Brian Slodysko, The Associated Press Published Wednesday, August 3, 2022 4:27 PM EDT Last Updated Wednesday, August 3, 2022 7:06 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski was killed in a car crash in her northern Indiana district on Wednesday along with two members of her congressional staff and another person, police said.
The crash happened around 12:30 p.m. when a car crossed the center line of a state highway and collided head-on with the SUV Walorski was riding in, the County Sheriff’s Office said. ‘Elkhart. Three people in the SUV were killed, including Walorski, 58, and a woman driving the other car, authorities said.
Walorski, who served on the House Ways and Means Committee, was first elected to represent Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District in 2012. She previously served six years in the state Legislature.
“He has returned home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers,” Walorski’s chief of staff, Tim Cummings, said in a statement.
Walorski and her husband, Dean Swihart, were previously Christian missionaries in Romania, where they established a foundation that provided food and medical supplies to impoverished children. She worked as a television news reporter in South Bend before entering politics.
Also killed in the crash were Zachery Potts, 27, of Mishawaka, Indiana; Emma Thomson, 28, of Washington, DC; and Edith Schmucker, 56, of Nappanee, Ind., according to the sheriff’s office.
Cummings confirmed that Potts and Thomson were members of Walorski’s congressional staff. Thompson was Walorski’s communications director, while Potts was his district director and the St. Louis County Republican chairman. Joseph, northern Indiana.
Schmucker was driving the other car, according to the sheriff’s office. The crash, which occurred in a rural area near the town of Wakarusa, is still under investigation.
Walorski was seeking re-election this year to a sixth term in the solidly Republican district.
She was active in agriculture and food policy in Congress, often working across the aisle on these issues. Co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, she introduced legislation with Democrats to bring back a Nixon-era White House event on food insecurity.
President Joe Biden noted that work in a statement crediting Walorski for years of public service.
“We may have represented different parties and disagreed on many issues, but members of both parties respected her for her work,” Biden said. “My team and I appreciated his partnership as we plan a historic White House conference on hunger, nutrition and health this fall that will be marked by his deep concern for the needs of rural America.”
Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young of Indiana said he was devastated by Walorski’s death.
“Jackie loved Hoosiers and dedicated her life to fighting for them,” Young said in a statement. “I will never forget his spirit, his positive attitude and, above all, his friendship. All of Indiana mourns his death, along with the tragic deaths of his staff, Emma Thomson and Zach Potts.
Walorski was a reliable Republican vote in Congress, including against accepting the electoral votes of Arizona and Pennsylvania for Biden after the Capitol insurrection.
As a member of the Indiana House, Walorski pushed anti-abortion legislation against gambling expansion proposals. She became a favorite of the conservative tea party movement.
Walorski lost a close congressional race in 2010 to Democrat Joe Donnelly before narrowly winning the seat in 2012, while Donnelly made a successful run for the Senate. Since then he had easily won his re-election campaigns.
House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called Walorski a “no-nonsense straight shooter.”
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Walorski “lived a life of service.”
“She passionately brought the voices of her Northern Indiana constituents to Congress and was admired by colleagues on both sides of the aisle for her personal kindness,” Pelosi said in a statement.
Pelosi ordered flags on the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff in Walorski’s honor. The White House said its flags would be lowered Wednesday and Thursday, and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a similar flag directive for the state.
“Jackie was known at all levels of public service to be a positive force of nature, a patriot and a relentless politician with unwavering loyalty to her constituents,” said Holcomb, a Republican.
Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire said she and Walorski bonded as newly elected members of Congress in late 2012 over their husbands’ shared love of jazz music and became friends.
“I was proud to work with her on a variety of critical issues, including legislation to address the addiction crisis, end sexual violence, and help military sexual assault survivors access the care they need.” Kuster said.
Davies reported from Indianapolis. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed from Washington.