Rep. Craig Haggard announces 4th Congressional District campaign

Two-term Rep. Craig Haggard, of Mooresville, joins Kendall and Casey to discuss his run for Congress.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Casey, there's a political fight brewing, and I'm here for
of course you are. You always have a front row seat,
don't you. Ah. We love a good old fashioned political brawl,
and it looks like we're going to get one out
in the fourth Congressional District. That's where I live.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
I know.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
These are my peeps. Big announcement yesterday, Craig Haggard, he
is an Indiana state representative. He has announced he is
running for Congress against incumbent Jim Baird in the fourth
Congressional district. Had a big, big get together last night
and Craig Haggard joins us.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Now, Craig, Hello, Hello, good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
All right, So, the first question I have to anybody
who subjects themselves to running for any sort of public office,
much less something as large as Congress, why would you
want to do that to yourself?

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Well, A lot of people ask me that I'm joking
and say, maybe too many injuries in the Marine Corps
question my judgment, But in all seriousness, it's because I
would just want to continue to serve. I serve here
in Indiana, and I know we have some issues. You
guys bring those up and keep us in check and
by in Jim. I think Indiana is a really good state.
I think our issues, our problems, our serious problems, are

(01:06):
in d C. And I want to go out there
and be one of those folks that actually care about
the oath I took to the Constitution.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Craig Haggard's our guest. You know it's Histerday's running for
Congress in the fourth Congressional District against Jim Baird. Now,
the big rumor was that Jim Baird was setting this
thing up for his son, Bo Baird. Obviously he is
a state rep as well out in Putnam County. He's
got a litany of issues that we've laid out on
this program. But now Bo Baird, I saw a post
on social media the other day said no, I'm not

(01:34):
running for Congress. So it looks like it's you against
the old man.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Well that's what it looks like. At the end of
the day. I said to someone that asked me a
while back, who are you running against? And I said,
I'm pretty sure I'm running against a Baard. I just
don't know which one. And if this is if Jim's running,
if the congressman's running, then so be it. It doesn't
really change the trajectory of what I'm doing, the work
I'm going to put into it. I'm running because I
believe I could do a better job, and so at

(02:01):
the end of the day, what they do or don't
do doesn't really change what I'm doing.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
I'm wondering how things went last night. You made the
announcement last night at Humble Park. So what was the reception?

Speaker 2 (02:13):
You know, it was great. I mean it was a
wonderful turnout, well over one hundred folks there. I had veterans,
I had people from different supporting groups, sheriffs, mayors, council folks, friends, family.
It was a great event. It turned out really really well.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
What do you run on, because obviously Jim Barrett has
been a rubber stamp for pretty much just whatever the
Republican leadership in the House wants, And what do you
run on? Do you go against that? How does that
play in a Republican primary? What does a campaign look
like for you?

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, I think the big difference and I think you've
seen this with my time in the state House, I'm
definitely not a rubber stamp. I vote with the caucus,
I vote against the caucus. I vote for things that
I believe is a best entrance of the constituents and
what I believe constitutionally, And I think that's what I
would the difference I would take to DC. I don't
want to be one of the what they call exotics

(03:10):
who just screams and wants news time things like that.
I want to govern. But if it means good ideas
are coming from one side to the other, I don't care.
As long as it's a good idea, that's and that's
what I want to do. That's I think that's the difference.
And it doesn't mean being that rubber stamp. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
I think a great example of that is you guys
in the house were ordered This happens a lot casey
people are ordered not to communicate or support me in
any shape, form or fashion. And you guys were basically ordered,
don't go to that property tax, really, don't speak at it.
Don't give those guys any credit. And you and Andrew
Ireland and Jad Prescott before he turned down and stabbed
us in the back. But at least you and Andrew

