over the years that wish the national party would do more. This is a sign that the national party is doing more.”

The state party believes this is a near-term, attainable strategy toward its longterm goal of bringing more political balance to the statehouse. Democrats haven’t elected a statewide candidate since Sen. Joe Donnelly in 2012.

“It is my firm belief that our state legislators are the backbone of our political parties,” said caucus director Megan Ruddie. “When we talk about change in our politics, it starts with these state legislative seats.”

Breaking the supermajority won’t be easy. In addition to flipping four House seats, Democrats would need to fend off challenges to incumbents in potentially competitive districts. That includes Democratic Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn, whose district covers parts of Carmel, Fishers and northern Marion County; and Democratic Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser, who was recently chosen by a caucus of Democrats to represent the Jeffersonville area.

Ruddie draws encouragement from the national political climate, in which the Republican party is splintering over the reign of Donald Trump’s politics. While some political observers say one shouldn’t read into former presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s showing in Indiana during the primary, others think it’s a bellwether of dissatisfaction with Trump that could affect down-ballot races. (Haley won 22% of the vote statewide, and 34% in Hamilton County, despite having withdrawn from the race.)

“I do not think the ballot Republicans built on primary day is appealing to the majority of Hoosiers,” Ruddie said. “I think Niki Haley voters screamed that loud and clear.”

The election is Nov. 5.

Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on X:@kayla_dwyer17

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Indiana

Indiana Pacers Must Manage Two-Way Contract Player Availability Down Stretch

Published

8 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Indiana Pacers Must Manage Two-Way Contract Player Availability Down Stretch

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DECEMBER 20: Ethan Thompson #55 of the Indiana Pacers takes a shot over Derik Queen #22 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of a game at Smoothie King Center on December 20, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)

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WASHINGTON – The Indiana Pacers have a player availability puzzle to put together down the stretch of the 2025-26 season, and it involves all three of their players on two-way contracts.

Currently, the Pacers have Jalen Slawson, Ethan Thompson, and Taelon Peter signed to two-way deals. Thompson and Peter have been helpful at different points this season, and all three players are healthy right now. They each project to have a bigger role in the Pacers’ final outings of the season.

But they can’t all play in every game thanks to two-way contract rules, and the Pacers will have to juggle the availability of each player. Indiana has already played multiple games since the All-Star break with just one or two or their two-way contract signees available to play.

That’s because two-way agreements come with a limit – players on such contracts can only be active in 50 games per season (or a proportionate ratio of 50/82 games at the time of signing based on the number of days left in the season). The Pacers couldn’t get by without their two-way contract players at various moments this season due to injuries, with Peter being active for 23 of the team’s first 25 games and Thompson during every game from December 1 through January 17.

During those stretches, Indiana needed their two-way players to field a team or a rotation that actually made sense. It wasn’t a poor use of their active days. But that two-way usage early in the season now requires the Pacers to be strategic down the stretch of 2025-26. They have 22 more games this season but won’t be able to use their two-way talents in all of them.

Peter, a rookie selected in the second round of last June’s NBA Draft, had a rush of games to open the campaign, and he’s allowed to suit up 14 more times this league year. “He’s figuring out what being a professional basketball player is about,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Peter and his in-season growth earlier this month. “It’s about being who you are all the time, regardless of make or miss. Just keep playing, just keep staying aggressive.”

Thompson was signed on November 30, which permitted him to appear in 39 games this season. He’s only got 10 left – Thompson was effective right away with the Pacers and played often after his signing. He was named to the NBA G League Next Up game, effectively the G League All-Star game, for his performances this campaign.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – OCTOBER 13: Taelon Peter #4 of the Indiana Pacers takes a shot against the San Antonio Spurs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 13, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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Slawson signed his contract earlier today and is eligible for 13 appearances the rest of the way for the Pacers. So, with 22 games remaining, none of the team’s two-way contract players can be active for each remaining game. The team will have to figure out the best strategy when it comes to managing two-way player availability during the final months of the season.

Another consideration for the franchise is that two-way players, by virtue of their contract, can be transferred down to the G League at any time. Peter, Slawson, and Thomspon have combined for 64 appearances with Indiana’s G League affiliate team, the Noblesville Boom, this season. Once the Boom’s season ends – their final scheduled game is March 26 but the team currently holds a playoff spot – then the G League is not an option for two-way players.

