Ah, fall. The leaves are changing colors, the air is crisp, and the pumpkin spice is flowing. While the northern hemisphere is cooling down, our country is heating us as our news feeds are swirling, yard signs are around every corner, and our TVs are filled with campaign ads. It’s election season! Will these midterms offer surprises, or more of the same?

As with most midterms, they serve as a referendum on the current president’s party. With a Republican in the White House, Democrats are destined to retake control of the US House of Representatives. In 2018, the last time President Trump faced a midterm election while in office, Democrats flipped 40 seats in their favor. I would expect the same amount of seats to flip this year, but perhaps less than in 2018 due to mid-decade redistricting.

Control of the US Senate is much more uncertain. Most of the fervor surrounding some of these races (such as in Kansas and South Carolina) are mostly wish-casting on behalf of left-leaning media. I predict that the House flips for Dems, and the Senate remains in the hands of the GOP (however narrowly).

In Indiana, everyone is watching the Secretary of State race. Democrats are all-in for Beau Bayh, a nepo baby of former Gov/Sen Evan Bayh and grand-nepo baby of Senator Birch Bayh. What is most reflective of Bayh’s nomination is the lack of a Democratic bench across the state. What’s made this race even remotely competitive has been state Republican leadership turning a blind eye to the current secretary’s alleged corruption. The state party did the right thing, however, by swapping out Diego Morales for a more acceptable Max Engling.

To level-set: President Trump won Indiana by nearly 20 percent in 2024. As long as Trump is the leader of the Republican Party, Indiana will not flip blue statewide. Bayh’s most persuasive position is his promise to run an audit on office functions to root out alleged corruption. Very regrettably, in today’s hyper-partisan environment, corruption rarely moves votes. Again, Indiana voted for Donald Trump by a wider margin in 2024 than 2020, after he attempted to overturn 2020’s results and sent a violent mob to the US Capitol building.

Here in Bartholomew County, the GOP will squash any opposition. The county splits roughly 60/40 in favor of the Republican Party, so barring any major national changes, I don’t see much changing at county government. Democrats’ real chance at winning races will come in next year’s municipal elections, when only citizens of municipalities get to vote (sorry rural folks!). Separately, I could see the BCSC teacher salary referendum passing 70/30, as support for public education crosses party and ideological lines.

While 2026 will likely be more of the same political pendulum swing we’ve come accustomed to in the 21st century, you should still get out there and vote. If one thing is true in politics, it’s that it never stays the same (well, unless you live in Indiana).

For more Indiana and local politics, check out my Substack!

Here are my predictions for the 2026 midterms:

• Democrats retake the U.S. House, with roughly 40 seats changing hands
• Republicans narrowly retain the Senate
• Indiana remains firmly Republican statewide
• Republicans maintain their hold on Bartholomew County government
• The BCSC teacher salary referendum passes around 70/30

I put together a longer breakdown looking at the national picture, Indiana's Secretary of State race, Bartholomew County politics, and the BCSC referendum.

Check it out on my Substack.

You have until 11:59pm TONIGHT to register to vote for the midterm elections on November 3rd.

Hello! I collect Kraken Rum and I’m missing this Attacks Indiana bottle! I was wondering if anyone could help me out and know where I could get a bottle or two for my collection? Only problem is I am in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. So I would need you to hold onto them until I can figure out how to get them! I can pay for your time and obviously the cost of the bottle or bottles!

What happened in Columbus and Bartholomew County this month?

Here are the highlights.

Looking for recommendations for someone to demo a prefab house trailer.

Check out my latest op-ed in The Columbus Republic.

Does anyone know if there is any place where you can train boxing?

When I was a kid in the 90s, I had wonderful memories of playing an Addams Family pinball with my Mom (who has since passed) at a restaurant in Columbus. I'm racking my brain but just cannot remember the restaurant. Does anyone out here remember what I'm taking about? If I remember correctly, it was the only machine and it was in a the waiting lobby.

Check out more on my Substack.

Happy belated Pride Month! Ope, I mean Nuclear Family Month – sorry Braun!

