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Dems hope 3 Indiana House races will help bust GOP supermajority.Eleven Indiana House districts – three of them in Porter County – have been targeted by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and the Indiana House Democratic Caucus as crucial for weakening the Republican supermajority in the Indiana General Assembly.Just 30% of Indiana’s state representatives are Democrats.The 11 Supermajority Breaking 11, as House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta refers to them, include four Democratic incumbents.Two of them – Randy Novak, of Michigan City, in District 9, and Chuck Moseley, of Portage, in District 10 – represent Porter County.Novak faces Chris Cleveland, of LaPorte; Moseley’s opponent is Ted Uzelac, of Portage.Democrat Ryan Kominakis, of Valparaiso, hopes to unseat longtime state Rep.Ed Soliday, of Valparaiso, in District 4.Soliday was first elected in 2006.“For over two decades, Republicans have controlled our state with unchecked power,” GiaQuinta said in a news release.“What is the result of that?Some of the highest utility bills in the nation, unchecked corporations, nearly the highest gas tax in the nation, a childcare access crisis, partisan redistricting that silences Hoosiers and a Republican supermajority that no longer shows up in their communities.” “I guess what it means for me is that there’ll be a lot of resources that are dedicated to the 10th District in the upcoming campaign, and I’ll have a lot of help out there,” Moseley said.“I think it means a lot more support, and the entire national committee along with the state are behind me,” Novak said.Porter County Republican Party Chair Nate Uldricks noted that Districts 9 and 10 have been held by Democrats for decades.“I think they have good challengers, so I think they see this as a way to get more money in there,” he said.Moseley and Novak face “well-qualified challengers,” he said.“Now that we have a set of really good candidates, we can expect more funding as well.” Uldricks isn’t as concerned about supermajority control of the General Assembly as Democrats are.“A supermajority, that means that you have an agenda, getting your agenda passed.I think it’s kind of a misnomer that it will be easy,” he said.A rural Republican or an Indianapolis Republican is different from a Northwest Indiana Republican, he said.“Nothing sails through the Legislature.” Moseley and Novak said they’re able to reach across the aisle to get things done.Novak cited his House Bill 1048, which raised the stipend for volunteer firefighters.He’s a retired Michigan City fire chief and president of the LaPorte County fire chiefs group.“For me, should I possibly find other things that I could work on if we were in a supermajority?Probably,” Moseley said.“But to be honest, I’ve developed some good working relationships on both sides of the aisle.” “You’ve got to reach out and build relationships.Just because you have an R or a D in front of your name doesn’t make you bad,” Novak said.“I truly think once you’re elected, the party thing needs to go out the door,” he said.Novak was chosen by a caucus to replace Pat Boy, who resigned before her term was up.He was previously elected twice to the LaPorte County Council and long before that to the Michiana Shores Town Council.“We’re not beholden to the party.We’re beholden to the people,” he said.Novak and Moseley said no political party should hold a supermajority in the legislature.“I don’t think a supermajority helps the residents of Indiana.I don’t think it’s good either way,” Novak said.“It’s not a true representation of who we are as residents of the state of Indiana and the United States of America.” “I don’t believe that either party should hold a supermajority,” Moseley said.“That’s not in the best interest of the taxpayer.You need to be able to have ideas come in.Everybody has ideas; everybody has good ideas.” Moseley’s first session was in 2009.“When I first came in, the Democrats were in the majority.Pat Bauer was the speaker,” he said.Four years later, Republicans were in the majority, then they became a supermajority.That’s especially important every 10 years when new census data is available and federal and state legislative districts are drawn.“A supermajority will ensure that district lines are redrawn to the advantage of the party in power.Unfortunately, that’s the way it is when you don’t have an independent commission draw the lines,” Moseley said.With an independent commission, neither political party is tempted to gerrymander districts in their own favor, he said.The commission would also create more participation in the process, he said.Too many people now say they don’t have a chance of winning, so why try?Kominakis said he is focused on issues that affect working-class Hoosiers, like rising fuel and utility costs.Soliday not only voted for many of these bills but also authored them, especially those regarding utilities.Soliday is chair of the Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee.Kominakis said he believes this election will show Indiana is more purple than its current representation in the General Assembly shows.Even Republicans are fed up with high prices, he said, and Democrats focused on affordability can gain ground in November, he said.Uldricks disagrees.“They voted for President Trump by 21 points.This is a Republican state, a resounding one,” he said.“61% of the state wants the Republican agenda.” Voter turnout will be a key factor in November.“You vote with your feet, right?” Uldricks said.Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.