Mara Candelaria Reardon Explained

Mara Candelaria Reardon
State House1:Indiana
State1:Indiana
District1:12th
Term Start1:November 9, 2016
Term End1:November 4, 2020
Preceded1:Bill Fine
Succeeded1:Mike Andrade
Term Start2:November 8, 2006
Term End2:November 5, 2014
Preceded2:John Aguilera
Succeeded2:Bill Fine
Party:Democratic
Birth Place:East Chicago, Indiana
Alma Mater:Indiana University Northwest
Occupation:Legislator
Spouse:Matthew
Residence:Munster, Indiana

Mara Candelaria Reardon is an American politician who is a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, representing the 12th District from 2007 - 2015, and then 2017 to present. Candelaria Reardon is a member of the Democratic Party. She was first elected in 2006. She was defeated in the 2014 general election by Republican Bill Fine, but defeated him in the 2016 general election.

Candelaria Reardon was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Indiana's 1st congressional district, to replace retiring incumbent Pete Visclosky. She announced her run on November 21, 2019.[1] Frank J. Mrvan of Lake County won the nomination and the seat in Congress.

Biography

Candelaria Reardon was born in East Chicago, Indiana, in 1964. She is the daughter of Isabelino "Cande" Candelaria, the first Puerto Rican appointed to a city council in Indiana, and Victoria Soto Candelaria, the first Latina elected as President of the Indiana Federation of Teachers.[2] She graduated from Munster High School in Munster, Indiana, in 1982. She attended Indiana University Northwest for her undergraduate degree, and gained her Juris Doctor degree at John Marshall School of Law in Chicago.

Political career

She is the Chair of the Board of Hispanic Caucus Chairs (BHCC), serves as Chair of the National Association of Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Education Fund Board of Directors, and is a member of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL).[3]

Reardon has advocated for greater funding for drug addiction treatment and legalizing medical marijuana.[4]

She has generally opposed cuts to public education funding, limits on collective bargaining, cuts to unemployment insurance programs, repealing Common Core education standards, and directing state funding to private charter schools.[5]

In July 2018, Reardon was one of five women who alleged they were sexually harassed by Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, a Republican, while celebrating the end of the General Assembly session at AJ's Lounge, an adult party bar and the oldest African-American-owned bar in Indianapolis.[6] [7] He denied the allegations. Reardon and three other women filed a civil lawsuit against Hill. On March 2, 2020, the lawsuit and all federal claims in the civil case brought against the Attorney General by Candelaria and three other women were dismissed by federal Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson of the U.S. District Court of Southern Indiana. They refiled their suit in State Court.[8]

In the 2020 elections, Reardon ran for the United States House of Representatives seat in, where incumbent Pete Visclosky was retiring. There were 14 candidates, including Frank J. Mrvan, supported by Visclosky as his chosen successor. Mrvan won both the Democratic nomination and the general election.[9] [10]

Election results

2018

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Candelaria Reardon enters race to succeed Visclosky in Congress . The Northwest Indiana Times . December 8, 2019 . November 21, 2019.
  2. Web site: Visclosky Honors Representative Mara Candelaria Reardon. Visclosky.house.gov. March 17, 2018. September 21, 2010.
  3. Web site: State Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon. Indiana House Democratic Caucus. Indiana Democratic Party. March 17, 2018.
  4. Web site: Mara Candelaria Reardon. The Northwest Indiana Times. April 29, 2018. April 28, 2018.
  5. Web site: Mara Candelaria Reardon's Political Summary. VoteSmart.org. VoteSmart. March 17, 2018.
  6. News: What's the deal with that new bar on South Meridian Street?. Indianapolis Star. January 27, 2020. March 28, 2016.
  7. News: Democratic lawmaker says Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill groped her . July 6, 2018 . CBS News . July 6, 2018.
  8. News: Why the harassment lawsuit against AG Curtis Hill failed. And what's next.. Indianapolis Star. March 3, 2020. March 3, 2020.
  9. Web site: Frank Mrvan wins Indiana 1st Congressional race: 'It's a serious job for very serious times'. Alexandra. Kukulka. chicagotribune.com. November 4, 2020 .
  10. Web site: Rep. Visclosky's pick wins Democratic race in NW Indiana - the Wilton Bulletin . June 8, 2020 . June 8, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200608181618/https://www.wiltonbulletin.com/news/article/Rep-Visclosky-s-pick-wins-Democratic-race-in-15312690.php . dead .