(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Indiana is closing out the year with unexpected national recognition after the Washington Post Editorial Board named the Hoosier State its "state of the year."
In a newly launched year-end tradition, the editorial board said the designation is not about which state is the most business-friendly or the freest place to live, but rather which state "did the most to improve or otherwise acted in a way worthy of emulation."
Indiana earned the title largely for what the board called an "act of political courage" in the state Senate. According to the editorial, 21 Republican senators resisted months of pressure -- including threats of primary challenges and federal funding cuts -- to redraw Indiana's congressional map mid-decade. The board said lawmakers held firm despite demands from the Trump White House and Gov. Mike Braun.
Beyond redistricting, the editorial also praised Indiana for a slate of policy changes, including property tax reforms, spending cuts paired with increased education funding, and expanded school choice. The board highlighted Indiana's move to remove barriers to starting charter schools and to allow students of any income level to use state scholarships for private education.
"This creates competition that makes all schools better," the editorial stated.
Not everyone in Indiana agreed with the assessment.
WPTA-TV reports House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta of Fort Wayne sharply criticized the editorial's praise of other policies.
GiaQuinta, who supported the fight against redistricting, said property tax cuts and budget reductions have shifted costs onto local governments, leading to higher local taxes, canceled projects, and cuts to services -- including the closure of child care centers and a domestic violence shelter in Hamilton County.
He also argued that increased education funding has largely flowed into the private school voucher program, leaving traditional public schools struggling to keep pace with inflation.
"For the nine out of 10 Hoosier kids in public schools, their school did not receive a huge influx of dollars," GiaQuinta said, calling the editorial an example of national observers misunderstanding conditions on the ground in Indiana.
Still, the Washington Post's designation places Indiana at the center of a national conversation about governance, political independence, and the real-world impact of policy -- praise that is likely to fuel debate well into the new year.