John Whetstone

John Whetstone earned a high school diploma from South Montgomery High School. His career experience includes working as a business owner and president.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is John Whetstone, a small business owner from rural Montgomery County. While I've been in business management since I was 18, I took a small break to travel the country and tour professionally playing Magic: the Gathering. After I returned, I opened a hobby game store in my hometown of Crawfordsville and married my amazing wife Kay. Every day I meet people who come through my store that are experiencing the hardships of poor government policy and corporate greed. The number of people left behind by the system is growing, so I'm here to change that.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Raise minimum wage to $17.25/hr and tie it to inflation. For too long, everyday Hoosiers have been sacrificing a reasonable living due to corporate greed. Big corporations are making billions of dollars in profit while their employees are forced to rely on government assistance to get by. I believe everyone deserves a stable, dignified life. When tied to inflation, a reasonable minimum wage ensures American workers can keep pace with the cost of living and aren’t left behind.Medicare for all. Our nation experienced the largest upward wealth transfer in history while millions of Americans are going bankrupt through medical debt, or are skipping needed medical services to avoid going further into debt. No one should be forced to choose between paying the bills and seeing a doctor. I will work toward a system that lowers costs and expands access to quality care for every community by freeing everyday Americans from predatory insurance companies and championing a Medicare for all system. More than money, this is how we save lives.End corporate tax cutes made permanent in the One Big Beautiful Bill, add a wealth tax on those holding $10,000,000 or more in assets, and ending the social security payroll cap. Our country is in a dire situation regarding our debt and we have no time to lose. The tax cuts provided by the One Big Beautiful Bill will cost regular taxpayers trillions of dollars. To reduce our debt and protect essential services like SNAP and Medicaid, our tax code must ask the ultra wealthy to contribute their fair share, while ensuring small businesses and middle-class families are treated equitably.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I'm passionate about the lives and livelihoods of my neighbors and my district. We all face the same struggles together, whether that is high rent, rising grocery costs from the tariff war, or our ability to afford a doctor's visit. I hear at least one story like this every day from someone I talk to.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

While there are many who I greatly respect, my dad is at the top of the list. He was the hardest-working person I have ever met, putting in 40+ hours each week at the local factory while juggling multiple part-time jobs. He did this just so me and my family could have a reasonable living, and by doing so he taught me the value of hard work, organized labor, and, most importantly, respect.

My dad passed away at an early age, and years later I realized the importance of the values he taught me and the scope of impact they have been on my life, especially now that he's gone. And the worst part is that my dad, the hardest-working person that I have ever met, died buried under a mountain of medical debt. In losing him, I saw first-hand how our current healthcare system fails us, and that inspired within me a passion to get educated and do something about it.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I am not concerned about any legacy. My focus is on the future of our country and putting America in a better place for future generations. We all deserve a future that benefits everyone.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

As my dad always said, "Your first job is to get good grades in school." He valued a good education even if it stopped at high school. I also spent time helping him for years with his various part time jobs, like landscaping or relocating mobile homes. When he started to get sick, I did as many of his jobs as I could and continued to do so for a while after he passed.

My first job with an employer was at a Little Caesars. It was my introduction to the world of adults struggling to get by on minimum wage, which was $7.25/hour at the time. I remember when a coworker cried literal tears of joy over her husband's $1.00/hour raise at his job, even though it wasn't much. It wasn't my favorite kind of work, but it started to open my eyes to the struggles that others were experiencing.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

No access to affordable healthcare. None of my employers ever offered insurance, so I have only been able to go to a doctor when it's an emergency. Each time this comes with a massive bill, so I rarely go even when I should. This is something that is unfortunately common for most rural Hoosiers.