A longtime Indiana lawmaker said he will leave the Republican Party and will not run again for his seat in the Statehouse. Ed Clere has served in the Indiana House for 18 years and told a local paper that the political scene in Indianapolis is now “dysfunctional and toxic.”
Clere said he can no longer be part of a party he once called home. “There are many good Republicans, but the Republican Party has lost its way, and I can no longer be a part of it,” he told the News and Tribune.
He pointed to a recent fight over new congressional maps as a turning point. In December, Clere was among Republicans who opposed a plan tied to national leaders. He says the vote led to a threat against his home and to a sharp rise in anger inside the Statehouse.
“Iβve always tried to voice and vote my conscience, and at times it has put me at odds with other Republicans at the Statehouse,” he said. Clere added that the redistricting fight showed how national politics can move into state work.
He used a phrase many voters will know. “Youβve heard that saying before: βI didnβt leave the party. The party left me,β” Clere said in an interview. He told reporters that under President Trump the party feels like something he no longer recognizes.
Clere has split with his old party on several big issues, from Medicaid expansion to rights for transgender people, and on marriage and abortion. Those moves put him at odds with many colleagues and with party leaders who want a firmer line on these matters.
He said he will run for mayor of New Albany as an independent in next yearβs municipal election. “As an independent, I wonβt have to consider party politics,” he said. “My only consideration will be whatβs right for the people of New Albany.”
Clere ran for mayor before and lost by a small margin in 2023. He told voters he believes he can be more effective at city hall than in a General Assembly that he says is shaped by national fights.
His departure is another sign of stress inside the Republican ranks in several states. Some other GOP lawmakers have said they will not run again or have left office, a trend that supporters blame on rising partisanship and critics blame on poor leadership.
Observers say the move will change the shape of local politics. When a veteran lawmaker steps away, it creates a test for the party and for voters who must decide whether to reward independence or stick with national party labels.
Clere said he will serve out his current term and then focus on the mayoral race. He asked residents to judge him by work and not by a party label. Voters in New Albany will get to decide if they want a mayor who promises to put city needs above party lines.
Featured image via X screengrab
