Building A Safer, More Inclusive Indiana

I’m a father, husband, and Hoosier. I grew up in Central Indiana, and now I want the best for my son. I want our children to feel safe at the schools they attend here in Carmel, Noblesville, and Cicero.

Hamilton County neighborhoods are quickly expanding, and I want to make sure that our kids can grow up and still afford a home here in Central Indiana.

That’s why I’m running for Indiana Senate District 20. Join me in “Building A Safer, More Inclusive Indiana.”

About Joel

Joel, a native of Anderson, Indiana, is a passionate advocate for healthcare and child safety. After studying at Anderson University, he and his wife, Megan, settled in Nashville, Tennessee before returning to Indiana in 2020, where they now live with their son Mitchell, in Cicero.

Both Megan and Joel have always been deeply committed to the healthcare field. Megan serves as a nurse practitioner at Community Health, while Joel plays a critical role as a pharmacy technician in the Coumadin Clinic and Outpatient Pharmacy at Riverview Health in Noblesville.

Motivated by their desire to create a better Indiana for future generations, Joel has taken up the mantle by running for Indiana State Senate. His primary focus is ensuring the safety of Hoosier children, starting with their well-being at school. Joel firmly believes that enacting sensible gun laws is the most effective means to achieve this goal.

Should Joel be elected to the Indiana State Senate, he plans to prioritize bipartisan collaboration, aiming to bridge the divide and work with Democrats and Republicans alike. His particular attention will be devoted to finding common ground on issues related to the Second Amendment, while also advocating for background checks on private gun sales.

By championing these measures, Joel strives to create a more secure environment for all Hoosier children and cultivate a culture of safety within the state.

Why I’m Running

I’m running for State Senate so that our children can live in the Indiana they deserve. This starts with our kids feeling safe at school. The simplest way to ensure this in Indiana, is with requiring background checks on private gun sales.

My wife and I lived in Nashville, Tennessee for seven years. When we heard about the shooting that happened at The Covenant School in 2023, we were truly heartbroken. My goal is to help ensure that a tragedy like that never happens in the state of Indiana.

I believe in the Second Amendment, and I also believe that there are effective ways to prevent access to bad actors. In my opinion, the best way is for the Indiana General Assembly to author bi-partisan legislation that requires background checks on private gun sales.

If elected into the Indiana State Senate, my top priority would be spearheading legislation so that Democrats and Republicans can join together to keep our Hoosier children safe. My goal is to reach across the aisle and find Republican legislators that believe in the Second Amendment, and that also believe in requiring background checks on private gun sales.

Here are my five areas of focus in the Indiana State Senate 2024 race.

1. Keeping our children and families safe with requiring background checks on private gun sales

2. Supporting the reproductive rights of Hoosier women

3. Addressing the affordable housing crisis we are now facing in Indiana

4. Protecting our environment, and being a good steward of Indiana’s precious natural resources

5. Advocating for the importance of public schools and working to increase the salaries of our teachers.

Compassion in Politics

What if faith wasn’t used as a weapon?

What if politics were rooted in empathy?

What if legislation was crafted around caring for our fellow neighbor?

These questions are why I’m running for office. I’m running to follow my heart. I believe elected officials should be public servants rather than politicians. As a candidate, my decisions will always be informed by a heart that cares for my neighbor’s safety, housing, and personal freedoms. These three areas are the foundation for why I decided to enter this race.

To understand why I’m running for Indiana State Senate, you first have to understand me as a person. My name is Joel Levi, and I live in Cicero, Indiana. I grew up in Anderson, Indiana and attended Indiana Christian Academy from kindergarten through 12th grade. I met my wife at Anderson University, and then in 2013 we moved to Nashville, Tennessee.

We moved back to Indiana in 2020 with our 2 year old son. To know me, is to know that my son is my world. There is nothing more precious than my son Mitchell. As a parent, my focus has always been his safety. This started with doing the research on the safest car seat, to finding the best helmet to keep him safe while riding his bike. 

As a parent, I can’t imagine what it would have felt like to be in Uvalde, Texas and to send your child to school, and not have them return. In fact, it’s hard for me to even write that sentence. It’s unthinkable. What happened there, in Nashville, TN, and in Lewiston, Maine are the closest things to pure evil that I know. No parent should fear losing their child.

My family and I currently attend Genesis Church in Carmel. Yes, I am a Christian. This does not mean that I want to use my faith as a weapon. We see enough of that in current American politics. I want to use my faith as a way to unlock new empathy. Empathy to see others in a political party not as an enemy, but as an American citizen, mother, father, daughter or son. 

I believe in the Second Amendment, and I also believe that laws around firearms save lives. I’m a pharmacy technician at Riverview Health in Noblesville. Every day at work, I see Indiana laws work to restrict the abuse of Sudafed. I believe that Sudafed in and of itself is not evil. I also believe that guns in and of themselves are not evil, but laws restrict abuse. 

“Closing the loophole.” What does this mean? First, I should say that the number one reason I’m running for office is so that no parent in the state of Indiana ever has to send their child to school without getting to see them return. The biggest glaring loophole in the state of Indiana is the ability to to buy a gun from a private seller without a background check. 

There’s really only one way to prevent this. This is the loophole that worries me most as a father, neighbor, and Hoosier. You can still purchase a firearm without a background check, if you buy it from a private seller. If elected into the Indiana State Senate, I would spearhead legislation with the primary goal to close this loophole.

Coffee with Republicans. What do I mean by this? The only way landmark legislation like this could happen in the state of Indiana, is if Republicans and Democrats don’t view each other as enemies but as American citizens, mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. We will have to use compassion in politics. If elected, I would see any Republican willing to sit down with me for coffee, so that we can find a bi-partisan way to keep our children safe.