He has racing in his blood, but public policy is what makes Zach Rice tick.
The 28-year-old son of racing legend Larry Rice never had the desire to climb into a race car, but today he finds himself in different kind of race. In his first bid for public office, young Rice is running for the Indiana House of Representatives — District 40, which includes the vibrant motorsports-rich communities of Brownsburg and Avon.
Like a racer, Rice is doing it the hard way: He’s going against the local Republican organization, because it instead backs another candidate. Over the past month Rice has created lots of ripples with his candidacy because he sounds a message that is resonating across America: It’s time to end the cronyism of organized political parties, and it’s time for someone to speak up on behalf of frustrated taxpayers.
“Politics is actually very rough, and very nasty,” said the impeccably friendly, smiling Rice. He bears a strong resemblance to his father, and he shares his gentle, affable personality. “I’ve learned a lot over the past month, but the more I learn the more determined I am that it’s time for change in this country.”

“Politics is nasty, really nasty. I don’t like that part, but you have to get out there and fight because that’s the only way things can change. I have learned so much, just going door-to-door. I can honestly say that not one person has been mean to me. And you can’t believe how upset people are at this point. I think maybe we’re on the brink of something big and good."

— Zack Rice

Rice grew up in pit areas across the Midwest, playing with other racing kids while their fathers fought it out on the race track. Although his older brother, Robbie, has been racing sprint cars nearly his entire adult life, Zach never had much interest.
“I guess it just never caught on with me,” he laughs. “I was always interested in other things, and once I got into college I kind of found my niche in studying public policy. Eventually, I got my Masters degree, and by that time I was fascinated with how government works, or actually, how it doesn’t work.
“I started learning more about how tax money is spent, and to be honest, I got angry. There is so much waste at the local level, particularly here in Indiana, and when you look around you realize there is nobody speaking up on behalf of the taxpayer.
“I thought about running for office for a while, and was kind of undecided. But then I heard the incumbent for this office in a speech say that our property taxes were not high because of government inefficiency.
“Now, in Indiana our property tax levy has gone up 189 percent since 1998, and if you can look at that statistic and not see that we have a government that’s simply out of control in how they operate with our money, well, I don’t think you understand reality. So I kind of got fired up and decided that I want to speak up and try to make a difference.”
The local Republican party had already thrown its support to the incumbent. The last thing GOP members wanted was for a fellow Republican to run against “their” candidate. Were they unhappy with Rice’s decision to enter the race anyway?
“Unhappy? Oh, they made that pretty clear,” Rice chuckles.
It has been said that money is the fuel of every racing team; well, money is equally important in running for public office. Rice started from zero, going up against an incumbent who has far more money and all the party support.
But maybe some of the famous racing blood courses through his veins after all. Instead of crying about the situation, Rice did what every hard-nosed racer would do: He decided he would outwork his opponent.
It doesn’t cost money to go door-to-door throughout his district. It doesn’t cost money to shake hands at church socials and soccer games. It isn’t very glamorous, and it means a lot of elbow grease and hours, but if that’s what it takes to win…
District 40 is home to a significant number of racing teams and motorsports-related businesses, as Indiana has done a good job of creating a dynamic motorsports industry. But Rice insists that local government has a long way to go in the area of creating a business-friendly atmosphere.
“We have to be more aggressive with helping businesses grow, because we need the jobs,” he says. “I know of one gentleman who is trying to build a very significant operation in our district, but for two years local officials have jacked him around with this or that, just little niggling things. Right now he is very frustrated.
“The problem is, there is no accountability with local officials. That is a significant issue, because we have to make it easier to start and grow a business, without the government throwing up so much red tape. It’s really just a matter of common sense.”
Rice is tired right now — it’s nearly 8:30 on a Sunday night and he’s been knocking on doors since noon — but his conviction is clearly greater than his fatigue. His words are impassioned as he vows to devote his energies to looking after the interests of the people, and curb a wasteful government that clearly cannot continue to grow at this rate.
There is probably nothing that we Americans are more jaded about than our politicians. They promise to represent us, but as soon as they’re in office they look out only for themselves, and the next election. But this kid is so enthusiastic and believes so strongly in his cause, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement that maybe —just maybe — somebody can come along every now and then to restore our faith in the system.
His big date is May 6, when Indiana holds their primary. If he wins the Republican nomination, he’s almost a lock in November because his district is overwhelmingly Republican. Win or lose, though, Rice has obviously found his calling.
“Politics is nasty, really nasty. I don’t like that part, but you have to get out there and fight because that’s the only way things can change.
“I have learned so much, just going door-to-door. I can honestly say that not one person has been mean to me. And you can’t believe how upset people are at this point. I think maybe we’re on the brink of something big and good. Voter sentiment is very high right now, because people are truly fed up with how much they pay in taxes.
“Until everybody paying taxes realizes that until you stand up and do something, nothing will change, the taxes will continue to increase and government will never get smaller. It won’t happen by itself, we have to speak up and change it ourselves. The time has come.”