Governor Eric J. Holcomb
Eric J. Holcomb, 51st Governor of the State of Indiana, is a lifelong Hoosier who was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, graduated from Pike High School in Indianapolis and Hanover College in southeastern Indiana. He went on to serve six years active duty in the U.S. Navy, first at Naval Station Great Lakes and later at Naval Air Station Cecil Field Florida and then overseas at CINCIBERLANT NATO Command in Portugal. Holcomb is currently serving in his second term as governor having been elected in 2016 and 2020 when he received the most votes for governor in Indiana history. Prior to his election as governor, Holcomb served as Indiana’s 51st Lieutenant Governor.
Holcomb has earned a reputation as a problem-solving consensus builder focused on creating new opportunities for all. He frequently travels throughout the state, visiting with Hoosiers about how to make Indiana the best place in the world to live, work, study, play and stay.
Under Holcomb’s leadership, Indiana’s economy is strong, the state’s finances are honestly balanced, and enjoys being one of only 16 states in America with a AAA credit rating by all three major credit raters and maintains 10% of the state’s annual operating budget in a Rainy-Day Fund.
Since 2017, Indiana has cut personal income and corporate taxes, eliminated utility services taxes and 100% of income taxes on veterans’ pensions. Holcomb paid down 35% of all state debt, refunded over $1.5 billion dollars to Hoosier taxpayers, all while adding $154 billion to the state's GDP and delivering significant investments and advancements in infrastructure, education, workforce, quality of life initiatives and public health.
During Holcomb’s two terms, Indiana employees and employers have enjoyed consecutive record-breaking years of new job commitments and capital investment. In 2021, companies set a record high $8.7 billion in capital investment, followed by $22.2 billion in 2022 and again breaking that record by bringing in $28.7 billion in 2023, $20 billion of which was attributed to Foreign Direct Investment. Year-to-date, Indiana is poised to yet again break these records. Meanwhile, Holcomb continues to actively build global relationships and attract investments in Indiana’s economic growth. Holcomb has made 24 international trips as governor, visiting more than 30 countries and territories.
In 2023, Forbes recognized Indiana as the best state in the U.S. to start a business and is now home to the 12th most active Venture Capital Funds in the world. Over the last two years, Indiana has been awarded funding for a Microelectronics Hub, a Hydrogen Hub, and a Biotech Hub as well as carving out 12,000 acres for a mega site for applied innovation and development and creating the One Health Innovation District as the future epicenter site for plant, animal, and human life science research and development.
Indiana is now home to three EV battery plants supplying General Motors and Stellantis, a growing semiconductor ecosystem including a $3.9 billion SK Hynix advanced packing plant and remaining the #1 steel-producing state in America.
Maintaining Indiana’s “Crossroads of America” infrastructure and strengthening Indiana’s connections between our communities and markets has been an annual top priority for Holcomb. He implemented a long-term, fully-funded 20-year, $60 billion Next Level Roads program, completed the longest and largest new interstate project three years ahead of schedule (I-69) and the largest new commuter rail project (West Lake Corridor Expansion and the South Shore Double Track) in America. He added 6 new Direct Non-Stop Flights and boarded Indiana’s first ever Transatlantic direct flight from Indianapolis to Paris, France, and invested $328 million in broadband internet while connecting 102,000 homes and businesses. In 2019 and again in 2022, CNBC ranked Indiana number one in the nation for infrastructure.
Holcomb has strengthened communities and improved quality of life through various conservation programs, including the largest-ever state investment in Indiana's trail systems at $180 million, $35 million for public land use efforts, including creating the first two new state forests in 67 years and a new state park lodge inn, the first built since 1939. In addition to the 1 million trees planted in 5 years, Indiana now ranks 4th in the nation in renewable energy sources under construction, including the largest solar farm in America.
The Governor’s READI program has leveraged $1 billion in state dollars to attract over $22 billion dollars to support local community development initiatives statewide including housing, blight reduction, art and cultural amenities, workforce development and talent attraction programs. To date, READI has supported over $4 billion in housing infrastructure, placing Indiana in the top 10 in the U.S., and the only state in the Midwest for new single-family housing permits issued monthly.
