Kelly Mitchell (born 1966/1967) is an American politician and businesswoman who served as the 54th
Indiana State Treasurer
The Indiana Treasurer of State is a constitutional and elected office in the executive branch of the government of Indiana. The treasurer is responsible for managing the finances of the U.S. state of Indiana. The position was filled by appointment ...
. She was elected treasurer on November 4, 2014 and assumed office early on November 18, 2014. She replaced interim Treasurer, Daniel Huge, who took over after
Richard Mourdock
Richard Earl Mourdock (born October 8, 1951) is an American politician who served as treasurer of the state of Indiana from 2007 to 2014. Running with the support of the Tea Party movement, he defeated six-term incumbent U.S. Senator Richard Lu ...
resigned. Mitchell was an at-large delegate to the
2016 Republican National Convention
The 2016 Republican National Convention, in which delegates of the United States Republican Party chose the party's nominees for president and vice president in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, was held July 18–21, 2016, at Quicken Lo ...
from
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. She was a candidate in the 2020 Republican primary in
Indiana's 5th congressional district
Indiana's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana that takes the north side of Indianapolis as well as its eastern and northern suburbs, including Marion, Indiana, Marion, Carmel, Indiana, Carmel, An ...
. Mitchell received 5.3% of the vote in the 2020 Republican primary. In late 2021, Mitchell and several staff members were included in a lawsuit alleging a mishandling of state contracts via a whistleblower.
Early life and education
Born in
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...
, Mitchell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University (Valpo) is a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana. It is a Lutheran university with about 3,000 students from over 50 countries on a campus of . Originally named Valparaiso Male and Female College, Valparaiso Universit ...
and a Master of Arts in philanthropic studies from
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...
. Mitchell completed The Commandant's National Security Seminar and earned a Master of Arts in strategic studies from the
United States Army War College
The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military offic ...
.
Career
Before becoming Treasurer of Indiana, Mitchell served as director of TrustINdiana from November 2007 to August 2014. Her office was part of the State Treasurer's office. Before becoming Director of TrustINdiana, She served as
Cass County Commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
from January 1997 to September 2004. During her tenure as Commissioner, she served as President of the Board of Commissioners for five years and was named First-Term Commissioner of the Year by the Association of County Commissioners. Treasurer Mitchell also served on the State Board of the Association of County Commissioners for three years, and as a member of the County Government Senate Study Commission. As Commissioner, she served seven years on the Logansport-Cass County Economic Development Foundation and as President of the Foundation for one year. She founded and co-chaired Cass County "Make a Difference Day", managing hundreds of volunteers and dozens of projects every year.
Indiana State Treasurer
Mitchell filed her candidacy for State Treasurer in 2013. Two other candidates vied for the position. Financial advisor and candidate for the U.S. Senate in
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
and for
Indiana's 6th congressional district
Indiana's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. The district takes in a portion of eastern and central Indiana as of the 2020 census, including Columbus and Richmond, as well as a few suburbs of bot ...
in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
Don Bates and
Marion Marion may refer to:
People
*Marion (given name)
*Marion (surname)
*Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion"
*Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992)
Places Antarctica
* Mari ...
Mayor and candidate for
Indiana's 5th congressional district
Indiana's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana that takes the north side of Indianapolis as well as its eastern and northern suburbs, including Marion, Indiana, Marion, Carmel, Indiana, Carmel, An ...
in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
Wayne Seybold. In the Republican primary convention, the first ballot was a "relative toss-up" and although no candidate won a majority on the second ballot, Mitchell gained votes. Bates, who was in third place, was dropped after the second ballot. Mitchell won the third ballot, by 860 votes to 497. She defeated her
Democratic opponent, former member of the
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...
and candidate for
Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
Mike Boland on November 4, 2014.
In July 2017, Mitchell announced the launch of INvestABLE Indiana which is a savings program for disabled Hoosiers. Prior to this, people with disabilities who saved more than $2,000 could lose government benefits. Now, they can use the plan to save $14,000 a year, and keep $100,000 in the account. In order to qualify, a person must have the onset of disability before the age of 26. They must also be receiving Social Security benefits.
On September 4, 2019, Mitchell officially entered the race for the republican nomination for congress in Indiana's 5th district to replace retiring Congresswoman
Susan Brooks
Susan Lynn Brooks (née Wiant; born August 25, 1960) is an American prosecutor and politician. She is a Republican and the former U.S. Representative for . She was elected in 2012. The district includes the northern fifth of Indianapolis, as well ...
.
Personal life
Mitchell resides in Indianapolis, with her husband Larry, and they have a blended family of four children.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Kelly
1960s births
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
Living people
County commissioners in Indiana
Indiana Republicans
Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis alumni
People from Logansport, Indiana
State treasurers of Indiana
Valparaiso University alumni
Women in Indiana politics