Senate District 46, Indiana state Senator Andrea Hunley in the Momlight
Indy-based mom and newly elected State Senator Andrea Hunley is excited about her new role, and theCityMoms are excited that she’s the one in it! We sat down to find out how she’s settling in and her plans to tackle some of Indiana’s top issues.
As a public school teacher and principal in Indianapolis, Andrea Hunley is no stranger to looking at the ways policy impacts her students and their families. Becoming more politically active has been on her radar for a while, but she credits one particular middle school student with giving her a little push: In 2018, following the Parkland school shooting, this student completed a project on common sense gun reform that involved leading other students on National Walk Out Day as well as a powerful "die-in." Seeing a young student use her influence was a “catalyst moment” for Senator Hunley, inspiring her to consider how she could do the same on behalf of her students, their families, and the community.
“I kept thinking about who the people are that have been elected to represent us. Do they really know the families, these kids, the struggles of the community, and our hopes and dreams for our community? I decided to get more serious about running.”
And run she did, claiming the seat of State Senator for Indiana District 46 in November 2022 (woo hoo!). With the election win behind her, Senator Hunley plans to continue to serve and advocate for her community just like she’s done for roughly two decades as an educator. The difference? Now she has a platform. “I’m really excited about the fact that I get to be a voice for people who have not had a champion for a long time. The voice of children, environmental enthusiasts, women, Black folks, folks that are English language learners, and immigrants: these are all pieces that I carry and perspectives that I carry and communities that I’ve been doing work with. I’m excited about being able to just give folks a platform.”
Senator Hunley shares that she would love to see Indiana get out of the bottom among other states when it comes to issues like education, college attendance rates, wages for hourly employees, and mother and infant mortality rates. She, along with her colleagues in the Senate, have a shared goal of supporting our workforce in ways like increasing opportunities to attend college or technical school or to secure an apprenticeship. Supporting mothers and working families and funding public schools (including preschools) are also priorities. Senator Hunley knows she won’t be able to accomplish everything right away, but as she steps into this role, she looks forward to being able to build relationships and working with other legislators to improve the lives of Hoosiers. And she’s already getting started!
Senator Hunley credits a couple of training programs for helping prepare her to run for office:
Women4Change Indiana and Hoosier Women Forward. Check ‘em out!
This month (January 2023), Senator Hunley filed legislation for 2023 which, if passed, would:
Codify gay marriage
Eliminate textbook fees
Ensure free school lunches for ALL eligible students
Establish a task force focused on pedestrian and bike safety
Cap political action committee contributions to school board races.
In addition to her new title of Senator and her continued work for Indianapolis Public Schools as a Program Coordinator, she is also the wife to a small business owner and the mom of two, ages 12 and 13. She sees her background as a huge strength: “I am one of a few senators that have young children. I really think that parents and teachers bring a special gift, and that is that we see everything through a lens of generational impact. How will this decision impact what happens in the future? If everyone legislated through that lens, it would look a lot different in Indiana for the environment, for safety legislation, for schools.” Who better to be a voice for us, mamas?
YOUR NEXT READ: The women of Indiana’s environmental future
Even in the midst of this busy season of life, Senator Hunley is making a point to prioritize both family and at least a little time to herself every day. She and her family love being outside, checking off hikes in each of the Indiana state parks, and often walking or biking to school or work. She also makes time to read and engage with her book club, looks forward to getting back into the practice of yoga, and at the advice of her campaign manager, has developed a rhythm of taking one day off per week.
CityMoms, we have high hopes for the changes Senator Hunley will help to usher in!
Whether you are in her district or not, Senator Hunley invites each of us to reach out to her office via email regarding any matter about which you’re passionate or have a question. You can also keep track of the Senator’s work on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
