FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — In a political move that’s already turning heads, Darren Vogt has officially filed to run for Indiana Senate District 15, setting up a primary challenge against incumbent Senator Liz Brown. Vogt, a local business owner and longtime public servant, joined Fort Wayne Mor ning News this week to discuss why he believes it’s time for a change in leadership. “First and foremost, I’m a father of four kids, happily married for 32 years, and just excited to be in this race,” Vogt told host Kayla Blakeslee. “I’ve been in business for almost 30 years successfully on an insurance agency. I own a small business now with my son that he operates. And I’ve served 12 years on county council, six of those as president. I’m currently on the school board at Northwest Allen County Schools. I’ve got a really diverse background from business to government to the schools, which is a lot of where the money is spent at the statehouse. I’m very qualified to do this job.” The decision to challenge an incumbent is never taken lightly, Vogt acknowledged. “She made a pledge to the community that she was going to serve two terms, and this will be her fourth term. She never had a primary, and I think it’s time,” he said, citing what he sees as gaps in Brown’s record on issues such as Second Amendment rights, boys’ participation in girls’ sports, and immigration. Vogt emphasized that his campaign is rooted in pragmatic governance rather than political posturing. “I heard her interview about the Bears. As a business owner, I understand the concept that if there’s a process you have to follow for something to come to Indiana, we’ve got to follow the right steps. Why would you vote no for something that just sets the wheels in motion? No one said yes yet,” he explained. “If we don’t do this now, you’ll wait another legislative session and another year. That’s a poor decision to vote no just to be contrarian. That’s not how I operate.” For voters who may not yet be familiar with him, Vogt is clear about the choice he presents. “If you’re comfortable with boys playing girls’ sports, someone voting against constitutional carry, or someone not protecting our police force with the anti-doxing bill, then stay with her,” he said. “But I don’t think that’s what Senate District 15 wants. They want someone who’s going to vote against those things and support President Trump.” Beyond hot-button cultural issues, Vogt says he is hearing from constituents about the economic challenges facing the district. “The biggest thing realistically is we’ve got to get spending under control. People are complaining about property taxes going up, and that’s partially because values are increasing. We’ve got to figure out a way to freeze those and reduce the size and scope of government while spending money wisely on schools,” he said. Vogt also addressed concerns from recent campaign ads regarding his role on the Northwest Allen County Schools board. “School safety is one of the most important things we can do. When you have 600 kids and 20 minutes of lunch, supervision is a challenge. So we decided to put in single-use bathrooms in certain areas. We protected girls. That’s what we did,” he said, clarifying the safety rationale behind the decision. When asked how voters could learn more about his campaign, Vogt directed constituents to his website: voteforindiana.com. As the May primary approaches, Vogt’s campaign promises to be one to watch, pitting a seasoned business and local government leader against an established state senator. “I’m looking forward to taking on Senator Brown,” Vogt said. “It’s time for fresh perspective and good, conservative decision-making in the Statehouse.” With the race heating up, Fort Wayne residents will soon have a clear choice between continuity and change in Senate District 15. The post WOWO EXCLUSIVE -Vogt Talks Campaign Issues – Conservative Values with Kayla appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less