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Crane brings State Senate campaign to Almost Home
Although John Crane says he sees a number of important issues facing Indiana in the current political climate -- educations, religious liberty and rights of conscience and military families and veterans among them -- the candidate for the Indiana Senate District 24 sees one issue above all others: Leadership.
Surveying the Indiana General Assembly, the first-time candidate said he sees a lack of strong leadership in the legislature, including from his opponent in the Republican primary, incumbent Pete Miller.
Echoing his campaign slogan of "courage when it counts," Crane said he sees legislators who he believes do not follow through on campaign year promises, abandoning their convictions under pressure.
"I decided to jump into the race to provide that kind of thoughtful, principled leadership," Crane told the Banner Graphic.
Conducting a meet-and-greet and Almost Home Restaurant on Tuesday in Greencastle, the conservative outlined his threefold framework of leadership, which includes 1) Listen before you legislate; 2) Focus on local control; and 3) Don't negotiate on the non-negotiable.
This framework isn't something Crane has simply developed for his campaign, but a larger theory he focuses on as the founder of the Sagamore Leadership Initiative.
Elaborating on the leadership issues further, Crane said his plan is to get out into the community, asking citizens and local experts for their input on particular issues.
"If I want to know what the pressing issues are, I'm going to go talk to the experts," Crane said. That's what I've been doing."
Ultimately, Crane said, the job is about respecting the voters
"At the end of the day, you're not the boss, they're the boss," Crane said. "They elected you."
Speaking about the non-negotiable, Crane said one such issue is the First Amendment, which he feels has been threatened somewhat in recent years.
"When you start having conversations in our state about whether we take the First Amendment seriously, we have a problem," Crane said. "That's a non-negotiable."
Previously a self-describe "armchair politician," Crane nonetheless has a political pedigree. His grandfather was conservative syndicated newspaper columnist Dr. George Crane, while two of his uncles -- Phil and Dan Crane -- were Republican U.S. congressmen.
The late Phil Crane (R-Ill.) was instrumental in the modern conservative movement, helping found the Heritage Foundation and the American Conservative Union.
Besides his work with the Sagamore Leadership Institute, which seeks to "equip next generation leaders to influence the culture for the good," Crane is a board director for the Indiana Family Institute and has held leadership positions at both Kingsway Christian Church and Light and Life Free Methodist Church in Avon.
Crane and wife Jean have four children -- Caleb, Andrew, Mark and Emma.
The campaign trail is a new experience for Crane, to be sure, but he said he is enjoying it.
"It's been much more enjoyable than I would've imagined," Crane said, "getting to know some of the good people here in Putnam County and Hendricks County."