Since December 2019, Isaya Yoon, 34, has been collecting signatures to get her name on the ballot to run for governor as a Republican. Working outside in the cold has taken a toll on her voice, which now has a rasp and breaks in and out on occasion. But a sore throat isn’t the only thing bothering Yoon about the campaign process.
The lack of resources for outsiders looking to run for public office, as well as requiring independent candidates to get 45,000 signatures to get their name on the ballot as compared to 4,500 for party-affiliated candidates, is another roadblock for Yoon, who plans to run as an independent if she doesn’t get the necessary signatures by the Feb. 5 deadline.
Another roadblock was created by the 2019 failure of Senate Bill 571, which sought to make it easier for independent hopefuls to get on the ballot by removing the distinctions between third-party and major party candidates.
“I’m all in,” she said, “regardless of how this ends.”
Yoon, a business owner in Jeffersonville, said when she began looking into a run for office, she reached out to several prominent Republicans in the state, including Rep. Susan Brooks, to no avail. Yoon alleges that emails and calls for guidance went unanswered. The Brooks camp said Yoon never reached out to them.
The signature requirement for independent candidates is a huge disparity meant to keep Democrats and Republicans in control in state government, she said.
“Indiana has some of the most restrictive [campaign] laws in the country,” Yoon said. “We have to make the changes necessary to make it easier for independents to get on the ballot. The laws aren’t fair to candidates or voters.”
These disparities toward third-party candidates are what pushed Yoon to run as a Republican. A lifelong independent with self-described conservative leanings, Yoon believes in voting for your values, not for your party. And her values are what she hopes resonate with voters.
An opponent of abortion and an advocate for the Second Amendment, Yoon takes issue with the democratic socialist movement, and hopes to appeal to both Republicans and moderate Democrats and bridge the divide she sees in our state and country. Yoon also takes issue with Gov. Eric Holcomb’s administration, arguing he is dismissive of minority voters and is “bought out” by pharmaceutical companies, which influenced his opposition to legalized medicinal marijuana, which Yoon supports.
Gov. Holcomb’s team did not respond to a request for comment.
As a Black woman who supports President Donald Trump, Yoon was worried about how she would be perceived.
“I wrote down the pros and cons of me running,” Yoon said. “Obviously, knowing that I voted for Trump and knowing that I support our president … one negative was the possibility of Black Americans not liking me … or disown[ing] me. Most people, though, have been so open and sweet to me.”
Among Yoon’s supporters is lifelong friend Rachel Jerrell. When Yoon reached out to tell her about wanting to run for governor, Jerrell agreed to help her collect signatures but didn’t agree to vote for her until they had conversations about her policy positions.
“I like that she won’t waiver on her pro-life stance,” Jerrell said. “… She is in touch with being a mom and having a family, and she’s passionate. She’s relatable, and she really wants to help people, it’s what drives her.”
Contact staff writer Breanna Cooper at 317-762-7848. Follow her on Twitter @BreannaNCooper.
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To learn more about Isaya Yoon’s campaign and policies, visit her website.
Isaya Yoon
