Indiana businessman and Republican congressional candidate Jason Carrier stands alongside his wife. (Jamison Carrier)
Carrier tossed his hat into the race for Indiana's 6th Congressional District earlier this year after Republican Rep. Greg Pence, the brother of former Vice President Mike Pence, announced that he would not seek re-election. The seat is considered solidly Republican, with most of the competition expected in the GOP primary May 7.
Though he faces a crowded primary field, Carrier views his campaign as running more for the policies and issues that people in the district care about, rather than running against anybody in particular.
He described his top policy priority — the border and its subsequent negative impacts on American society — as a "targeted attack from China," and said it was "unfathomable" that more had not been done by the federal government to put a stop to it.
"Since Biden has been in office, there have been more people that we've documented that have crossed illegally than the entire population of the state of Indiana. So why we would allow that, I have no idea," Carrier said, describing it as "unsustainable," and expressing his support for controlled legal immigration.
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Bundles of blue pills containing fentanyl intercepted at the border. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection )
"We're not ashamed of anything about Joey. We're very proud of him. He made a difference in his life here. He lived a very full life. . . . Even though it's a painful part of our life, and we don't want other families to have to go through that, it's something families are experiencing. And so, with knowing that, we want to talk about it, we want to help others, and we don't want him forgotten," he added.
Carrier's candidacy has already attracted attention from national figures, including former Republican presidential candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who endorsed him to succeed Pence earlier this week.
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When asked about the endorsement, Carrier said he was "grateful," and that the platform Ramaswamy ran on as a presidential candidate resonated with people across the district. He also touted his endorsements from local business leaders and law enforcement officials, citing them as evidence of his campaign's momentum.
Carrier is currently joined in the Republican primary race by six other candidates. The winner will likely become the district's next representative, considering that election analysts rate the race as either "solid" or "safe" Republican.
Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on X at @BGillespieAL.
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