Mask discontent could snarl Indiana governor's reelection

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s Republican governor has consistently touted face masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus and prominently wears one in his reelection ads, even as President Donald Trump resists their use.

Gov. Eric Holcomb's statewide mask mandate and six months of other coronavirus restrictions has stirred discontent among conservatives, complicating his front-runner campaign against underfunded Democratic challenger Woody Myers.

Longtime reliable Republican voters such as Renee Willis complain Holcomb’s coronavirus orders have been “overbearing.” She partially blames the governor for the loss of her daughter’s job as a manager at a Greenfield restaurant and intends to vote for Libertarian candidate Donald Rainwater in an act of “civic outrage.”

“People have lost jobs, businesses are being forced to shut down .... we haven’t been able to go to church or see elderly family members, they’re being forced to wear masks,” said Willis, 57, of New Palestine, just east of Indianapolis. “Our constitutional rights have been infringed upon, and we’re sick of it.”

Holcomb has largely lifted the state’s travel and business restrictions since May while keeping in place limits on crowd sizes for restaurants, bars and public events as the state health department has recorded more than 3,500 deaths with confirmed or probable COVID-19 infections.

Most visible, however, is the statewide mask mandate that has drawn much public ire even though Holcomb dropped any possible criminal penalties for violators before it took effect July 27 in the face of objections from some law enforcement officials and conservative legislators.

The current mask order is set to expire Saturday, and Holcomb is expected to discuss any extension during his weekly...