Former State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) is vying for the position she once held years ago. With State Sen. Bob Jackman (R-Milroy) vacating his seat after his term ends, Leising hopes to fill the void and to help her do that she has recently accepted a very significant endorsement.

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce, a bipartisan group and the state’s leading small business organization, announced Tuesday that it is endorsing Leising.

Leising holds a commanding lead in current polls for the Senate seat in District 42.

The official endorsement announcement came from Indiana Business for Responsive Government (IBRG), the political action division of the Indiana Chamber.

“We took a look at all five of the candidates running, and after meeting with them and gathering information the Indiana Chamber has decided to endorse her,” vice president of political affairs for the Chamber Michael Davis said.

The primary mission of the Indiana Chamber is to advance business and economic issues in the state legislature, according to Davis.

The organization recognizes that stimulating economies, pushing for job growth, reducing property taxes and improving education are important tasks. Davis believes that Leising recognizes and understands these issues.

“Leising has a proven track record as a former state Senator for District 42,” Davis said. “She has repeatedly championed the causes that work toward making southeast Indiana a better place to live, raise a family and run a business.”

Leising noted that she was grateful for the endorsement by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

“It is very important that we work hard to retain our jobs and stimulate new job growth in these economically difficult times. I look forward to serving the citizens of District 42 in the Indiana Senate,” Leising said.

Leising previously served in the state Senate from 1988 to 1996. During that time her performance was recognized by the NFIB (the National Federation of Independent Business), the Indiana Home Care Association, the Optometric Society, the NRA and the Right to Life.

She retired from the Senate in 1996 and attempted an unsuccessful bid for election to the U.S. House of Representatives in the Ninth congressional district.

Leising currently resides in Franklin County, but she plans to work closely with Greensburg and Decatur County if elected in both its business and agricultural areas. She also pledged to work towards helping Rush County capture Honda-related jobs and to help stimulate the economy in nearby Fayette County.

Her endorsement from the Indiana Chamber does not mean she has ignored the agricultural areas of the district. She has received the Indiana Farm Bureau endorsement and is a current farm owner.

“I look forward to working with local officials,” she said. “If I am fortunate enough to win the election, it will be a tough job to represent all five counties in the district,” she said.

Leising went on to say that as Decatur County expands and its economy grows other counties in the district, like Fayette county, are not doing so well. Fayette County has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, according to Michael Davis.

While admitting the job may be difficult, Leising said she approaches it with an optimistic attitude.

She plans to lower government spending by keeping a watchful eye on tax dollars, continue supporting property rights, taking an active part in health issues and improving education.

She was an advocate for lowering property taxes long before the tax spiked and became a major issue.

Another major focus of her platform is aiding the growing senior citizen population.

“Long-term care and nursing home care will be bigger issues with more and more people aging,” she said. “I want to make sure they all have what they need without breaking the budget.”