The U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
Hoosier voters in all nine of Indiana’s congressional districts will decide their representatives for the U.S. House on general election ballots this November. New faces are guaranteed to emerge in at least a third of those races.
Ballots statewide will collectively feature 28 candidates for the U.S. House.
In addition to Republican and Democrat options, each of the state’s U.S. House races will additionally feature a Libertarian candidate. It’s a feat which the Indiana Libertarian Party said it has not achieved since at least 2012.
Republicans currently hold seven of Indiana’s seats, while Democrats hold two.
Three of the nine seats will have new officeholders after two GOP incumbents retired and another left to pursue a higher office.
Fresh faces go head-to-head
In the Third Congressional District, former U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, a Republican, could return to Capitol Hill if successful against Democrat Kiley Adolph and Libertarian Jarrad Lancaster.
The seat is being vacated by GOP Rep. Jim Banks, who is running for Indiana’s open U.S. Senate seat. It is considered one of the safest Republican seats in the state and the winner will likely hold the position for years to come.
Stutzman was last elected to this same seat in 2014; he served in Congress from 2010 to 2017.
Stutzman said on his website that current lawmakers are spending “out of control,” and that Congress must fix “the broken tax system” to give workers “the freedom to succeed.” He further said he aims to finish the southern border wall “as soon as possible,” and separately called for the abolishment of the Department of Education.
Adolph comes from a family of farmers, teachers, law enforcement officers and nurses, according to her campaign website. She is a global consultant and a native of Angola. She is running on four pillars: economy, health care, education and reproductive rights.
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Lancaster is a retired volunteer firefighter and fire medic. According to his campaign’s social media, Lancaster helped found the American Freedom Convoy to Washington, D.C., in 2021 to protest mask mandates.
With GOP Rep. Greg Pence retiring from the U.S. House, the Sixth Congressional District seat is also up for grabs. In the May primary, Republican businessman Jefferson Shreve claimed victory over state Rep. Mike Speedy and five other hopefuls. Democrat Cynthia Wirth, who ran uncontested, will counter him in November, along with Libertarian James Sceniak.
Shreve sold off his self-storage company for nearly $600 million in 2022. Since then, he’s plugged some of his personal wealth into politics: more than $13 million into a failed bid for Indianapolis mayor, and nearly $6 million — thus far — into his congressional campaign.
Shreve calls the U.S.-Mexico border “the most important issue facing America today” on his campaign website. He has pushed for a completed border wall and an end to “catch-and-release” policies. Additionally, Shreve said it’s “crucial” for Congress to address the country’s $36 trillion deficit.
Wirth — a teacher, scientist, business owner and policy writer — ran unsuccessfully against Pence in 2022. Her campaign website lists public education first in her line of priorities. She has advocated for restoring higher funding, supporting student and teacher needs and using best teaching practices.
“Public education has opened doors, created opportunities, and bettered the standard of living for countless Americans,” she said.
Sceniak, a behavioral therapist who has run for U.S. Senate as well as local office, identified federal government spending as a key concern in media appearances made during his former run for U.S. Senate.
There are more new names on the ballot in the Eighth Congressional District — considered to be one of the nation’s reddest congressional districts.
After incumbent Republican Rep. Larry Bucshon retired, state Sen. Mark Messmer nabbed a plurality of the GOP vote in the May primary to beat out John Hostettler — who previously represented the district from 1995 until 2007 — and six other hopefuls.
General election voters will choose between Messmer, Democrat Erik Hurt, of Evansville, and Libertarian K. Richard Fitzlaff.
Messmer, of Jasper, served in the state Senate from 2014 to earlier in 2024. The small business owner and engineer previously was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, starting in 2008.
His campaign website emphasizes his prior legislative work fighting “tirelessly to promote economic growth, safeguard individual liberties, and uphold our constitutional values.”
Hurt, meanwhile, said his decision to run for Congress was inspired by his “hardworking family,” noting that his great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from Poland after World War II “to pursue the American dream, giving him a strong sense of justice.”
He’s prioritizing rights to paid time off and parental leave, as well as access to universal healthcare, affordable childcare and debt-free education.
Fitzlaff, a small business owner, has lived and worked in southern Indiana since 2012, according to his campaign website. He said he “understands the needs of working Hoosiers” and plans to address “the effects of out-of-control spending in D.C.,” the “burden of runaway taxes and regulations,” as well as “attacks on our Constitutional rights,” if elected.
Incumbents battle to keep their seats
Six races additionally feature incumbents seeking to retain their posts.
The First Congressional District, historically considered a Democrat stronghold, will see Democrat U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan — who won his uncontested primary race — trying for a third term against Republican challenger Randy Niemeyer and Libertarian Dakotah Miskus.
Mrvan has held the House seat since 2021, though he’s faced stiff competition in past elections. In Congress, he sits on House committees on education and the workforce, as well as veterans affairs. His reelection campaign is centered on the economy, lowering healthcare costs, defending women’s rights and protecting the border.
Niemeyer, a member of the Lake County Council, was named one of 26 “Young Gun” candidates to watch in 2024 races by the National Republican Congressional Committee.
If elected, he wants to help “secure” the U.S. southern border and enact policies to decrease inflation.
The 25-year-old Miskus works in customer service and is based in LaPorte County, according to his campaign website. His platform points include government reduction, “personal autonomy in healthcare decisions,” and a “balanced approach to immigration.”
