Indiana Superintendent of Schools election, 2016
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May 3, 2016 |
November 8, 2016 |
Jennifer McCormick (R) |
Glenda Ritz (D) |
Governor • Lt. Governor • Attorney General Down Ballot Superintendent of Public Instruction |
February 5, 2016 |
May 3, 2016 |
June 11, 2016  June 18, 2016  |
June 30, 2016 |
July 5, 2016 |
July 15, 2016 |
November 8, 2016 |
November 22, 2016 |
January 11, 2017 |
Indiana held an election for state superintendent of public instruction on November 8, 2016, with candidates selected at the party conventions in June. Incumbent Glenda Ritz (D) was unseated by Jennifer McCormick (R) in the general election.
Overview
The superintendent is the director of the state department of education and chairs the Indiana Board of Education.[1] The superintendent also has additional authority over school lunch programs and the distribution of surplus agricultural commodities.[2]
Indiana has a Republican state government trifecta: Republicans hold the governorship as well as a majority in the state Senate and the state House. Prior to Ritz's election in 2012, Democrats had not held the superintendent's office since 1973.[3] Given Democrats' recent success in statewide elections coupled with Ritz's incumbency advantage, Republicans had a difficult battle to win back the seat in 2016. McCormick unseated Ritz in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Candidates
Glenda Ritz (D)
Incumbent superintendent of public instruction since 2013
Jennifer McCormick (R)
Superintendent, Yorktown Community Schools since 2010
| [show]Click show to view candidates defeated in the primaries. |
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Results
General election
Jennifer McCormick defeated incumbent Glenda Ritz in the Indiana superintendent of schools election.
| [hide]Indiana Superintendent of Schools, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Jennifer McCormick |
52.97% | 1,203,116 | |
| Democratic | Glenda Ritz Incumbent | 47.03% | 1,068,191 | |
| Total Votes | 2,271,307 | |||
| Source: Indiana Secretary of State | ||||
Context of the 2016 election
Primary elections
During a primary election, voters select the candidate they believe should represent a political party in a general election. Primaries usually take place several months before a general election. Indiana utilizes an open primary system. Voters are not required to register with a party, but state statutes stipulate that citizens vote in the primary of the party they have voted for most often in the past. According to FairVote, however, "there is really no way to enforce this," and primaries are effectively open.[4][5]
Indiana's primary election took place on May 3, 2016. However, the two major parties conducted state conventions to nominate candidates for lieutenant governor, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction—candidates for these offices were not publicly nominated in the primary contests. Once the two parties decided on their nominees, nominations for these offices had to be filed by the parties before July 15, 2016. Any third party or write-in candidates interested in running for these offices also had to file before the July 15 deadline.
Incumbent Glenda Ritz (D)
Superintendent Glenda Ritz (D) sought a second term as superintendent in 2016. Ritz had originally wanted to challenge Governor Mike Pence (R), with whom she had conflicted on education issues throughout her first term, in the 2016 gubernatorial race.[6][7][8] She announced her candidacy for Governor of Indiana on June 4, 2015. However, on August 7, 2014, Ritz withdrew from that race, stating that it was not the right time for her to run for governor.[9][6]
More superintendents mounting gubernatorial campaigns
While the position of state education superintendent may not be the most obvious springboard to the governorship, it is not unheard of for a superintendent, motivated by a specific grievance against the governor, to make a bid for the state's chief executive office. The superintendent of education is appointed in 37 states and elected in only 13; yet Ritz is the third superintendent in recent history to mount a campaign against a sitting governor in response to tensions between their two offices.
In the 2014 elections, Wyoming Superintendent Cindy Hill and Georgia Superintendent John Barge challenged incumbent Governors Matt Mead and Nathan Deal in their states' respective Republican primaries in 2014; both superintendents were defeated by significant margins. For Hill, the decision to challenge Gov. Mead was the result of his attempt to transfer many of the elected superintendent's powers over to a newly-created education authority that would be appointed and controlled by the governor.[10][11] Hill successfully sued the governor over her reduced role and had the superintendent's original powers restored before she left office.[11]
Likewise, during Ritz's first term as superintendent, Gov. Pence championed legislation that would increase his office's influence over the setting of statewide education standards, which Ritz perceived as an overt threat to her authority.
- Click here to learn more about the confrontations between Ritz and Gov. Pence over education.
Party control in Indiana
The office of Indiana's superintendent of public instruction has been dominated by Republicans in recent years. Prior to Ritz's election in 2012, Democrats had not held the office since 1973.[3] Additionally, Indiana has a Republican state government trifecta: Republicans hold the governorship as well as a majority in the state Senate and the state House.
