Hill wins AG race as voters retain 4 appellate judges

Hill

Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis T. Hill Jr. sailed to a resounding victory in the Indiana attorney general race Nov. 8, and voters retained four Court of Appeals judges by wide margins.

Hill’s margin of victory over Democratic candidate and former Lake County judge Lorenzo Arredondo was the widest of any statewide race. Hill won 62 percent of the vote compared to 38 percent for Arredondo. Hill will succeed two-term Attorney General Greg Zoeller.

Hill said in a statement to Indiana Lawyer the day after the election he was humbled by the margin of victory. “I believe my support is a clear indication that my message resonated with a broad cross-section of Hoosier voters looking for courageous leadership. I believed I had connected quite well during the months of campaigning and Tuesday’s result confirmed my belief.”

Taking the stage in Indianapolis for his victory speech to supporters the night of the election, Hill was accompanied by his wife, Teresa, and five children, whom he thanked for their support during the rigors of a statewide campaign. Hill, 55, is the state’s first African-American attorney general.

Hill also thanked his late father, who he’s called the most courageous man he ever knew. As a young man, the senior Hill built a home for his family despite threats from neighbors who tried to force them out — threats that escalated to an attempted bombing of the family home where his 88-year-old mother still lives. Hill told supporters this was a time for courageous leadership.

“We’re going to take this country back by recognizing it’s up to us the people to have the courage to select people with courage to lead us into the future. We want people who will say what we mean and do what we say,” he told supporters.

Najam

He told IL in a candidates’ question-and-answer that his top priorities as AG would be defending freedom by fighting government overreach and burdensome regulations, protecting families from violent crime, drug abuse and high-tech crimes, and developing leadership initiatives to protect children from substance abuse and criminal behavior.

Kirsch

Hill said he listened to Hoosiers on the campaign trail and that his message was informed by their concerns. “They’ve told me their priorities, and I’ve made their priorities mine, and as your next attorney general, I will defend your freedom. As your next attorney general, I will protect your families. And ladies and gentlemen, as your next attorney general, I will inspire, we all will inspire, solutions to the problems that plague us the most,” Hill said.

Crone

“For me it’s about our Constitution and the role of limited government. We as conservatives can take on tough issues like poverty, like social justice, and we can do it with conservative principles and turn this country around,” he said. He promised “Bold, fresh leadership grounded in my firm belief in the promise of America and my faith in our loving God.”

Riley

Zoeller introduced Hill for his victory speech, noting Hill inherited the office from a Republican and was “glad to pass the baton” to him. Zoeller will exit public office in January after losing in a five-way Republican primary for U.S. House District 9. Republican Trey Hollingsworth was elected to that congressional seat.

Meanwhile, voters retained four Indiana Court of Appeals judges by wide margins. First District Judge Edward W. Najam Jr. was retained with 70.5 percent of the vote. Second District Judge James S. Kirsch was retained with 74.6 percent. Third District Judge Terry Crone won retention with 72.1 percent, and Fourth District Judge Patricia A. Riley won retention with 75.5 percent.•