Kelly Thompson

Biography

Kelly Thompson is a Hoosier wife, mother, business owner and non-profit founder, dedicated to fighting for working families.

Who is Kelly?

Hi, I'm Kelly Thompson, a mother of six, grandmother of 12. I have a BS of Business Administration from the University of Central Florida. I am married to my high school sweetheart. I am co-owner of a concrete contracting company that serves Northern Indiana, Southern Michigan, and Western Ohio. I founded a non-profit for at risk youth to reduce teen suicide, offer academic help, and work with their parents to help their homes become safer.

My work with the local youth opened my eyes to the REAL needs of our community, so I decided to make sure our local Representative was aware of them. He was not interested, dismissive. So, I decided to run to represent our families myself. I never saw myself as a politician; I still don't. But I am an advocate, a problem solver, and fiercely courageous, especially when there is so much on the line.

I had always voted as a Republican, until 2016. I could not understand how the party who claimed to care about families, small businesses, and fiscal responsibility could fall into line behind Donald Trump. So, in 2020, after trying to get my State Rep to care, I approached the local Republican chair. I was told that as a woman I was unqualified and should instead set my sights on the school board.

Knowing that role would not allow me to affect the changes necessary to meet the needs of our local families of which I was so acutely aware I went to the Democratic party and they helped me form my first campaign. I worked hard. Knocked on thousands of doors. Went to chamber of commerce meetings, union meetings, met with mayors, town councils, and other state reps in Indianapolis. I garnered bipartisan support!

Because my ideas were common sense. They met needs and were fiscally responsible. We ended up with 45% voter penetration during a global pandemic. We were so successful that we scared the local GOP. During redistricting they gerrymandered my house out of District 22 to prevent me from running again with any momentum.

After that campaign ended I watched the district elect Marlin Stutzman. I watched the country re-elect Donald Trump. And after seeing the economic and national security risks escalate, I could not sit at home and do nothing. I could not look at my children and grandchildren and tell them I didn't try to fight for them and their future families.

This is not hyperbole. We are here. We have a congressional representative who has 8 businesses that we know of, and refuses to even hold mobile office hours to hear constituents' needs. He has proven to be a Trump yes man. We deserve better. We all need legislators who are brave, not corrupt, and who know their job is to serve the people, not the president.