Indiana’s 70th District has deep roots.
Corydon was once the state capital.
Borden, Fredericksburg, and the surrounding communities are places where people still measure leadership the old-fashioned way—by whether you show up, follow through, and keep your word.
But even in places built on tradition, the pressures are modern.
Housing costs are rising.
Healthcare feels less affordable every year.
Family farms are fighting to survive.
And younger families are wondering if the “American Dream” is still for them.
In this episode, I sat down with John Colburn, a Republican candidate for Indiana State House District 70, to talk about what he believes is driving those frustrations—and why he says the answer starts with making government smaller, not bigger.
John’s message is built around one core idea:
Affordability first.
Not as a slogan, but as the lens for almost every issue—housing, healthcare, taxes, and opportunity.
He talked about how the average age of a first-time homebuyer has jumped dramatically and what that means for younger generations who feel like they’re being priced out of stability before they even get started.
For him, government isn’t fixing that problem.
It’s making it worse.
We spent a lot of time on healthcare, where he made an important distinction between healthcare and health insurance.
His argument is that too much of the system is controlled by middlemen—especially pharmacy benefit managers—and not enough by the actual relationship between patients and doctors.
His focus:
less bureaucracy, fewer intermediaries, and more direct access to affordable care.
We also dug into agriculture and family farms.
🌾 Property taxes remain a major pressure point, especially for older landowners trying to hold onto farms that have been in families for generations.
John took a very clear position here:
he wants to eliminate property taxes entirely for homeowners 65 and older.
His argument is simple:
if you’ve paid for your home, you shouldn’t be paying rent to the government to keep it.
We also talked infrastructure—especially broadband.
In rural Indiana, internet access isn’t a luxury anymore.
It’s school. It’s work. It’s business. It’s daily life.
He sees broadband as nearly as essential as electricity, while also recognizing the challenge of maintaining one of the largest road systems per square mile in the country.
For small businesses, his focus stayed consistent:
Get government out of the way.
As a business owner himself, he talked about insurance audits, unemployment burdens, and the way small businesses often get treated like they have the same margins as giant corporations.
On education, he took aim at administrative growth.
His argument was blunt:
too much money is being tied up in administration and not enough is making it to classrooms or teacher salaries.
He wants fewer administrators and stronger support for teachers.
On mental health, he supported a stronger state role—especially for those struggling with severe illness, homelessness, or access barriers.
And maybe the most interesting part of the conversation came when we talked about party politics.
Even as a Republican in a Republican-led state, John made it clear he doesn’t see party loyalty as the job.
His answer:
“I’m representing the people of District 70. I’m not representing a Republican.”
Then, as always, we put it to the test with Hold ’em or Fold ’em—where positions get clear, fast.
Universal healthcare? Fold.
Raise the minimum wage? Fold.
Corporate PAC money? Hold.
Mental health investment? Hold.
Challenge your own party when needed? “Holds squared.”
Whether you agree with him or not, what came through clearly was this:
He believes Indiana has a spending problem, not a people problem.
And in a district like 70—where voters care more about results than rhetoric—that argument will matter.
Because here, leadership isn’t about flash.
It’s about trust.
