The Region News

Jennifer-Ruth Green stands uniquely positioned to win in Indiana’s First Congressional District race. If she wins the nomination for the Republican primary next week, Green presents a big national opportunity to flip a vulnerable seat over to the GOP side.

Before analyzing the positives of Green’s background and approach, consider the characteristics of this IN 1st District and the potential for America First. The corner of Northwest Indiana that comprises the First includes tough urban neighborhoods adjacent to Chicago’s South side, prosperous suburbs, and Midwestern farmlands. This diverse district has been represented by Democrat representatives in the US House for a stunning 90 straight years.

But in the 2022 election, opportunity beckons, and Green is just the right candidate to capitalize on that possibility. For four consecutive presidential cycles, the Democrat margin in IN-01 has declined, from 63% of the vote in 2008 to just 53% in 2020. Between 2016 and 2020, Donald Trump gained over 3% on margin in the First, part of why he so easily swept the Hoosier state on the whole in 2020 by almost a half million votes. 

Looking specifically at Lake County, IN, where the majority of the district’s population resides, Trump gained 16,000 raw votes from 2016 to 2020, and advanced 5% on margin against the Democrats. These gains in the more dense parts of Lake County reflected a national trend of Trump doing far better than expectations among minority and urban voters. 

For example, Trump gained a half million votes in highly diverse LA County in California, the largest county in America. In the Bronx in New York City, which is 90% minority, Trump doubled his raw vote total and gained 7% on margin compared to his 2016 showing. On this topic of diversity, the Indiana First constituency is highly diverse, with more than 1/3 of the population either Hispanic or black.

Jennifer-Ruth fits the district well as a highly accomplished black woman veteran. She followed her father and grandfather into the United States Air Force, and graduated from the Air Force Academy, serving a total of 22 years in the military, including deployment to the war in Iraq where she served as a mission commander for counterintelligence operations. Green presently serves the Hoosier State as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indiana Air National Guard. 

Green also flies as a commercial pilot and works full time as a Certified Flight instructor serving the youth of the Region as the founder of MissionAero Pipeline, a non-profit reaching at-risk youth through training for aviation and STEM careers. 

The youngest of six children, Jennifer-Green is a pro-life, pro-family advocate who will champion Indiana values in the US House, in contrast to the lackey incumbent Frank Mrvan who literally votes with radical Nancy Pelosi 100% of the time. In reaction, the citizens of the district open up to flipping this seat, with the latest polling showing a generic Democrat vs. Republican race as a toss-up.

So far, Green’s inspiring life story and campaign hustle place her in the front of the pack for the GOP nomination. She claims the lead in polling and also in fundraising. In fact, Green has already raised more contributions than any Republican in IN-01 in 25 years. 

For these reasons and more, America First Congressman Jim Banks, from Indiana’s Third District, remarked: "Keep an eye on Iraq War Veteran Jennifer-Ruth Green in IN-01! She’s the perfect candidate to help us win a seat that is trending our way in NW Indiana as the playing field expands for the GOP."

I concur with Rep. Banks and offer my enthusiastic endorsement to Jennifer-Ruth Green. She represents just the kind of young, vibrant, diverse candidates that our cause needs to truly transform the Republican Party into an America First movement that is pro-worker and combines cultural conservatism with economic populist nationalism. 

– Steve Cortes has been a cable news broadcaster for the past 15 years, worked as Senior Advisor for Strategy to the Trump 2020 campaign, and was named by President Trump to the White House Commission on Hispanic Prosperity.