Kent Abernathy (Republican Party) ran for election to the Indiana House of Representatives to represent District 25. He lost in the Republican primary on May 3, 2022.
Abernathy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography[edit]
Abernathy was born in Portland, Indiana. He earned a B.S. from the United States Military Academy in 1979, a master's degree in management from Oakland City University in 1996, and a master's degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College in 2000. Abernathy's professional experience includes working as a banker, business consultant, vice president for two banks in Indianapolis, commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and executive director of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. Abernathy served in the United States Army from 1979 to 2010. He was on active duty from 1979 to 1986 and from 2003 to 2010. He was in the Army National Guard from 1986 to 2003.[1][2][3]
Elections[edit]
2022[edit]
See also: Indiana House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election for Indiana House of Representatives District 25
Jen Bass-Patino and Becky Cash are running in the general election for Indiana House of Representatives District 25 on November 8, 2022.
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Jen Bass-Patino (D) 
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Becky Cash (R)
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Maurice Fuller (D)
Republican primary for Indiana House of Representatives District 25
Becky Cash defeated Kent Abernathy, Matthew Whetstone, and Douglas Rapp in the Republican primary for Indiana House of Representatives District 25 on May 3, 2022.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
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| ✔ |
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Becky Cash
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39.4
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2,074 |
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Kent Abernathy
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27.1
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1,426 | |
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Matthew Whetstone |
25.9
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1,365 | |
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Douglas Rapp
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7.6
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399 | |
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Total votes: 5,264 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance[edit]
2020[edit]
See also: Indiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2020
Indiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)
Indiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)
General election for U.S. House Indiana District 5
Victoria Spartz defeated Christina Hale and Ken Tucker in the general election for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
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| ✔ |
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Victoria Spartz (R) |
50.0
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208,212 |
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Christina Hale (D) |
45.9
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191,226 | |
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Ken Tucker (L)
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4.0
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16,788 | |
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Total votes: 416,226 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ellen Kizik (Independent)
- Vernon Moore (Independent)
Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5
Christina Hale defeated Dee Thornton, Jennifer Christie, Andy Jacobs, and Ralph Spelbring in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
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| ✔ |
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Christina Hale |
40.8
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30,123 |
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Dee Thornton |
27.1
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20,049 | |
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Jennifer Christie |
18.1
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13,345 | |
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Andy Jacobs |
13.3
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9,817 | |
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Ralph Spelbring |
0.8
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575 | |
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Total votes: 73,909 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
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| ✔ |
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Victoria Spartz |
39.7
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34,526 |
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Beth Henderson |
17.6
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15,343 | |
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Micah Beckwith
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12.7
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11,063 | |
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Carl Brizzi |
6.5
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5,619 | |
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Kent Abernathy
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5.6
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4,901 | |
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Kelly Mitchell |
5.3
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4,643 | |
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Chuck Dietzen |
4.7
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4,071 | |
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Matthew Hook
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2.5
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2,147 | |
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Andrew Bales
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1.5
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1,329 | |
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Mark Small
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1.2
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1,057 | |
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Danny Niederberger
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0.8
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675 | |
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Victor Wakley
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0.5
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465 | |
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Allen Davidson |
0.5
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411 | |
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Russell Stwalley
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0.4
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379 | |
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Matthew Hullinger
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0.4
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333 | |
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Total votes: 86,962 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Mark Jay (R)
- Jeremy Miner (R)
- Steve Braun (R)
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Indiana District 5
Ken Tucker advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on March 7, 2020.
Candidate |
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Ken Tucker (L)
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
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Candidate profile[edit]
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Duty. Honor. Country. These tenets of the West Point motto have been my guiding light throughout my life. I am a veteran, businessman, and leader. In Congress, I will put country first and focus on providing solutions. I served 30 years in the Army, Army Reserve, and National Guard, earning a Bronze Star for service in Iraq. In business, I gained a comprehensive knowledge of the factors which spur economic growth and create jobs. I have never run for elected office, but I did serve in the administrations of Governor Mitch Daniels and Governor Mike Pence. Working for Governor Daniels, I learned the importance of fiscal responsibility as part of an administration that generated a $2.1 billion surplus and the state's first AAA credit rating. When Governor Pence asked me to straighten out issues at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, I lead transformational change that simplified and streamlined operations, resulting in a 96.3% citizen satisfaction rating. My broad experience and demonstrated record of success in business, the military, and state and federal government has given me a unique perspective and positioned me as the candidate best able to represent the citizens of Indiana's 5th Congressional district. My website is www.kentabernathy.com."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Indiana District 5 in 2020
Campaign themes[edit]
2022[edit]
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kent Abernathy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Abernathy's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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A graduate of the United States Military Academy, Kent’s lifetime of public service emulates the West Point motto: Duty, Honor, Country. Following graduation, his initial military service included duty in Korea and with the 82nd Airborne division.