So the Pacers have to figure out the best way to deploy, and evaluate, their two-way contract signees during March and April. It’s a lot to manage.

“We’re trying to save games for him,” Carlisle said of the Pacers decision to keep Quenton Jackson, who was previously on a two-way contract, inactive for a game earlier this month. “We want to conserve those games as much as possible.”

Jackson had his contract converted from a two-way deal to a standard deal earlier today, and Slawson filled his two-way slot. It was sharp business for the Pacers, but they lost some available two-way days as a result – Jackson had more than 13 games remaining, but Slawson gets fewer because of the day he signed his contract.

“Two-way guys, your life is a lot of unpredictability of where you’re going to be from day to day,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan shared in February.

If the Pacers want to keep their two-way talents around the NBA club as much as possible, their best course of action could be to keep two of the three active in every game and occasionally just have one of the three available. If the team can get to a spot in which they have 15 games left on the schedule and all of their two-way talents have 10+ games left in which they could be active, two of the three could play every night during the final 15 outings. Using all three at once could be difficult, though Indiana may choose to deploy each of Thompson, Peter, and Slawson on the second night of back-to-backs as they manage injuries down the stretch. Putting any of the trio in the G League for a few days is an option, too, but comes with injury risks.

Slawson has not appeared in a game for the Pacers yet this season. Peter is averaging 3.3 points per game while shooting 35.8% from the field while Thompson is posting 4.9 points per contest and knocking down 36.7% of his shots. The Pacers are 15-45 with three back-to-backs remaining and three games left against teams near them in the inverse standings.

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Indiana

Indiana Pacers To Add Wing Jalen Slawson Via A Two-Way Contract

Published

20 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Indiana Pacers To Add Wing Jalen Slawson Via A Two-Way Contract

Indiana Pacers’ Jalen Slawson dribbles during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers plan to sign wing Jalen Slawson to a two-way contract. The 26-year old forward has spent the ongoing campaign with the Pacers G League affiliate franchise, the Noblesville Boom. It’s a one-year pact covering the rest of the 2025-26 season.

Slawson was a second-round pick back in 2023 and spent his rookie season with the Sacramento Kings. That campaign, the Furman product appeared in 12 games and averaged 0.7 points and 0.6 rebounds per game. Since then, he has bounced around between the Orlando Magic and Pacers organizations.

Most of Slawson’s time in the pros has come via the G League. With the Kings and Magic affiliate teams, the forward averaged between 12 and 13 points per game while being a solid passer and rebounder for his position.

That got him a training camp invite with Indiana last fall. Slawson spent all of the 2025 preseason on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers, and he appeared in all four of the team’s tune-up games ahead of the regular season. He averaged 2.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Slawson was waived just before the regular season, but the Pacers affiliate team owned his G League rights, and he’s spent the entire season with the Noblesville Boom. That’s where the 6-foot-7 forward has popped – he’s averaging G League career highs of 19.2 points and 5.4 assists per game for the Boom this season, including an improved 34.7% three-point percentage.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – OCTOBER 7: Jules Bernard #14 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles the ball against Jalen Slawson #18 of the Indiana Pacers during the second half of the preseason game at Target Center on October 7, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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He’s been among Noblesville’s best players this year, and with the team losing many players to injury or overseas opportunities, he has recently become the G League’ club’s top option. Even with more responsibility and attention, Slawson has continued to produce.

Now, he gets a call up to the Pacers via a two-way contract. He’s eligible to be active for 13 of the Pacers final 22 games – two-way contract players are only able to appear in a maximum of 50 games in a league year, and that ratio of games gets prorated if they are signed mid-season.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle had good memories of Slawson’s play for Indiana during the preseason. “ I think he’s an NBA player,” Carlisle said. “He’s had a good year with the Boom and this will be a great opportunity for him to play some games.”

Two-way contracts provide a salary that is half of the NBA’s rookie minimum, which would equate to $636k over the course of a full season. Prorated for the current day on the calendar, that means Slawson will make about $161k on his two-way with Indiana the rest of the season.

Two-way deals have no impact on a team’s salary cap, so the Pacers have no changes to their spending reality. They opened up a two-way spot by converting the contract of Quenton Jackson earlier this weekend.

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