All nine Indiana members of the U.S. House are defending their seats this fall, with challengers offering competing plans for healthcare, household costs and federal spending as voters help decide control of Congress.
Seven Republicans and two Democrats are up for reelection under the same district boundaries lawmakers approved in 2021. The Indiana Senate rejected a proposed replacement map last December that was designed to help Republicans win all nine.
The general election pairs veteran lawmakers with challengers from local government, education, business and other professions.
Perhaps the most competitive of the contests is in the 5th district, where Democrat J.D. Ford is trying to move from the Indiana Senate to Congress. But he first has to get past GOP U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz.
Early voting began Oct. 6. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, when polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. Voters can find their polling places and ballot information at IndianaVoters.in.gov.
Here is a look at each congressional race.
1st District: Mrvan faces Porter County commissioner Regnitz
Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan faces Republican Barb Regnitz in Northwest Indiana, where Republicans are again seeking to capture one of the state’s two Democratic-held congressional seats.
Mrvan, a Hammond native and former North Township trustee, is seeking a fourth term. Regnitz is a Porter County commissioner whose professional background includes software engineering and financial planning. The National Republican Congressional Committee added her to its MAGA Majority program in July as part of an effort to support candidates aligned with Trump’s agenda.
Mrvan’s campaign platform emphasizes federal investment in the region, union jobs and reproductive rights. He supports putting the abortion protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law and points to infrastructure funding and Medicare prescription-drug price negotiations as parts of his record.
Regnitz’s platform calls for stronger border enforcement, reduced federal spending and debt, and greater support for law enforcement. She also proposes limiting mail-in ballots to rare, verified exceptions and using watermarked paper ballots for in-person voting.
The candidates offer different prescriptions for affordability: Mrvan emphasizes federal investment and healthcare savings, while Regnitz argues that spending restraint and curbing inflation would strengthen families’ purchasing power.
2nd District: Yakym draws Democratic and Libertarian challengers
Republican U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym faces Democrat Jamee Decio and Libertarian William Henry in the north-central Indiana district that includes South Bend, Elkhart, Goshen and Warsaw.
Yakym has held the seat since 2022 and is seeking another term on a platform of limited government, lower taxes and reduced regulation. In a September social media post displayed on his campaign website, he highlighted border security and safe communities alongside keeping the House under Republican control.
“I firmly believe that government should be accountable, transparent, and focused on its core responsibilities,” his campaign website says.
Decio is a South Bend lawyer and former Elkhart County deputy prosecutor. Her campaign emphasizes lowering everyday costs, protecting Medicaid and Social Security, and requiring data center developers to bear their own costs. She also supports local control and greater community input before those projects are built.
Henry, an Elkhart communications professional and military veteran, advocates reducing federal spending and regulation, improving veterans’ care and protecting medical privacy.
The region’s manufacturing economy is another concern. Decio has criticized tariffs’ effects on the recreational vehicle industry, while Henry supports workforce training and economic diversification to help communities weather downturns.
3rd District: Stutzman faces contractor Thompson
Republican U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman faces Democrat Kelly Thompson in northeast Indiana.
Stutzman, a farmer and business owner from Howe, returned to Congress after winning election in 2024. He previously served in the Indiana House and Senate and held the congressional seat before his unsuccessful 2016 U.S. Senate bid.
His campaign platform emphasizes reducing federal spending, strengthening border security, protecting gun rights and limiting federal involvement in education. He told the Capital Chronicle that small-business growth and limiting the reach of the federal government are among his priorities.
Thompson, a concrete contractor and nonprofit founder from North Webster, is campaigning on wages, housing, healthcare and government accountability. Her website calls for Medicare for All, a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and the president, and greater accountability for corporate polluters.
The candidates also divide over congressional boundaries. Stutzman told the Capital Chronicle he supports another redistricting effort. Thompson opposes it and argues that lawmakers should focus on delivering for their existing constituents.
4th District: Baird seeks fifth term against Purdue instructor Cox
Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Baird faces Democrat Drew Cox in west-central Indiana, including the Lafayette area, Crawfordsville and Greencastle.
Baird is seeking a fifth term after defeating state Rep. Craig Haggard and John Piper in the Republican primary. A farmer, small-business owner and Vietnam veteran, he previously served as a Putnam County commissioner and Indiana state representative.
In an April questionnaire published by Based in Lafayette, Baird identified lowering costs and securing the border as priorities. He proposed reducing federal spending and regulation, supporting energy independence and strengthening immigration enforcement.
I’ll support policies that empower patients and providers while strengthening rural healthcare systems so families can access quality care close to home.
Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Baird
On healthcare, Baird advocated competition, telehealth and fewer regulatory barriers.
“I’ll support policies that empower patients and providers while strengthening rural healthcare systems so families can access quality care close to home,” he told Based in Lafayette.