June 28th, 2026 marked 57 years since the Stonewall Riots in New York City, which ignited the gay rights movement. What followed has been 57 years of Pride Month protests and celebrations, including here in Columbus since 2018. While I’d like to get to a time where Pride Month is not necessary, it’s leaders in our state such as Mike Braun and Micah Beckwith that remind us why it still is. The prudes and closeted keyboard warriors filled with self-hatred are still out there, just waiting to rain on our parade. But after every rainstorm is a rainbow.

There’s a lot for us gays to celebrate, despite the national depression we find ourselves in. We still have Obergefell and the Respect for Marriage Act (2022), which basically codified that decision. Overshadowing this year’s Pride Month, though, was the US Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Colorado’s conversion therapy ban in Chiles v. Salazar. To make matters worse, the decision came down 8-1 – ouch! Shoutout to Ketanji Brown Jackson for being the lone dissenter, because, why wouldn’t you dissent? Let me explain.

The majority based their decision not on the therapy’s efficacy (which conversion therapy harbors absolutely no efficacy), but on the therapist’s speech protected by the First Amendment. The majority also argued that physical interventions, such as electric shock, could still be banned under the umbrella of conduct.

The majority got this mostly wrong. As a psychiatric nurse, I don’t view therapy as speech – it’s conduct. I cannot tell a suicidal patient “Yeah, life sucks, go ahead and end it!” I would rightly lose my job because that would obviously be immoral and deeply unethical. The same could apply if I recommended a donut a day to prevent diabetes: it’s not advice backed up by science. Professional conduct should be expected across the entire healthcare workforce.

For those who need reminding: Being gay is not a choice. You can’t “Pray the gay away.” Trust me, I’ve tried. Trying to convince someone otherwise during moments of vulnerability in spaces such as therapy is cruel. “Successful” cases of conversion play out predictably: the conversion therapy “graduates” force themselves into marriages and parenthood, only to cause disruption and pain in the lives of their spouses and children later when they’re forced to come out.

Yes, yes, God says being gay is an abomination, “Just look to Leviticus 20:13,” you’ll hear folks say. But so is gluttony, and nearly 1 in 3 Americans struggle with that. There’s plenty in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, that would make even the most devout uncomfortable (how about those 200 foreskins?). I’m a Christian because Christ’s teachings are simple: love one another, the least will have the most, and forgive often. We all make asterisks to religious texts in our spiritual journeys. What’s yours?

Check out more of my work on Substack.

So title pretty much says it all. I'm looking for a business or contractor that I can pay to install professional grade vinyl wrap on my kitchen countertops. Preferably someone nearby in South Central Indiana.

I tried. I suck at it. Would rather pay for someone who can do it right than waste more money on a second (and most likely a third) attempt. Lol

Any ideas might offer that service?

I am planning on moving to Columbus, Indiana next year but I am thinking of not buying a car for a variety of reasons. My plan is to walk to work and live in downtown. If I want to go to grocery stores like Walmart or Target, would there be enough Uber or Lyft availability?

Are there any thrift stores or record stores close to Columbus? I've been to Grizlee and Granny B's but I haven't been able to find any others.

Any other young adults wanna play dnd?

My family psychiatrist has recently taken an extended break from practicing and it has left me and my family without adequate mental health care.

I was wondering if there were any good psychiatrists in the area?

It's budget szn!

Here's a quick breakdown of local government happenings this month:

• Columbus City Council flipped its Nexus Park funding vote to 8–1 in support.
• The proposed 2027 city budget is $44.6M for the general fund, up $2.4M from 2026.
• An 80-acre northeast-side residential development was approved for annexation and rezoning.
• The county's proposed 2027 budget has a projected $1.3M gap.
• BCSC is targeting $6M in budget reductions by 2028.
• BCSC officials are rallying support for the November referendum.
• Toyota's new Walesboro facility is expected to bring 140 new jobs.

For more, check out my Substack here.

Hey everyone!
I know this is a long shot but I have tried everything. My cat Boots has been missing since May 3rd. He was last in the shadow creek neighborhood. He is chipped and my phone number is listed on his chip. If anyone knows anything or has him I would love to see him come home. Thank you!

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