Preceded by Vic Kelson Name Shelli Yoder | Children Three Spouse(s) Josh Perry | |
 | ||
Occupation Non-profit business managementUniversity faculty Website Shelli Yoder for Congress Education Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne, Vanderbilt University | ||
Shelli Renee Yoder (born August 30, 1968) is an American Democratic Party politician. A former Miss Indiana titleholder and Miss America 1993 contestant, Yoder has held positions at a number of non-profit organizations. She was the Democratic Party nominee for the United States House of Representatives in Indiana's 9th congressional district in the 2012 race and is currently a member of the County Council for Monroe County, Indiana. In August 2015, Yoder announced she would run for Indiana's 9th congressional district in 2016. The 9th was an open seat due to incumbent Todd Young running for the United States Senate. Yoder was defeated by Republican nominee Trey Hollingsworth in the November 8, 2016, general election.
Contents
- Shelli yoder politicit exclusive interview
- Biography
- Marriage
- 2012 US House campaign
- Monroe County Council
- 2016 Congressional campaign
- References
Shelli yoder politicit exclusive interview
Biography
Yoder is a native of Shipshewana, Indiana. She studied interpersonal communication at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne. She later graduated from Indiana University South Bend with a master's degree in Counseling & Human Services and from Vanderbilt University Divinity School in 2002 with a master's degree in Divinity.
Yoder won the Miss Indiana pageant in 1992 and finished as second runner-up in the Miss America pageant later that year. While competing in beauty pageants, she developed anorexia nervosa.
She moved to Tennessee, where she served as the Assistant Director of GirlForce, an advocacy group bringing awareness to the issue of anorexia, and worked as the Executive Director of the Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee.
Marriage
Yoder married Josh Perry, a professor at Indiana University Bloomington. She is also a lecturer at the Kelley School of Business. They have three children and live in Bloomington, Indiana.
2012 U.S. House campaign
In February 2012, Yoder entered the race for Indiana's 9th congressional district. In a crowded primary field of five candidates, Yoder clinched the Democratic nomination with 47% of the primary vote in May.
During the primary, Yoder emphasized job creation, worker training, funding for health research, and investment in infrastructure and clean energy. Yoder credited her success to a grass-roots campaign and vowed to take on big money and special interest and be a voice for working families. Former Governor Howard Dean used his political action committee to support Yoder, stating that Yoder's race was a key one for Democrats in 2012. This group of candidates in key races was referred to as the "Dean Dozen".
In the general election campaign, she challenged Republican Representative Todd Young to thirteen town hall debates in each of the district's counties, noting that Young had challenged then-Congressman Baron Hill to numerous debates in 2010.
She criticized Young's association with fellow congressman Todd Akin and their co-sponsoring of No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which originally included the term "forcible rape"; however the word "forcible" was later removed from the bill, and Young distanced himself from Akin's remarks. Young defeated Yoder in the election, receiving 55% of the vote to Yoder's 45%.
Monroe County Council
Following her unsuccessful congressional campaign, Yoder was selected to fill the remainder of Vic Kelson's term on the Monroe County Council by a special caucus of the Monroe County Democratic Party.
2016 Congressional campaign
In August 2015, Yoder announced that she would again run for the 9th district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Young did not run for reelection, instead opting to run for Indiana's open U.S. Senate. Yoder faced Republican businessman Trey Hollingsworth in the general election on November 8, 2016. Hollingsworth defeated Yoder by 14 points, winning 54% of the vote.