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Businessman says son’s death informs congressional run

Running for Congress after losing son

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indiana candidate for Congress tells News 8 he wants tougher border security to prevent fentanyl deaths like one his family experienced.

Jamison Carrier is a businessman from Greenwood and one of seven Republicans running in the May 7 primary to succeed Rep. Greg Pence, who is not seeking reelection. In an interview with News 8 for Sunday’s “All INdiana Politics,” Carrier says he lost his son, Joey, to fentanyl poisoning in 2022.

“It’s happened to way too many families,” he said. “All of us are impacted by it in some way. We don’t want another family to have to go through what we’ve been through.”

Carrier says he specifically wants to reinstate the Donald Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy. He says the prospect of waiting outside the United States while cases are decided would help deter border crossings. He also says he wants to make it easier for people to go through the legal immigration process rather than having to wait from 15 to 20 years to get approved.

Republicans have uniformly said they support further aid to Israel but have split over whether Ukraine deserves the same treatment.

Carrier says Israel is a vital strategic ally in the Middle East and needs American support.

As for Ukraine, he says he believes the aid issue has been needlessly politicized. He says he would prefer to see some of the funding for Ukraine aid redirected toward border security.

Carrier also says he wants to encourage more domestic oil drilling to bring down energy costs and reduce inflation.

“All INdiana Politics” airs at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WISH-TV.