Jeannine Lee Lake
Jeannine Lee Lake (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Indiana's 5th Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Lee Lake completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Lee Lake unsuccessfully ran as a Democratic candidate for Indiana's 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House in 2018 and 2020.
Biography
Jeannine Lee Lake was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and lives in Muncie, Indiana. Lake earned a bachelor's degree from Ball State University in 1992. Her career experience includes working as a journalist.[1][2]
Elections
2022
See also: Indiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House Indiana District 5
Incumbent Victoria Spartz defeated Jeannine Lee Lake in the general election for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Victoria Spartz (R) | 61.1 | 146,575 | |
Jeannine Lee Lake (D) | 38.9 | 93,434 |
Total votes: 240,009 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5
Jeannine Lee Lake defeated Matt Hall in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Jeannine Lee Lake | 60.0 | 10,192 | |
Matt Hall | 40.0 | 6,799 |
Total votes: 16,991 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Melanie Wright (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5
Incumbent Victoria Spartz advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Victoria Spartz | 100.0 | 47,128 |
Total votes: 47,128 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2020
See also: Indiana's 6th Congressional District election, 2020
Indiana's 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)
Indiana's 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Indiana District 6
Incumbent Greg Pence defeated Jeannine Lee Lake and Tom Ferkinhoff in the general election for U.S. House Indiana District 6 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Greg Pence (R) | 68.7 | 225,318 | |
Jeannine Lee Lake (D) | 27.8 | 91,103 | ||
Tom Ferkinhoff (L) | 3.6 | 11,791 |
Total votes: 328,212 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6
Jeannine Lee Lake defeated Barry Welsh and George Thomas Holland in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Jeannine Lee Lake | 70.3 | 23,900 | |
Barry Welsh | 15.2 | 5,163 | ||
George Thomas Holland | 14.5 | 4,923 |
Total votes: 33,986 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6
Incumbent Greg Pence defeated Mike Campbell in the Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Greg Pence | 83.6 | 62,346 | |
Mike Campbell | 16.4 | 12,234 |
Total votes: 74,580 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Indiana District 6
Tom Ferkinhoff advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Indiana District 6 on March 7, 2020.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Tom Ferkinhoff (L) |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Indiana District 6
Greg Pence defeated Jeannine Lee Lake and Tom Ferkinhoff in the general election for U.S. House Indiana District 6 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Greg Pence (R) | 63.8 | 154,260 | |
Jeannine Lee Lake (D) | 32.9 | 79,430 | ||
Tom Ferkinhoff (L) | 3.3 | 8,030 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 6 |
Total votes: 241,726 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Jeannine Lee Lake | 38.3 | 8,890 | |
Jim Pruett | 25.8 | 5,984 | ||
Lane Siekman | 15.6 | 3,612 | ||
George Thomas Holland | 11.1 | 2,570 | ||
Joshua Williamson | 7.3 | 1,695 | ||
K. Lave | 1.9 | 446 |
Total votes: 23,197 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Arturas Kerelis (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6
Greg Pence defeated Jonathan Lamb, Stephen MacKenzie, Mike Campbell, and Jeff Smith in the Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Greg Pence | 64.5 | 47,962 | |
Jonathan Lamb | 23.6 | 17,526 | ||
Stephen MacKenzie | 4.6 | 3,400 | ||
Mike Campbell | 4.3 | 3,231 | ||
Jeff Smith | 3.0 | 2,258 |
Total votes: 74,377 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Michael Crider (R)
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jeannine Lee Lake completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lee Lake's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Collapse all
|In 2018 and 2020, Jeannine Lee Lake made history when she was nominated as the first African-American woman on a major political ticket in the 6th Congressional District of Indiana.
A longtime resident of Muncie, Indiana, she is a 30-year journalist who began her career with The Muncie Star in 1990 and has worked with Gannett News as a reporter in Lafayette and at USA Today.
She is the Editor and Publisher of a community newspaper called The Good News (formerly The Muncie Times).
She has been on the boards or involved with helping groups including The Muncie Matters Police-Community Alliance, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Girl Scouts of East Central Indiana, the Muncie Black Expo and the NAACP of Muncie.
She is currently the Chairwoman of Feed My Sheep, which delivers 1,500 meals to the needy on Thanksgiving Day.
She is 52-years-old and is the proud mother of four adult children and three beautiful grandchildren.
- Helping Hoosiers Amidst the Pandemic
- Healthcare
- 2A Rights/Constitutional Protection
COMMON-SENSE GUN LEGISLATION:
Last year, black women became the leading group of purchasers of guns in America.
