Democratic state Sen. Karen Tallian has announced her campaign for Indiana governor, saying she hopes to attract centrist voters unhappy with the state’s current direction.
The Porter County lawmaker said Tuesday she decided to run for governor even before the recent legislative session that was marked by an uproar over a religious objections law viewed by many as discriminating against the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender community.
The 64-year-old Tallian joins former House Speaker John Gregg in the Democratic field. Gregg narrowly lost to Republican incumbent Mike Pence in 2012.
Tallian said during her Statehouse campaign announcement that Indiana isn’t as conservative as the Republican-controlled Legislature and she hopes to attract “middle-of-the-road” voters.
Tallian was appointed to the Senate in 2005 after her predecessor resigned. She’s since won three terms.