Mrvan, Fantin vie to be nominee

U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, and Hammond teacher Richard E. Fantin are seeking the Democratic nomination for the 1st Congressional District race in the primary.

The Democratic candidate who wins the primary will face the winner of the Republican primary in November. Seven men and women are vying for the GOP nomination.

Fantin, an elementary teacher in the School City of Hammond, said he grew up in Hammond and he is a moderate Democrat who decided to run because it is his passion and he was called to serve by God.

Additionally, Fantin said he’s “not liking the way things are going on in our country right now,” when it comes to the economy and education.

Economically, Fantin said the high inflation and gas prices are concerning to him. Fantin said he isn’t sure how to address high inflation costs.

When it comes to education, Fantin said he’d like to see more patriotism taught in schools and less standardized testing. By patriotism, Fantin said he wants students to learn about the U.S. government, presidents and other important figures “from the past that got our country to be so great.”

With preparing and administering standardized tests, Fantin said about two months of the school year are lost to testing.

“We kind of got away from teaching patriotism to our kids. I would like to bring that back to the classroom,” Fantin said. “With these state tests, we’re so worried about passing those things sometimes we don’t have time to get to those other subjects. It’s a big focus on math, reading and writing. Sometimes it’s hard to fit in social studies and science.”

If he were in Congress, Fantin said he would’ve voted for the American Rescue Plan because it offered support amid the pandemic. For the infrastructure bill, Fantin said he “would back off it” because “if we have too many big bills going through that’s just going to increase our inflation.”

Fatnin said he would’ve supported the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 because young adults who came to the U.S. with their parents and have started a life in the U.S. should have a pathway to citizenship.

Voters should vote for him because he will work with Republicans to get things accomplished for the district, Fantin said. He also grew up, learned in and works in the region, he said.

“I have a lot of passion for the First District of Indiana. I will do my best for the citizens. I feel I have a level head. Once I have all the facts, I’m pretty good about making decisions when it comes to bills,” Fantin said.

During his time in Congress, Mrvan said he is most proud to have voted for the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The American Rescue Plan allowed schools to reopen, which allowed parents to go back to work, which helped the economy start bouncing back since the start of the pandemic, Mrvan said. The bill also included a strategic plan to ensure people have access to the COVID-19 vaccine, he said.

The American Rescue Plan also offered loans to small and large businesses, and it offered funds to local governments to improve infrastructure, supplemental pay and bonuses for law enforcement and first responders and to stabilize the economy, Mrvan said.

The infrastructure bill will make roads and bridges safer, invest in clean water by replacing lead pipes, and investing in ports and airports to shorten the supply chain, Mrvan said.

“Why the infrastructure bill is so important to me is because it’s an investment in the American worker and working men and women in my district. As co-chair of the steel caucus, I fought for and led our caucus to make sure that we had strong buy American provisions,” Mrvan said.

Investing in the ports and airports, Mrvan said, leads to businesses coming to the area, which leads to more jobs. Both the American Rescue Plan and the infrastructure bill accomplish this, he said.

Drawing from his recent meeting with Hispanic leaders of Northwest Indiana, Mrvan said Congress needs to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that looks at immigration as a national security issue but to also allow people “to live the American dream.”

“We have a lot of hard work to do when we get back to Congress. I have never been one to point fingers. I am one to roll up my sleeves and find solutions. I consistently have done that throughout my career,” Mrvan, the former North Township trustee, said.

As a member of the education and labor committee, Mrvan said he’s focused on providing resources to schools, like for nutrition and mental health, to “create opportunities for individuals to reach their full potential.”

“I want to make sure we allow the schools to have the resources, to have the development, the innovation and the skilled staff to be able to teach, educate and get our students prepared for the

next generation of jobs,” Mrvan said.

Mrvan said he understands the increase in gas and grocery prices is directly impacting people. Mrvan said he will work toward increasing production to reduce cost.

Voters should vote for him, Mrvan said, because he wants to look at the next generation of jobs, focus on the steel industry and support the America Competes Act of 2022, which addresses U.S. technology and domestic manufacturing, among other things.

“I’m going to continue to work in Washington, D.C., and to work in my district to bring people together to find solutions to problems,” Mrvan said.