As a well-known political figure in the state of Indiana - and as a black woman who has had threats of violence against me twice on the campaign trail, I’ve now had to make myself aware of my rights to protect myself legally.
Because of this - and because black women are now arming themselves at a high rate - I want to focus on bringing 2A laws to the forefront and having hard conversations about how we protect ourselves and our families and also keep guns out of the hands of violent and troubled people.
My father. He has 12 sons and 3 daughters, was married to my late mother for 46 years and was a pastor. He endured many prejudices and racism in his life, but never gave up and made excuses. He raised me and my siblings to trust in God, to forgive and treat our fellow citizens with respect and love.
Not just one, but a few that have stayed with me are:
The book “Up From Slavery” by Booker T. Washington
The book “MAID” … an in-depth look at how many single parents live life in America. It’s heart-wrenching.
The book Race Matters by Dr. Cornell West.
Trust
Honesty
Loyalty
Commitment
I love people and I love serving people. I try to see where I can fit in to help.
Faithfully executing the office of a US Representative in a manner that truly represents all Hoosiers. From the poorest to the richest. All races, creeds, colors and sexual orientations and identities.
That I was a good American.
The Bicentennial of 1976 and the election of President Jimmy Carter.
I was a newspaper girl delivering newspapers in Crawfordsville, IN where I grew up.
The Bible - King James Version
It keeps me balanced. It’s challenging and I don’t always agree with it or see eye-to-eye with God or His word.
But I read it every single day.
The Bionic Woman. She’s powerful, strong and beautiful in every way.
Happy by Pharrell Williams
Why bad things happen to good people.
It’s supposed to represent the common man/woman, which we hope have qualifies of trust, honesty, loyalty and commitment. It should.
With so many millionaires there, it’s hard to say that we are getting true Representation .
Nope. Look at the ones there now. Many are political figures whose names are linked with parties — why not let the actual persons life experiences be a leading reason you vote for them … rather than having a D or R behind your name, why not have your friends and family tell folks what a good person or friend you’ve been.
Unification. We are so splintered and savage at times. It hurts my heart. I want to be a part of the changes we as a country need to move forward.
Specifically, the pandemic has wreaked havoc on Americans. We need strong leaders with courage, compassion and calm.
I am that person and I look forward to being with like-minded others in Washington DC.
When elected, I plan to network and see where I best fit as far as what is ideal for my skill sets.
No. It’s too short and you spend way too much time campaigning. It should be 4 or 6 years.
3 and done. That’s all I will run for when elected.
Man is fallible. I admire many like Frank O’Bannon, Richard Lugar and Michelle Obama, but don’t really have faith in anyone but God.
The stories about veterans needing help really hurt. I’ve never understood why America lets them down again and again.
Any good Knock Knock joke. The cornier the better.
Yes. The best thing about aisles is that they can be crossed. We must unify this country. That takes common sense and commitment and a lot of people who don’t care about getting the credit.
The money dictates everything. It reflects the heart of this nation. Unfortunately, greed has caused corruption and our government officials often become pawns in that game.
I would lead with transparency and openness.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Lake's campaign website stated the following:
“ |
Healthcare Jeannine is committed to working with colleagues from both parties to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for Hoosier families and decrease the cost of premiums without cutting the quality of benefits. Any changes to our current system should strive to make healthcare more affordable for Indiana families ensuring more families have access to health insurance. Education Providing a high quality education to all of America’s students from all backgrounds and income levels is the backbone of our country. Ending discrimination against gays and lesbians has been a top priority. I have continuously supported legislation that expands our laws in order to better reflect the diverse society in which we live.
In addition to our gratitude and support, our Veterans need jobs and the caucus focuses on connecting Veterans with the resources and opportunities to ensure they find meaningful employment. Unemployment, underemployment, and access to education and training are some of the biggest problems currently facing America’s Veterans.