Holcomb has worked to align Indiana’s K-12, higher education, workforce and economic development efforts to empower Hoosiers with the necessary skills to succeed in the economy of the future. He launched the Next Level Jobs program to prepare and connect more Hoosiers to high-demand, high-wage careers. He has signed historic investments in education into law, including a $1.47 billion increase in K-12 tuition support in 2024 and 2025. Under Holcomb's leadership, Indiana has become a trailblazer for school choice and parental empowerment by expanding vouchers, enhancing charter school access, and advancing work-based learning.
In 2023, Holcomb led the effort to transform public health funding in Indiana yielding a 1,500% increase in state dollars to local health departments. This followed the recommendations from the Governor’s Public Health Commission that Holcomb created in 2021. Politico recognized Holcomb’s leadership on public health saying, “Indiana may offer a conservative model for improving fragile and beleaguered public health systems and countering the growing opposition to them that’s dominating the discourse.” In addition to supporting the local health departments in all 92 Indiana counties, the Governor has improved access to mental health resources including increasing available treatment beds by 358% statewide.
Throughout his nearly eight years, Governor Holcomb has, in unprecedented ways, supported our public safety officials, including raising Indiana State Trooper salaries, increasing manpower, building new state police posts, labs, firefighter training centers and modernizing the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. In addition to strengthening law enforcement, Holcomb became the first governor in Indiana history to pardon a wrongly convicted and previously imprisoned man and has registered the lowest recidivism rate in state history.
His efforts to rebuild and modernize state assets include building a new school for the deaf and blind totaling $655 million, a new Westville Correctional Facility at $1.4 billion, new rest stops and welcome centers, state armories and new a State Fair pavilion totaling $50 million.
Holcomb serves on the executive committees of the National Governors Association and the Republican Governors Association. In 2018, The Hill named him one of ten governors shaping the future of politics. An article in Governing magazine read, “Indiana’s governor doesn’t scream, doesn’t threaten, and doesn’t even complain. He just wins.”
A basketball fan and collector of presidential signatures, Holcomb has not only made a basket in each of Indiana's 92 counties but also possesses signed documents by every U.S. president.
Holcomb and his wife, Janet, live with their cat, Topper, in the Governor’s Residence in Indianapolis.
Authored:
- Leading the Revolution: Lessons from the Mitch Daniels Era
Awards:
- Disabled American Veterans’ State Commanders Award – 2018
- Indiana Judges Association’s Champion of Justice Award - 2018
- Indiana Association of Resources and Child Advocacy’s Friend of the Children Award – 2019
- Community Fairbanks Recovery Center’s Richard M. Fairbanks Circle of Hope Award – 2019
- TechPoint’s Trailblazer Award – 2019
- Indiana Leadership Forum’s The Founders Award - 2019
- Hanover College’s Alumni Achievement Award – 2019
- Pathway to Recovery’s Hero of Hope Award – 2019
- Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s Birch Bayh-Richard Lugar Government Leaders of the Year - 2019
- Hoosier Hills Food Bank’s Hunger Action Award – 2021
- Indiana India Business Council’s “Indiana Ratna” Award – 2021
- America’s Public Television Stations’ Champion of Public Broadcasting Award- 2021
- Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champion - 2021
- Meridian Health Services’ Spirit of Meridian Award – 2022
- Philippine Nurses Association of Indiana’s Healthy Indiana Advocacy Award - 2022
- Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s BIO Governor of the Year – 2023
- Conexus Indiana’s Andre B. Lacy Vanguard Award – 2023
- Indiana Criminal Justice Institute’s Indiana Traffic Safety Gold Glove Award – 2023
- Indiana State Fair Commission’s Harvest Award - 2023
- National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention’s Public Policy Award - 2023
- Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers’ Indiana Mental Health Advocate Award – 2024
- Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America Council’s Thomas W. Moses Good Scout Award – 2024
- Indiana Rural Health Association’s Outstanding Rural Health Champion - 2024
Memberships:
- The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site Board Member
- Sons of the American Revolution
- The Society of Indiana Pioneers, 1-28-2023
- Western Governors University, Past Board Member
- Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), National Board
- Governors Defense Council to the President
- President Trump’s Workforce Council
- Republican Governors Association, Executive Committee, Past Policy Chair
- National Governors Association, Executive Committee
