By Joel Levi
This is one of a series of articles that Voices4Democracy is running every Tuesday and Friday for the next several weeks, profiling candidates who are running for office in Indiana state House and Senate races or in Indiana’s Fifth congressional district. Midterms matter.
I’m a native of Anderson, where I attended Indiana Christian Academy through 12th grade. I’m also the proud son of a Kenyan immigrant. From an early age, I learned the value of hard work, resilience, and the importance of community.
I graduated from Anderson University, which is where I met my wife, Megan. After graduation, we moved to Nashville, Tennessee but opted to return to Central Indiana to raise our family. We now have a son, Mitchell, who is 7, and a daughter, Maya, who is 1.
Both Megan and I have dedicated our careers to healthcare. She serves as a nurse practitioner at Ascension St. Vincent, and I’m a pharmacy technician at Riverview Health in Noblesville, supporting patients in the Coumadin Clinic and Outpatient Pharmacy.
My life experiences, from growing up with an immigrant parent, to building a career in music, to serving families in healthcare, have shaped my commitment to our community. I understand the challenges that families face, and I am determined to work every day to create safer neighborhoods, stronger schools, and opportunities for every Hoosier to thrive.
One day changed my life
I never imagined that a day like March 27, 2023, could change the course of my life. When I learned six people had been shot and killed at The Covenant School in Nashville, I felt a chill run through me. That school was in a neighborhood not far from where Meg and I had lived. I couldn’t help but think, “What if it had been Mitchell?”
At that moment, something in me shifted. I realized I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer. I had to do something about the preventable gun violence tearing through our communities. I had to do more than worry. I had to act. That day gave me urgency, clarity, and a mission: to champion safer neighborhoods and stronger protections for our children. I decided to run for office, not just for my family, but for every parent, every child, and every family who shouldn’t have to live in fear.
We can make Indiana safer
I think about Mitchell and Maya every day. I can’t stop wondering what it would mean if one of them were caught in a tragedy we know is preventable. Indiana has some of the weakest gun laws in America, and the consequences are felt in every corner of our state. Our legislature has the power to make bold, common-sense changes to protect our communities, but far too often, they choose not to.
Right now, Indiana experiences 17.5 gun deaths per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 13. From 2015 to 2024, Indiana’s gun death rate increased by 37 percent, while the national rate rose 18 percent. According to Everytown Research (1), if Indiana had the same gun death rate of one of the ten states with the strongest gun safety laws, we could save 8,545 Hoosier lives over the next decade. That is 8,545 sons, daughters, parents, and neighbors who would still be at our dinner tables in 2035.
These are not just numbers. They are real families whose lives have been forever changed, and I think about what this could mean for my own children. There is proof that we can act when we have the will.
Indiana among the first states to pass an Extreme Risk Law, or Red Flag Law.
This law, which is commonly called the Jake Laird Law in Indiana, allows law enforcement to petition a court to temporarily prevent someone in crisis from accessing guns. It was named for Officer Jake Laird, who was shot and killed in 2004 while responding to a call about a man carrying a rifle. Earlier that year, the shooter’s guns had been temporarily seized, but they were returned because law enforcement lacked the authority to hold them.
The Jake Laird Law passed in 2005 with near-unanimous support in the Senate and unanimous support in the House. Lawmakers from both parties came together to save lives. We can do it again.
We have a choice. We can continue to allow preventable tragedies, or we can pass laws that protect our families and neighbors. I am committed to advocating for common-sense gun safety measures because every Hoosier life is valuable.
Protecting our kids can’t wait
One of the first things I will champion in the Indiana House is stronger, common-sense gun safety laws that protect our families without infringing on responsible gun ownership.
Right now, private gun sales, where one person sells or gives a gun directly to another, in Indiana are not regulated. That means someone in crisis, a prohibited individual, or even a minor could gain access to a firearm without a background check. This is a dangerous gap in our state law that puts every Hoosier at risk.
I’ll lead the effort for background checks on all private, person-to-person transactions. The goal is not to punish responsible owners but to prevent tragedies before they happen.
I will also support a secure gun storage law, which would require firearms to be securely stored at home when not in use. This means using gun locks, lockboxes, or safes, and keeping ammunition stored separately. I believe any successful law must include education on safe storage practices, showing gun owners how simple steps like locking firearms and storing ammunition separately can prevent unintentional shootings, suicides, and keep children and families safe.
Just like seat belt laws initially met resistance, I’m sure some will push back on secure storage requirements. But when people learned how many lives seat belts saved, public opinion shifted, and compliance became the norm. The same approach can work for firearms.
Together, these laws are not about restricting freedom. They are about protecting lives, educating Hoosiers, and building a culture of safety.
I’m fully committed to making Indiana a place where families can feel secure in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods.
I’m running for Indiana House District 37 because I want to be a voice for all Hoosiers.
Republican Todd Huston has held District 37 House seat since 2012. He ran unopposed for the seat in 2022 and 2024. This year two Democratic challengers, Joel Levi and Lauren Cole, have stepped forward, which ensures voters have a choice in both the primary and general elections.
Gun Laws in Indiana. January 14, 2026, Everytown Research & Policy, https://everytownresearch.org/rankings/state/indiana/.