The verdict of science is clear: climate change is real, and its consequences are undeniable. Rising seas, savage droughts, devastating wildfires and increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather patterns are impacting every nation on every continent – and communities across America are already feeling the effects. Democrats know that combatting the existential threat of the climate crisis is a public health decision to safeguard our clean air and clean water; an economic decision to create jobs and ensure America’s global preeminence in green technology; a national security decision to prevent global instability; and a moral decision to be good stewards of God’s creation.[3] |
” |
—Jeannine Lee Lake's campaign website (2022)[4] |
2020
Jeannine Lee Lake did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Jeannine Lee Lake participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on April 7, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Jeannine Lee Lake's responses follow below.[5]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
“ | 1) Making Schools Safe |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
“ | Hunger. Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, children still go to bed hungry in this nation. It’s untenable and unnecessary. I want to make sure we have no food desserts and that extra produce, etc is not going to waste - this can get into the hands of agencies who can distribute it to food pantries, etc.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[3]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Jeannine Lee Lake answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
“ | I am a longtime Christian and I try to follow his example in everyday life. Outside of that, my role model is Oprah Winfrey. I grew up seeing her help others while succeeding in business herself. To this day, I credit her with helping me and so many others be our “best selves.” She’s amazing on numerous levels, but most of all for her example to help others. That’s Jesus incarnate.[3] | ” |
“ | The Audacity of Hope by President Barack Hussein Obama. His hope is our hope. I also enjoy repeated readings of MLK’s “Letter From a Birmingham Prison” and Brene Brown’s “Rising Strong” ... As a community leader who often is in a position to help others, I also consistently remember I Corinthians 13, which describes what Love is ... most important, “Love suffereth long.”[3] | ” |
“ | Honesty. Integrity. Boldness. Courage. Faith in themselves, others and America!![3] | ” |
“ | I’m honest. I will do what I feel is best for my constituents regardless of what is deemed popular. I’m courageous and most of all, I truly love helping people. I thrive on finding solutions to problems - especially for the least, the lost and the last.[3] | ” |
“ | 1) To make good laws that benefit all my constituents. 2) To fix or enhance bad laws that are outdated, discriminatory, unnecessary or costly. 3) Be a leader to ALL, to represent ALL and to stand up for every resident of the 6th District!![3] | ” |
“ | I’d like to have my children say that I’m a good mother, my husband say I was a good partner and my friends and family say I was there for them when they needed me. If elected, I want my constituents say “She was the hardest working member of Congress!”[3] | ” |
“ | One of the earliest memories was July 4, 1976 when America celebrated its 200th Birthday. I was 7 and I remember big celebrations in my hometown of Crawfordsville. I think it was the first time I recall feeling like an “American!” Since that time, I’ve felt very proud of my country. I’m full of patriotism and have a huge July 4 BBQ at my house every year to celebrate our country! I announced my candidacy on 7/4/17 and that too, will be historical as I’m the first African-American woman to ever seek this office.[3] | ” |
“ | Paper girl. I delivered newspapers for the Journal Review in Crawfordsville, Ind, where I grew up. I tossed papers while riding my bicycle for about 3 years and collected from my 70 customers, who I grew to love. Many gave me big tips and bonuses at Christmas - pretty good gig for a 12-year-old!![3] | ” |
“ | My contact fell out on the drive home and I didn’t have anything to put it in, so I just popped it in my mouth and kept it there since it was my last disposable contact lens (don’t judge, I was a broke college student :). It was a good reason not to have to kiss my date - a sweet but lame guy who lost my interest before the entree arrived![3] | ” |
“ | Easter and July 4! No one expects anything and we just celebrate God and Country!![3] | ” |
“ | To Kill A Mockingbird. It has ethos, pathos - just everything and still stands the rest of times decades after its first publishing. Harper Lee was well ahead of her time with that multi-dimensional story.[3] | ” |
“ | Wonder Woman. She’s gorgeous and tough as nails. I like Gal Gadot fine, but Lynda Carter will always be the best Diana/WW![3] | ” |
“ | My husband. I really like him a lot. He’s intriguing and fun and witty. Imperfect, patient and flawed - but he’s my favorite person in the world and my very best friend.[3] | ” |
“ | This past week I watched my 9-year-old niece while her parents are on a cruise to Mexico and I heard her singing “I’m Sexy and I Know It!” I was shocked and said, Olivia, what are you singing and where did you learn that song!” She said “It’s on the radio when our mom takes us to school - it’s my favorite song!” Her parents are strong Christians and well-known community leaders, so of course, I couldn’t wait to tell them! My other niece was here too ... She said her favorite song is Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana.” Her dads a pastor, so I had to text him as well ... Those two songs are now on rotate in my head now.[3] | ” |
