LAFAYETTE, Ind. — It’s not unusual for longtime Indiana Rep. Sheila Klinker to occasionally face challengers in her 44 years in Indiana House elections. But this year she faces Tracy Brown, a Republican challenger with a long history of winning elections.
Klink, a Democrat who has served as a state representative since 1982, said this is her last election. The 87-year-old Lafayette representative insisted Friday that it would be her last.
“I thought maybe I could do it again without anyone chasing me,” Klink joked.
State Rep. Sheila Klinker was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 1982 and represents Indiana House District 27, serving parts of Lafayette and West Lafayette.
Brown is a candidate, but before facing Klink he must win the May Republican primary, where he will face Oscar Alvarez, who ran against Klink two years ago. Klink defeated Alvarez with more than 61 percent of the vote.
Brown served as Tippecanoe County Sheriff for eight years and as Tippecanoe County Commissioner for 12 years, always working with legislators.
“What happened in Indianapolis really had an impact on us locally,” Brown said. “That makes the work that our local delegations do very, very important.”
Clinton County Commissioner Tracy Brown will run against Sheila Klinker for Indiana House of Representatives in November.
The plan is to bring his law enforcement experience and policy development experience as a commissioner to Indy.
“I want to use the perspective I’ve gained to serve this district,” Brown said.
Klink and Brown have been friends for decades and worked together as public servants.
“If I had to have an opponent, I’d rather it be Tracy Brown than anybody else,” Klink said. “Tracy and I have been friends for a long time. I feel like even though we were rivals, we were still friends.”
“It’s something I’ve thought about and thought about for years,” Brown said, noting he has discussed the issue with Klink.
Brown, 63, declined to comment on whether Klink has the energy to serve another two years.
“I’ve learned a lot from Sheila over the years. The way she shows up. The way she recognizes people,” Brown said. “Those are the things you expect from an elected official.”
Asked if she had the stamina to serve another two years of public service, Klink said: “People will tell you I’m where no one else has been. I’m willing to do anything.”
“I love what I do, so I work hard,” she said. “I still absolutely love it.
“I’m going to run this time and that’ll be it,” she said, acknowledging some people who said she vowed not to run again in 2024. “This time I’m serious.
“I do have the energy to do it,” she said. “I’m lucky enough to be healthy.”
If Klink and Brown are tied in the fall election, don’t expect vitriolic partisan sniping.
“I wanted to show that you can do it the right way,” Brown said, “and it doesn’t have to be painful and it doesn’t have to be hateful.”
This is how Tippecanoe County is governed between Democratic and Republican officeholders.
“We get the job done together every day,” Brown said.
“It’s a fun career,” Klink said. “The good thing about it is it’s not like Washington, D.C., and we get along really well.”
Please contact Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.
This article originally appeared in the Lafayette Journal & Courier: Indiana Rep. Klink faces friend Tracy Brown in last election
