governor Eric Holcomb Contact information

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Eric J. Holcomb, 51st Governor of the State of Indiana, is a lifelong Hoosier and veteran of the U.S. Navy. Elected by his fellow Hoosiers to a second term in 2020, he received the most votes for governor in Indiana history.

Earning a reputation as a pragmatic consensus builder, Holcomb frequently travels throughout the state, visiting with Hoosiers about how to make Indiana the best place in the world to live, work, study, play and stay. Under Holcomb’s leadership, Indiana’s economy is strong, the state’s finances are honestly balanced, and the state is streamlining government services and returning dollars to Hoosier taxpayers, while simultaneously delivering significant investments and advancements in infrastructure, education, workforce, quality of life and public health.

During Holcomb’s terms, Indiana employees and employers are enjoying consecutive record-breaking years of job commitments. In 2022, companies committed a record-breaking $22 billion in capital investment. Actively seeking to build global relationships and attract investments in Indiana’s economic growth, Holcomb has made 14 international trips as governor, visiting more than 20 nations.

Maintaining Indiana’s “Crossroads of America” infrastructure and strengthening Indiana’s connections between our communities is a top priority for Holcomb. He implemented a long-term, fully-funded 20-year, $60 billion Next Level Roads program. In 2019 and again in 2022, CNBC ranked Indiana number one in the nation for infrastructure.

Holcomb has worked to align Indiana’s K-12, higher education, workforce and economic development efforts to empower Hoosiers with the necessary skills to succeed in the economy of the future. He signed into law historic, increased investments in education, including a record $1.9 billion in new funding for education in the current budget. He unveiled the Next Level Jobs program to prepare and connect more Hoosiers to high-demand, high-wage careers.

Holcomb created the Governor’s Public Health Commission in 2021 to study and make recommendations about how Indiana can improve the delivery of public health services throughout the state. For his efforts in the public health arena and focus on helping Hoosiers with substance use disorder recover, the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation honored him with the Circle of Hope Award in 2019.

Holcomb serves on the Executive Committee of the Republican Governors Association and previously served as its policy chairman. In 2018, The Hill named him one of ten governors shaping the future of politics. An article in Governing magazine read, “Indiana’s governor doesn’t scream, doesn’t threaten, and doesn’t even complain. He just wins.”

A lifelong basketball fan, Holcomb has made a basket in each of Indiana’s 92 counties. A collector of presidential signatures, he has documents signed by every U.S. president. He is a graduate of Pike High School in Indianapolis and Hanover College in southeastern Indiana. Prior to his election as Governor in 2016, following an unprecedented 106-day campaign, Holcomb served as Indiana’s 51st Lieutenant Governor.

Holcomb and his wife, Janet, live with their Miniature Schnauzer, Henry, and cat, Topper, in the Governor’s Residence in Indianapolis.

Lowering Indiana’s Infant Mortality Rate

Early in his time as our state’s leader, Governor Holcomb set a big priority – making Indiana home to the lowest infant mortality rate in the Midwest by 2024. That’s because he believes in looking out for the most vulnerable Hoosiers among us.

He took action, signing into law Indiana’s perinatal navigator program that connects pregnant women in Indiana’s highest-risk ZIP codes with wraparound health services –making sure all Hoosier kids have a right to life, no matter where they’re born.

And while we still have a lot of work to do, we’re making progress. In 2019, Indiana saw its largest drop in infant mortality in six years.

The Fiscal Envy of the Nation

Balancing budgets. Paying bills. Living within our means. That’s the motto of working Hoosier families, and it’s Governor Holcomb’s charge in leading our state. Under his leadership, Indiana is maintaining its AAA credit rating (the best in the nation!), and our healthy rainy day fund is keeping Indiana in the black during this pandemic while we maintain essential services.

And, of course, that’s while taxes in Indiana continue to drop! Indiana’s personal income tax rate dropped to 3.23% in 2017, which is among the lowest in the nation. That’s while taxes for businesses continue to go down, and Indiana enjoys the benefits of permanently capped property taxes and no inventory tax. It’s an environment built for growth and opportunity!

