Press Announcement

Former High School activist and long-time Madison County resident, Reece Axel-Adams, announced today that he was launching his campaign for Indiana State House in District 53. As a high schooler at Pendleton Heights High School, Reece was a fierce advocate for Students' Rights. Starting the school’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA). When the school refused to officially recognize the GSA as a club, Reece, with the help of the ACLU of Indiana, filed a lawsuit against the school and won a preliminary injunction. 

While in school, Reece also advocated for the privacy rights of Transgender students in the Corporation and fought for their real names to be read at graduation. After graduating from PHHS, Reece continued to advocate for change at SMCSC and became involved in the upcoming School Board election. Along with several other community members, they formed Citizens for Qualified Candidates, a political action committee set up to help elect Bill Hutton and Mark Thompson. After a hard-fought campaign, Bill and Mark were elected to the School Board. In 2024, Reece was the Campaign Manager for Suzanne Fortenberry in her run for Indiana State Senate. Despite losing the campaign, the experience gave them a lot of experience and only grew their passion for state and local politics. 

Now, Reece has decided to take the next step and run for the State House. The reason was simple: The Future. As a Gen Z’er born in 2003, Reece knows what it's like growing up in the 21st century, and acutely knows the problems and the struggles that people are facing today.

“I still live with my parents, I won't be embarrassed about that. But as I look towards the future, there's a lot of anxiety… will I be able to find a good-paying job? Can I ever hope to own a house like my parents? Am I going to be single forever? How long until I get my own place, and how cheap will it be? Life's hard right now, especially for young people. Politicians will lie to you and tell you how great things are, that the economy is doing amazing, that people can afford to live on $7.25 an hour, but you don’t have to be an economist or be a labor expert to know that life just isn't affordable right now. It’s easy for them to say that, sitting in their penthouses and mansions, but these people, who mostly grew up in the last century, have no idea what it's like to grow up in this century. It’s time that we finally elect someone born in this century to tackle the problems that we face this century. Young people are the future, but if the previous generations pull up the ladder behind them, there will be no future.” 

Reece will be facing Ethan Lawson, first elected in 2024, in the general election.

“I wish Ethan well, and hope for a good, respectful campaign. While I’m definitely the underdog in this campaign, I truly believe that we have a message that is able to break through the partisan divide. I think we can all agree that securing a prosperous future for young people is a nonpartisan issue. I’m confident that people will believe in our message and choose to vote for change over the status quo, and that they will send me to Indianapolis to fight for that future.”

While Reece is excited to launch the campaign and connect with voters, he is hoping that more young people will decide to take action and run for office. 

Media Contact

Reece Axel-Adams

765-635-0783

reece4indiana@gmail.com