Uncontested Republican U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym became his party’s nominee in the Second Congressional District in May. He’s facing Democrat Lori Camp, who also ran uncontested, and Libertarian candidate William Henry on the November ballot.
Yakym was first appointed following the death of former U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski in a car accident in 2022. He currently serves on the House committees on the budget and transportation and infrastructure.
He worked for Kem Krest, an Elkhart-based distribution company, before he was elected to Congress.
“I firmly believe that government should be accountable, transparent, and focused on its core responsibilities,” Yakym said on his campaign website. “It is my mission to cut through the red tape, dismantle unnecessary regulations and streamline government agencies to ensure they operate efficiently and effectively.”
“We must restore the proper balance between federal and state powers, allowing for greater local control and decision-making,” he added. “It is time to put America first, restore accountability, and build a stronger, more prosperous future for all Americans.”
Camp, of South Bend, works for Donnell Systems, a South Bend software firm.
Her platform emphasizes codifying Roe v. Wade into law, supporting a federal ban on gerrymandering, enshrining anti-discrimination protections into federal law and removing the current social security tax income cap, among other priorities.
“A few months ago, I stepped up to run as representative of Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District. I was motivated to run because we need a voice in Congress who does more than stage politically motivated hearings or rubber stamp the policies of a person who had been voted out of office four years ago,” Camp said in an editorial published last month in the South Bend Tribune. “Now, more than ever, we need a Congress with a moral compass, a Congress that will do the peoples’ work, a Congress that represents ALL citizens.”
Henry says on his campaign website that he served in the Army and the Indiana Army National Guard. He worked as communications director for the Indiana Department of The American Legion and rose to the role of Department Adjutant.
In 2020, Henry was the lieutenant governor running mate for 2024 Libertarian candidate Donald Rainwater.
In the Fourth Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Baird easily defeated his GOP challengers in May. He’s being challenged by Democrat Derrick Holder, a former Marine with a bachelor’s degree in history and religious studies, whose professional life has ranged from cashier to paralegal.
Ashley Groff, from Hendricks County, is the Libertarian candidate in the race.
Baird has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019. Prior to that the Army veteran was in the Indiana House for eight years. He has largely focused on military issues while in Congress.
Baird calls himself “pro-life, pro-Israel, and supporter of the Second Amendment” on his campaign website.
Meanwhile, Holder says he wants to represent the voices and needs of the people in the district. This includes fighting for veterans’ rights, ensuring access to quality health care, protecting women’s rights, and securing the nation’s borders in a way that is both humane and effective.
Voters in the hotly contested Fifth Congressional District will have the choice between an incumbent Republican who previously announced that she would not run for reelection and a new Democratic politician who has lived in Indiana for almost four decades.
GOP Rep. Victoria Spartz, the first Ukrainian-born member of Congress, is facing off against Democrat Deborah Pickett.
Also in the running are Libertarian candidate Lauri Shillings, the chair of the Hamilton County Libertarian Party and creative director at the University of Indianapolis, as well as independent candidate Robby Slaughter, who is an author and previously previously ran a small business providing conference speakers.
During a recent forum, Spartz said that her top objective in this election is restoring “prosperity for the American people.” She also said that she would aim to find solutions to lower the country’s national debt.
Pickett, of Carmel, said she wants to be elected to the position because she would help bring the “voice of the people to the table.” According to her campaign website, Pickett previously served in the U.S. Army Reserve and researched international trade and economic issues for the Hudson Institute. If she is elected, Pickett said she would “lead the charge for smart policy,” as well as “effective and efficient government.”
During the same forum, Pickett said she would codify Roe. v. Wade, stating that “one of the most important rights” was violated and is a topic that is “most important to just about every woman in the United States.” She additionally said she was in favor of providing funding for the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel.
Incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. André Carson, in the Seventh Congressional District, was first elected to Congress in a special election in 2008, succeeding his grandmother Julia Carson, who died in office in 2007. He now faces Republican John Schmitz and Libertarian Rusty Johnson.
The seat is the most densely populated in Indiana, covering roughly two-thirds of Marion County.
Carson’s top issues include growing the economy, strengthening national security and building a stronger middle class, according to his campaign website. Prior to his election to Congress, Carson served on the Indianapolis City-County Council and worked in law enforcement.
Schmitz won a caucus vote to be the Republican nominee after the winner of the May primary, Jennifer Pace, died unexpectedly before the May primary. Schmitz is a former Indianapolis mayoral candidate and masonry contractor.
He said he wants to reduce “bureaucracy” and find “creative ways … to lower the cost of government,” if elected.
Johnson has a background in IT and law enforcement. He’s especially concerned about paying down the national debt, “closing all borders” legalizing marijuana and enforcing current laws — without creating new ones.
In the Ninth Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin, the incumbent, is defending her seat against Democrat Timothy Peck and Libertarian Russell Brooksbank.
Prior to taking congressional office in 2023, Houchin served eight years in the Indiana Senate, representing Salem. “Securing the border,” “standing with Israel,” cutting government spending, protecting “parental rights” and voting for “pro-life” policies” are high on her campaign priority list.
Peck, an emergency doctor and founder of several health tech companies, has a background as a teacher and physician with the Harvard Medical School. He said he wants to work with Republicans in Congress to problem-solve issues, especially those related to quality and cost of health care.
Brooksbank is a truck driver and veteran of the Army Reserve, according to the News and Tribune. He told the paper his interest is to shrink the federal government so that it doesn’t impede people, states and businesses.
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