Many know State Auditor and Lt. Governor-elect Suzanne Crouch hails from Evansville. But did you know she used to work as an auction manager for WNIN? Or that, at one time, real estate was her profession? It may be news to you that she began her political career as the coordinator for Sen. Richard Lugar’s campaign phone bank in 1982. She’s also a Rolling Stones fan.
“I think what led me to public service was just my upbringing and the way I was raised,” says Crouch, who earned a political science degree from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. “To have a strong sense of personal responsibility but to also readily accept I had a responsibility to help others who were less fortunate.”
On Nov. 8, 2016, Crouch and her running mate incumbent Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb defeated Democrats John Gregg and Christina Hale in the general election, and are set to be sworn in Jan. 9, 2017. It’s a job the Mater Dei High School alumna says she’s prepared for.
“I saw it as an opportunity to serve Hoosiers in a different capacity,” says Crouch. “Here I am, getting ready to embark on a new adventure.”
How would you describe Evansville?
I love Evansville, I’ve always loved Evansville. It’s always been home. It’s where my family is, it’s where my roots are. It is such a special place, I think because as a community, we are very caring, connected, and collaborative. We recognize challenges, then we go ahead and address them, solve them, and move on.
What convinced you to pursue politics?
When I look back on my life and my involvement in public service and government, I think it really goes back to the phrase “being raised that way.” You take care of yourself and you have a responsibility to take care of other people.
To me, that’s the role of government — to make life better for other people. We can do that by creating jobs for people, by making our education system the best in the country, by strengthening our communities. And then we can continue to deliver good government at a great taxpayer value, which is what we have been doing consistently here in Indiana for the last decade.
What was your first thought when you found out you and Governor-elect Holcomb had won the election?
My first thought was, “It’s time now to get to work.”
The voters spoke in this election and they said, “We like the direction Indiana is going, we want you to take it to the next level.” And it’s incumbent on us to do that. We must be bold in how we do that.
For more information about Suzanne Crouch, visit in.gov/auditor/2343.htm.
