Republican Reps. Randy Lyness (left) and Denny Zent (right) both announced in December they will not be running for reelection in 2024. (Photo/House Republicans)
The Indiana Citizen
December 29, 2023
As the Indiana General Assembly prepares to convene on Jan. 8, two more Republican lawmakers have announced they will not seek reelection after their terms end, bringing the total to at least six GOP legislators who plan to leave at the end of 2024.
State Reps. Randy Lyness, R-West Harrison, and Denny Zent, R-Angola, issued statements in December saying they would be retiring when their current terms end next year. Neither provided a reason for their decisions.
House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, applauded both legislators for their work in the Statehouse. He said Lyness did an “excellent job” representing his constituents and called Zent a “tremendous servant leader.”
The two representatives are the latest lawmakers to announce their retirements. Earlier this year, Sen. John Crane, R-Avon, and Reps. Jerry Torr, and Donna Schaibley, both of Carmel, along with Rep. Bob Cherry, R-Greenfield, all said they would not be running for reelection in 2024.
Four other Republican legislators left in 2023 before their terms expired. Rep. Ann Vermillion, R-Marion, and Sens. Chip Perfect, R-Lawrenceburg and Jon Ford, R-Terre Haute, all resigned after the 2023 legislative session. Rep. Randy Frye, R-Greensburg, retired in June, citing health concerns.
Their replacements – Lori Goss-Reaves, Randy Maxwell, Greg Goode and J. Alex Zimmerman – were selected by Republican Party caucuses to fill the remaining terms of Vermillion, Perfect, Ford and Frye, respectively.
Also, Sen. Jack Sandlin, R-Indianapolis, died in September, creating another vacancy in the Statehouse. Cyndi Carrasco, a former Republican candidate for Marion County prosecutor, was chosen by caucus to fulfill the remainder of Sandlin’s term.
Across the aisle, Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, retired in December, after he won the 2023 mayoral election in Gary. The Senate minority leader, Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, called his colleague a “dedicated, thoughtful and passionate leader,” adding that he made Indiana better “because of his devotion to fighting for Hoosiers’ wellbeing and quality-of-life.”
Democrats are scheduled to caucus Jan. 3 in Merrillville at 6 p.m. to decide on Melton’s replacement for the District 3 seat, according to the Post Tribune. Melton has endorsed Gary city councilman Mark Spencer as his replacement and Hobart city councilman David Vinzant also has announced his plans to run, the newspaper reported.
Authored few bills, backed tax cuts
Lyness, owner and operator of Randall Lyness Builders, represents House District 68, which includes Ohio, Switzerland and Dearborn counties and a portion of Jefferson County. After serving on the Dearborn County Council for more than 14 years, he joined the legislature in 2015 by winning a caucus to fill the seat vacated by former Republican Rep. Jud McMillin.
He is vice chair of the House Committee on Local Government and is a member of the House Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development Committee, and the House Employment, Labor and Pensions Committee.
“During my time as a legislator, I have worked to keep government small, including cutting taxes to help Hoosiers keep more of the money they earned,” Lyness said in a statement. “I’m grateful for all the support I have received throughout my time in the legislature and for the opportunity to serve our communities.”
Lyness authored few bills during his legislative tenure, choosing instead to author or co-author house resolutions or house continuing resolutions.
In 2016, he authored House Bill 1038, which allowed volunteer firefighters to put blue LED lights on their private vehicles.
Lyness called attention to his support of a $1 billion tax-relief package, the largest tax cut in Indiana history. Also, he cited his support for the state biennial state budget, passed in 2023, which he touted as expecting to save taxpayers an estimated $430 million over the next two years.
“Randy has done an excellent job bringing the voices of Southeast Indiana Hoosiers to the Statehouse,” Huston said. “I wish him and his wife, Linda, the very best, and I look forward to serving alongside him during his last legislative session.”
Handing out toothbrushes
Zent, a veteran and retired endodontist, was first elected in 2012. In the legislature, he championed several pieces of legislation supporting Indiana veterans and their families and he worked to expand Hoosiers’ access to dental health care in rural and underserved areas.
Currently, he serves on the House Public Health Committee and the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee.
“It has been an honor to serve for over a decade in the General Assembly,” Zent said in a statement. “During my time in the legislature, we’ve made great strides in helping our veterans, recognizing the crucial roles of caregivers and addressing various health care matters impacting Hoosiers. I look forward to working hard during my last session and finishing up my term.”
Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969, Zent was trained as a dental lab technician and served until 1971. He then joined the U.S. Air Force in 1976 and served until 1989, retiring with the rank of major. Zent gave an oral history of his military career for the Library of Congress Veteran History Project.
As a legislator, Zent became known in his district for passing out toothbrushes at Halloween and during summer parades, according to The Herald Republican.
Zent’s legislative achievements include:
“Denny brings a wealth of experience to the Statehouse that we often rely on, whether it’s in the health care field or veteran affairs,” Huston said. “He’s a tremendous servant leader who puts the needs of his district first and always looks for commonsense solutions. We’re going to miss his presence at the Statehouse, but I wish him and his family the very best moving forward.”
Dwight Adams, a freelance editor and writer based in Indianapolis, edited this article. He is a former content editor, copy editor and digital producer at The Indianapolis Star and IndyStar.com, and worked as a planner for other newspapers, including the Louisville Courier Journal.
