State Rep. Bill Friend is seeking a ninth term for the State Senate District 23 seat in the May 6 primary election.
Friend, a Republican, Macy, was elected to the General Assembly in 1992.
Currently serving as the House Republican Floor Leader, he also serves as a member of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.Friend's district serves north-central Indiana and includes portions of Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall and Miami counties.
"It has been a privilege and honor to serve in the Indiana General Assembly," Friend said.
"I regard this district as belonging to the citizens, and I have worked very hard to remain accessible and to provide common sense, conservative representation in Indianapolis."
He said he will continue to make openness and accessibility among his top priorities in the next General Assembly.
Friend said the property tax crisis is one of the most important issues to tackle and find immediate relief for Hoosiers around the state.
"I want to find a long-term solution and help relieve much of the stress Hoosiers have felt around the state with their property tax bills," he said.
He said if he is re-elected, his goals are to provide property tax reform, improve schools, keep taxes low and protect Hoosier families from crime.
Friend is the owner of Friend Farms and president of Green Acres Ham. He has served as a delegate at the GOP National Convention and the State Convention.
Friend currently serves as the chairman for the 5th District Republican Party and is a member of the State Republican Committee.
He and his wife, Ann, have three children and two grandchildren. He attends Mexico Baptist Church, where he has been a Sunday school teacher for 17 years.