Kent then transitioned to the Army National Guard and pursued a career in the private sector. As a vice president for two Indianapolis banks, he gained a comprehensive knowledge and appreciation for the factors that drive successful business and economic growth.
In 2003, with Americans defending freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan, Kent felt the call to return to active military service. He took on various leadership roles in the Pentagon and in Iraq, where he earned the Bronze Star medal.
Following his retirement from the Army Reserve as a Colonel, Kent returned to Indiana and served in the administrations of Governor Mitch Daniels and Governor Mike Pence. During the Pence administration, he was appointed as the 25th Commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), where he oversaw the passage of landmark legislative reform that simplified and streamlined the Indiana motor vehicle code, resulting in the elimination of dozens of unnecessary consumer fees and the reduction of dozens more that Hoosiers experience on a daily basis.
More recently, Kent served as the Executive Director of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service.
Kent and his wife, Karen, reside in Zionsville.
- Jobs & the Economy: Every Hoosier should have the opportunity for a well-paying job to provide for their family. We must eliminate unreasonable regulations on small businesses, maintain balanced budgets, cut taxes, and improve infrastructure to attract and retain high-paying jobs.
- Government Efficiency: Government must ensure taxpayers receive the best value for their money. It’s critical to make the tough choices to prioritize how state government spends Hoosier tax dollars, cut bureaucratic red tape, and use technology to improve efficiency.
- Hoosier Values: The Hoosier conservative values we share must be fought for and protected. We must preserve our individual liberties, defend our Second Amendment Rights, protect the unborn, and ensure our elections are free, fair, and transparent.
Public Safety: Ensuring our families and communities are safe is one of the core responsibilities of our government. Our law enforcement professionals and first responders are among the finest men and women in our state. We must proudly stand with them, give them the resources they need, and support state-of-the-art cybersecurity programs to protect against data threats at home and abroad. Education: Every Hoosier is entitled to a quality education. It’s crucial for us to fund education and direct dollars to the classrooms, and we must also ensure parents have choices to determine what is best for their children. Our students deserve a safe learning environment, and should not be indoctrinated with radical teachings
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2020[edit]
Kent Abernathy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Abernathy's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Duty. Honor. Country. These tenets of the West Point motto have been my guiding light throughout my life. I am a veteran, businessman, and leader. In Congress, I will put country first and focus on providing solutions. I served 30 years in the Army, Army Reserve, and National Guard, earning a Bronze Star for service in Iraq. In business, I gained a comprehensive knowledge of the factors which spur economic growth and create jobs. I have never run for elected office, but I did serve in the administrations of Governor Mitch Daniels and Governor Mike Pence. Working for Governor Daniels, I learned the importance of fiscal responsibility as part of an administration that generated a $2.1 billion surplus and the state's first AAA credit rating. When Governor Pence asked me to straighten out issues at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, I lead transformational change that simplified and streamlined operations, resulting in a 96.3% citizen satisfaction rating. My broad experience and demonstrated record of success in business, the military, and state and federal government has given me a unique perspective and positioned me as the candidate best able to represent the citizens of Indiana's 5th Congressional district. My website is www.kentabernathy.com.
- As a member of Congress, I will defend the Constitution, support our military, honor our veterans, and pay down our debt.
- The individual right to bear arms is guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution. In Congress, I will make sure that right is never taken away.
- We must protect the rights of the unborn. I will oppose legislation that uses tax dollars to fund abortion.
• Government Spending - Balanced Budget • Jobs and the Economy • National Defense • Veterans • Protection of Second Amendment Rights • Pro-life • Immigration Reform • Health Care Reform
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also[edit]
2022 Elections
External links[edit]
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Candidate Indiana House of Representatives District 25 |
Personal |
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 13, 2020.
- ↑ Kent Abernathy for Congress, "Meet Kent Abernathy," accessed May 25, 2020
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 22, 2022