“ | Discrimination and prejudice. Just the other day I wanted to add a family member to my account at my credit union where my husband and I have had accounts since 1990. Over the phone, I got all the information and armed myself with all the required documents. I do this often because my voice doesn’t sound like what some might believe a “black woman” sounds like. I often make pre-calls or get info online to dodge prejudices and sudden extra steps that are asked of me once I get to a place of business. I try to have notes about the person I talked to, what they told me to do to complete said transactions and what documents they told me to bring. I did this recently at the credit union, but even then when I arrived, the teller said I had to have 2 pieces of mail and that my minor daughter had to be with me with her ID as well (none of which was said over the phone). Sometimes, my patience, maturity and tolerance level isn’t where it needs to be in these situations. Sometimes, I just wanna go in and come out with no “sudden extra” issues. I’m almost 50 and love my race. But I still struggle at times with occasional[3] | ” |
“ | I believe the House has more “Regular Joes” and “Average Janes” than the Senate, or at least that is its historical reputation. It’s unique in that way and is full of the truth in America - from California to New York, representing a broad swipe of Americans with varied races, ages, cultures and sexual orientations. The House is the soul of the nation - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly ... but mostly, thankfully, The Good![3] | ” |
“ | Beneficial yes, but required, no. I haven’t run before but I have fire in my soul and a heart for ALL people - both good qualities of a member of Congress! Some of the folks there now cause me pause when they seem to be more bought-and-paid-for politicos who are simply waiting for the next election cycle. I’m already the hardest working person in my own house - I want to be known as the hardest working member of Congress in the House![3] | ” |
“ | Becoming more of that: UNITED. Somewhere along the line, we forgot that we ALL are Americans and that everyone counts - even those of whom we disagree. America is better when we work together and compromise for the good of us all. Like MLK said, we came here in different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now.” I want to be one of the new voices in Congress that unites us all - not divides! I’m tired of the rhetoric - it’s hateful and divisive. We are better than that and the language of some is shameful. We need voices that will stand up against sexism, racism, homophobia and xenophobia. The Constitution covers us all and we should elect leaders who resolve to uphold those tenets.[3] | ” |
“ | I am interested in several committees, but have learned that some handle administrative duties outside of what the scope of their names imply. I’ll wait and get more information on all the committees before I ask for application to any committee.[3] | ” |
“ | No. It seems too short. 4 years seems appropriate and I’m of the opinion that no one should have more than 3 terms if it ever changed to 4-year terms. These positions should not be career positions in my opinion - mainly because it invites special interests and pay-offs to those in office. Limits are good.[3] | ” |
“ | Same as my answer in Question 32.[3] | ” |
“ | This is a comprehensive problem and one that really must need addressed, especially in Indiana where the GOP has run lines to the point where there’s almost no way for Democrats to win. It’s yet another legal way to limit good government and accurate representation. Power plays on both sides like this need to stop, likely only with bi-partisan support and an uprising of exasperated voters. I’m doubtful but hopeful for change in Indiana.[3] | ” |
“ | Yes, of course! I’m a people person and love reaching across the aisle to create good works, whatever that might look like. If elected, it would be prudent to wait and learn from those who are in the House currently. I appreciate seasoned, mature legislators and anticipate learning before I lead.[3] | ” |
“ | Vice President Mike Pence, our state’s former governor who once was the Congressmen in the district where I’m running, has previously been a role model in terms of working publicly and privately to get laws addressed and enacted in Congress. He has been civil and respectful and responsive to his constituents and I’ve been a student of how he’s slowly built a cache of respect among the GOP and even Dems who have come to admire him even while disagreeing with now what appears to be his extreme-right politics. His recent stances on LBGTQIA issues and his silence to Trump’s bigoted and sexist tirades have left me with disappointment as a fellow Christian, but I pray he will see that faith doesn’t hate and love doesn’t disqualify anyone from equal protections under the Constitution. I’m a journalist who has covered Pence since the late 1990s and previously heralded his nuances in dealing with non-Conservative voices. I fear at times now that my liberal colleagues were right about his political ambitions superseding all else. I hope I wasn’t wrong about him and that the Christian I’ve previously held in high regard is eventually emboldened against Trump’s tyrannical ways. I pray Pence becomes more aligned with the God he so frequently invokes. If I become the Democratic nominee and beat his brother, Greg, the would-be GOP nominee - I would love to sit down oneday soon and discuss these very concerns.[3] | ” |
“ | Ironically, one of the most touching stories I’ve covered as a journalist involves VP Mike Pence when he was the US Congressman for Indiana. In times before “Build a Wall” was being chanted and before immigrants were shunned, Pence once helped an African nurse stay in Muncie after she was nearly deported back to Sierre Leon. That woman - a beautiful lady who worked hard and whose family still lives here - appealed to Pence’s office and he moved mountains to make sure she was able to stay here with her husband and family. I covered that story myself and it hit home with me because it showed me the power of positive politics being used to help good people. Although Delaware County has been traditionally heavy Democrat, since that time Mike Pence always took the county with 55-70 percent of the vote - largely due to African-Americans voting for him because of what he did for this wonderful lady, now a US citizen.[3] | ” |
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 2, 2022
- ↑ Jeannine Lee Lake for U.S. Congress, "About," accessed March 17, 2022
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Jeannine Lee Lake for Congress, “Issues,” accessed March 7, 2022
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Jeannine Lee Lake's responses," April 7, 2018