Attracting Record Job Commitments

Indiana has built the Midwest’s best climate for business. And when it comes to attracting great new jobs, Indiana is continuing to break records. Since 2017, companies have committed to create more than 100,000 new Hoosiers jobs across Indiana in high-growth industries like advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, logistics, life sciences, defense, technology, and more.

In 2019, the average wage for those job commitments was $28.60/hour!

Whether it’s new jobs created at homegrown small businesses or international companies choosing Indiana for their next big investment, Indiana is on the map!

Supporting Indiana Schools

For Governor Holcomb, making sure that every Hoosier student has a safe place to learn and grow is a top priority – whether that’s safety from COVID-19, or other threats.

That’s why since 2017, Indiana has made over $1.6 billion in NEW investments in Indiana education – and next year, that commitment will continue with a scheduled increase of $183 million in 2021.

Schools across the state have been provided with reopening guidance – as well as necessary tools today like masks, hand sanitizer, and grants to support remote learning.

But it’s not just invisible threats. Other new resources include a program that’s now placed more than 3,200 handheld metal detectors in Indiana public, charter, and private schools at no cost to them. They’ve gone to more than 370 schools – including 94% of all traditional Indiana public schools – to help them track what’s coming into school buildings.

In addition, schools have expanded access to school safety grants and access to a $35 million low-interest loan program for making school updates. And Indiana isn’t stopping until all schools have the tools they need – it simply cannot wait.

Expanding Rural Broadband

Now more than ever, it’s critical that ALL Hoosiers have access to reliable, high-speed internet service – whether that’s for health care, education, commerce or more. That’s why Governor Holcomb is leading Indiana’s largest single state investment in broadband in our state’s history – Next Level Connections – with multiple grant rounds totaling $100 million!

Millions of dollars in grants have already been awarded for projects spanning 18 counties – and more to come soon to bring broadband access to rural Indiana.

Completing I-69

For more than a decade, Indiana has been building I-69 – one continuous road connecting Evansville to Indianapolis and the rest of the state. I-69 is now complete between Evansville and Martinsville.

And construction of the final section is now underway, which is upgrading State Road 37 to interstate standard all the way to I-465. Through Next Level Connections, Indiana will invest $600 million to accelerate the completion of I-69 by three years…connecting Evansville and Indianapolis by 2024.

Helping Hoosiers With Recovery

When it comes to attacking the state’s opioid epidemic, Governor Holcomb has made an all-hands-on-deck call. We’ve made progress, with a 13% decline in overdose deaths – but Hoosiers across the state are still struggling with addiction.

Together, we’re working to help Hoosiers achieve and maintain recovery – bettering our communities, economy, public safety, and quality of life for all Hoosiers. And we’re making progress with a focus on prevention, treatment, and enforcement, which includes:

• Providing communities with training and funding for naloxone, which is saving lives by reversing overdoses.
• Expanding drug take-back programs – reducing the number of drugs available for misuse.
• Increasing the number of opioid treatment sites statewide – placing nearly all Hoosiers within one-hour’s drive of help.
• Strengthening felony charges for individuals whose dealing of illicit drugs leads to the death of a fellow Hoosier.

Skilling Up Hoosiers

Across Indiana, companies are looking to hire hardworking Hoosiers to fill great jobs – jobs in high-demand industries like manufacturing, life sciences, technology, and logistics.

Through Governor Holcomb’s Next Level Jobs plan, more than 10,000 Hoosiers have built the skills needed to fill these in-demand, high-wage jobs – helping them earn larger paychecks and open new doors of opportunity.

Next Level Jobs provides Hoosiers with free classes and access to certificate programs through partners like Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University. There, Hoosiers are gaining the in-demand skills needed to begin their next big job!

And as we continue to get Back on Track this year, Next Level Jobs is expanded its eligibility, offerings and funding caps – providing Hoosiers with even greater opportunity to build a brighter future.