During Progressive Indiana Network's Portraits and Perspectives event, I sat down with Ashley Hammac, candidate for Indiana State House District 16. The district stretches from Brookston, Battleground at the southern edge up north 'round DeMotte, including communities like Rensselaer and Monticello—home to Indiana Beach, where many Hoosiers spent summer weekends. Ashley is still getting familiar with all the little municipalities in his district, but he's finding it fun exploring these lovely farming communities. I mentioned my fondness for Monon as a train enthusiast, joking that I'm still a four-year-old boy who loves trains at heart.
When I asked about his inspiration for running, Ashley's answer was straightforward: his representative, Kendall Culp, wasn't representing him. He'd call trying to get things done, wouldn't hear back, would have to follow up, and nothing ever happened. There was no concern for explaining why or what could be modified to actually accomplish something. The final straw came with the push for redistricting and the outside forces that interfered with local rule—something Ashley sees as fundamentally un-Republican, un-conservative, and un-American. Our country was founded on local rule, and watching similar behavior with bills like HB 1333 (now dead) that aimed to strip local authority made him realize someone needed to step up.
We discussed personal struggles, and Ashley had a perfect example: he currently has a hole in his roof with a tarp over it, trying to get it replaced with a metal roof but having a difficult time finding someone to do the work without tons of money to throw at the problem. But his struggles go deeper than home repairs. As an independent soil science consultant, he's faced professional challenges because he doesn't mind telling the truth—and that'll get you fired. He's taken the lumps but stands behind everything he's done as a scientist. Unlike consultants tied to big companies who push fear tactics to sell more chemical, seed treatment, and fertilizer ("you don't want to leave any money on the table"), Ashley calls out these practices. It gets him in trouble with the power structure, but as I put it, these guys value the sale more than the soil—and that's serious business when we're talking about the soil that grows our food.
For a lighter question about fictional characters, Ashley chose Roy Hobbs from "The Natural"—Robert Redford's baseball all-star character who got the girl, faced some setbacks, but found redemption in the end. Something about those good old days resonated with him.
We explored interpersonal relationships in the statehouse, and Ashley made clear he values working with people who are willing to listen and engage in thoughtful debate rather than just pushing partisan talking points. He emphasized the need to get back to a Walter Cronkite era of shared truth.
When I asked about legacy, Ashley's answer was refreshingly humble: he's not really in it for legacy so much as leaving things better than he found them. He wants his kids to be better off than he is, to see continual progression, and definitely doesn't want to see the fall of the Republic on his watch. If he could make conservation standard policy for crop production and agricultural practices, he'd be happy to die knowing that was accomplished.
This wasn't a conversation with someone seeking glory or building a political career. It was a discussion with a soil scientist who understands the land, values truth over sales, and believes local communities should have the power to govern themselves. Ashley Hammac is running because his representative stopped representing—and he thinks the people of District 16 deserve better.
Check out Ashley’s interviews with Derrick Holder and Brianna Newhart, and all of our interviews with other candidates from this event at progressiveindiana.net.