Though Indiana is regarded as a red state, Democrats have increasingly gained traction in recent elections.[12] Democrats won two statewide elections in 2012: Congressman Joe Donnelly (D) defeated Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R) in the race for the United States Senate, and Glenda Ritz (D) defeated Republican Tony Bennett in the race for superintendent of public instruction.[13]
Campaigns
State of the race
Incumbent Superintendent Glenda Ritz was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Superintendent of Yorktown Community Schools Jennifer McCormick filed to run for the Republican nomination alongside former home school teacher and adjunct professor Dawn Wooten. Going into the nominating convention, McCormick enjoyed a significant fundraising lead over Wooten as of the filing of the first quarter campaign finance reports in April 2016. Prior to the Republican convention, McCormick had earned the endorsement of two members of Congress, dozens of state senators and representatives, and several Republican county chairs. Delegates to the Republican convention nominated McCormick on June 11, 2016.
McCormick unseated Ritz in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Endorsements
| [hide]Key endorsements, Republican primary candidates | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer McCormick | |||||||||
| Luke Messer, US Congress | |||||||||
| Jackie Walorski, US Congress | |||||||||
| David Long, Indiana State Senate President Pro Tempore | |||||||||
| Brandt Hershman, Indiana State Senate Majority Leader | |||||||||
| Jim Merritt, Indiana Senate Majority Caucus Chair | |||||||||
| What is a key endorsement? | |||||||||
Campaign finance
Republican candidates had yet to file campaign finance reports as of April 2016.
| [show]Glenda Ritz Campaign Finance Reports |
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| [show]Jennifer McCormick Campaign Finance Reports |
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| [show]Dawn Wooten Campaign Finance Reports |
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Campaign media
Note: If a candidate is not listed below, Ballotpedia staff were unable to locate any campaign media for that candidate. Do you know of any? Tell us!
Democrats
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Republicans
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About the office
The Indiana superintendent of public instruction is an elected state executive position in the Indiana state government. The superintendent is the director of the state department of education and chairs the Indiana Board of Education.[1] The superintendent also has additional authority over school lunch programs and the distribution of surplus agricultural commodities.[17]
The job requires the superintendent to ensure the department's compliance with statutory duties and policies as determined by the board of education, which the superintendent chairs. Department duties include conducting education policy research and compiling basic statistics about the ethnicity, gender and disability status of Indiana public school students.[1]
See also:
The incumbent was Democrat Glenda Ritz. Ritz was elected state superintendent of public instruction in 2012, defeating incumbent Republican Tony Bennett in the November 6 general election.[18] Ritz was sworn into office on January 14, 2013.
The Indiana Constitution addresses the office of the superintendent of public instruction in Article 8.
Under Article 8, Section 8:
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There shall be a State Superintendent of Public Instruction, whose method of selection, tenure, duties and compensation shall be prescribed by law. |
Statutory provisions
See statutes: Indiana Code - Title 20, Article 19 (2014)
As head of the Indiana Department of Education, the superintendent of public instruction is responsible for ensuring the duties of the department are fulfilled. The department's duties include state statutes, as well as policies determined by the state board of education. Additionally, the department conducts research to aid in the development of educational policies and compiles basic statistics about the ethnicity, gender and disability status of Indiana public school students. Enrollment numbers and the number of suspensions and expulsions are also recorded by the department. Expulsions and suspensions are recorded according to their causes (i.e. alcohol, drugs, deadly weapons, etc.).[19]
The superintendent has additional authority over school lunch programs and the distribution of surplus agricultural commodities.[20]
Part 3-8-1-10.5 of the Indiana Code lists the following qualification for state superintendent of public instruction:[21]
- Reside in Indiana for at least two years prior to the election.
2012
| [hide]Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Glenda Ritz |
52.8% | 1,332,755 | |
| Republican | Tony Bennett Incumbent | 47.2% | 1,190,716 | |
| Total Votes | 2,523,471 | |||
| Election results via Indiana Secretary of State | ||||
2008
| [hide]Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Tony Bennett |
51% | 1,294,833 | |
| Democratic | Richard D. Wood | 49% | 1,243,693 | |
| Democratic | Kevin Brown | 0% | 180 | |
| Total Votes | 2,538,706 | |||
| Election results via Indiana Secretary of State | ||||
2004
| [hide]Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Suellen Reed |
56.1% | 1,317,612 | |
| Democratic | Susan Williams | 41% | 962,400 | |
| Libertarian | Joe Hauptmann | 2.9% | 67,419 | |
| Total Votes | 2,347,431 | |||
| Election results via Indiana Secretary of State | ||||
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Indiana state superintendent election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
State profile
| Demographic data for Indiana | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 6,612,768 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 35,826 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 84.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 9.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 87.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 24.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $49,255 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 18.4% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Indiana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Indiana
Indiana voted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Indiana, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[22]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Indiana had five Retained Pivot Counties, 2.76 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Indiana coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Indiana
- United States congressional delegations from Indiana
- Public policy in Indiana
- Endorsers in Indiana
- Indiana fact checks
- More...
See also
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Indiana government: |
Previous elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
External links
Footnotes
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[show] State of Indiana Indianapolis (capital) |
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