(03:47):
Ireland were two of three people who know only went
to that property tax rally. You ultimately voted against that
bad property tax bill, and Craig, I think that says
a lot about your willingness to do what's right, not
what's easy.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
Well, I got to tell you it was. It's one
of those things where a lot of people think it's
tough and I don't. I just I try to do
what's right. But at the same time, I don't try
to throw it in their face because we still have
to govern. Because I'm sure I guarantee I've either done
things in the past or i'll do things in the
future that you guys will probably give me grief over.
Oh yeah, and that's you know, and that's fine, that's

(04:19):
that's a check in balance, right. I don't get all
that's set about that. I mean, I tried, and I guarantee.
I think I said it before and I said it
last night. The only guarantee I can give you in congresses,
I'm going to work my butt off and I'm sure
i'll screw something up, but I'm sure I'll learn from
it and then admit to those mistakes and try to
not you know, do that again and answer to the people.
So I think that's a background of my military maybe

(04:40):
fight or pilot background. When you get in from everything.
You debrief, you say what you did wrong. If it's
bad enough, you brief the squadron. It's not a punishment.
It's because you're self evaluating. Hey, we can't be successful
without some failures. And I think that's okay. Do you
do you.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
Really want me as your constituent? I mean, I don't.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
Are you ready for that?

Speaker 1 (04:58):
Jelly?

Speaker 2 (05:00):
I think I'm stuck with you, right. You know you're
my cousin. You're my second cousin at the family pic nick.
Now I do want that, because that's fine. I don't
mind the tough questions. If I go on something just
softball questions or this or that, then you know what
does that say about me? And so no beat me up?
That's all right, Craig.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
I'd like to change directions and ask for your input
on the redistricting talk. Where are you with that?

Speaker 2 (05:25):
So you know, I know the vice president came in
and from our understanding, they didn't demand, they didn't threaten.
They just said, hey, we want you to consider this,
and which I appreciate. And I know the leadership talked
to us and said, hey, we want you to do
a deep vibe. Talked to your fellow legislators, talk to
your constituents, and I've reached out to a bunch of

(05:46):
a tremendous amount of folks who reached out to me.
We've talked on the phone with each other as far
as other House members, and you know, I look at
Indiana and I you know, we have seven out of
nine seats we voted for Trump the last three times
represents Steerwald, who carried the bill that redistrict few years back,
did it with such care that I think we were

(06:08):
one of the few states that didn't get sued. I
think we're really good. And I, you know, I I
if I had to guess, if I'm in Vegas, I'm
thinking it's probably not going to happen. And so you know,
that's that's where we are with that. It's kind of
an unknown right now, but we have a short time
period for this to happen. But I think I don't

(06:29):
think we'll see anything happen.

Speaker 1 (06:30):
To be honest, Craig, have you heard from anybody that's
in your in the either the House or the Senate
that's like super fired up about doing this.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
Now? As a matter of fact, I've heard really nobody
who's I think Andrew Ireland put out a post that
he's for it, and trust me, I understand. I understand
that they have been jerremandering, you know, the other lad
has for a while and the hypocrisy of them scream
screaming about it is is kind of ridiculous. But we
are that, you know. It's one of those things do

(06:59):
we are we We're going to go back to the
childhood argument, Well they're doing it, we should do it?
Or do we want to be a model of what
we should do? And that's kind of how that's that's
the perspective I look at when I look at the
redistricting issue.

Speaker 1 (07:13):
All right, well, we're expecting we need show content, Craig,
So we're expecting a very firework oriented primary. We expect
all sorts of controversial statements, and we want to be
the first place you make all of them. So can
we count on you for that?

Speaker 2 (07:27):
You can count on me. I'm sure it'll be a circus. Yeah,
there you go.

Speaker 1 (07:29):
Hey, where can people learn more about your race for Congress?
If they want to do that?

Speaker 2 (07:33):
Hagrid for Congress dot Com.

Speaker 1 (07:35):
All right, there you go, Craig Haggard, Thank you, my friend.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
All right, thanks guys,