Cox is a Purdue University music instructor from Lafayette. His campaign emphasizes healthcare access, workers’ rights, veterans’ services and reducing the influence of money in politics. He says his campaign refuses corporate political action committee donations and supports overturning Citizens United, the Supreme Court decision that struck down restrictions on independent political spending by corporations and unions.
5th District: Spartz faces state Sen. J.D. Ford
Republican U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz faces Democratic state Sen. J.D. Ford in a district stretching from Hamilton County’s suburbs to communities including Anderson, Muncie, Marion and Kokomo.
Spartz, first elected in 2020, is seeking a fourth term. Born in Ukraine, she worked in accounting and business before serving in the Indiana Senate. Ford has represented Senate District 29 since 2018 and became the General Assembly’s first openly gay member.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has designated it as a target district “in play” for the election, and the candidates have sparred over having a debate and television ads Spartz called inaccurate.
Both candidates emphasize healthcare costs and government accountability, but their platforms offer different approaches.
Spartz supports spending reductions to balance the federal budget, changes to legal immigration and work visas, and greater transparency and competition in healthcare.
“Our healthcare costs are unsustainable and destroying the middle class,” her campaign website says.
Ford’s platform calls for restoring and protecting Medicaid funding, preserving rural hospitals and protecting reproductive freedom. He also proposes restricting home purchases by large corporations and international investors, requiring data centers to cover their own water and utility expenses, and holding regular town halls.
The candidates were on opposite sides of last year’s redistricting fight. Spartz supported the effort, and Ford voted against it in the state Senate.
6th District: Shreve and Wirth meet again
Republican U.S. Rep. Jefferson Shreve faces Democrat Cynthia “Cinde” Wirth in a rematch of their 2024 election.
Shreve won that contest with 63.9% of the vote. He is seeking a second term representing the central and eastern Indiana district that includes communities south of Indianapolis and extends to Richmond.
Before Congress, Shreve built a self-storage business, served on the Indianapolis City-County Council and ran unsuccessfully for Indianapolis mayor in 2023.
His campaign priorities include affordability, border security, reduced government spending, infrastructure and support for farmers and small businesses. He also supports abortion restrictions and gun rights.
Wirth, a Columbus-based small-business owner, scientist and former high school teacher, is campaigning on stronger public education, affordable healthcare, environmental protection and support for working families.
Her website highlights her experience teaching biology and environmental science and serving as a congressional fellow. Her proposals include federal investment in childcare and addressing housing costs.
7th District: Carson faces McAuley and Sceniak
Democratic U.S. Rep. André Carson faces Republican Patrick McAuley and Libertarian James Sceniak in the Indianapolis-based district.
Carson, Indiana’s longest-serving current U.S. House member, has held the seat since winning a 2008 special election following the death of his grandmother, U.S. Rep. Julia Carson. He defeated three challengers in this year’s Democratic primary.
Carson told the Capital Chronicle that affordability, infrastructure and equality are among his top priorities. He criticized Trump’s tariffs and cuts to Medicaid and food assistance, and pointed to his work securing transportation funding.
McAuley works in commercial real estate and previously interned for U.S. Sen. Todd Young. His campaign platform focuses on public safety, housing and homelessness, and career opportunities. He proposes expanding housing supply, returning vacant properties to productive use and increasing access to trades and apprenticeships.
Sceniak, a behavior therapist and previous Libertarian congressional candidate, told WFYI that his priorities include privacy protections, lower taxes and better veterans’ care. He supports giving veterans more choices within their health care system.
8th District: Messmer faces Evansville councilor Allen
Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Messmer faces Democrat Mary Allen in southwest Indiana, where Republicans have held the congressional seat since 2010. Although once known for close contests and changes in party control, the district is now reliably Republican.
Messmer is seeking a second term after moving to Congress from the Indiana Senate. He previously served in the Indiana House and was the Senate’s majority leader.
His campaign website emphasizes economic growth, individual liberties and constitutional protections, and presents him as a pro-Trump conservative. He is a small-business owner from Jasper.
Allen is an at-large Evansville City Council member, small-business owner and Army Reserve veteran who previously worked as an occupational therapist.
Her campaign platform calls for protecting and expanding Medicaid and Medicare, preserving rural hospitals, increasing affordable housing and reducing the cost of essential goods.
Allen also told the Capital Chronicle she wants to limit families’ childcare costs to 7% of their income.
“Nobody should lose their life because they can’t afford to see a doctor or don’t have a hospital in our county,” she said.
9th District: Houchin faces Meyer and Hudson
Republican U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin faces Democrat Brad Meyer and Libertarian Tonya Hudson in southern Indiana.
Houchin, a Salem resident and former state senator, is seeking a third term. Her campaign platform emphasizes border security, support for Israel, reduced federal spending, abortion restrictions and parental involvement in education.
Meyer is a Bloomington electronics engineer whose career includes manufacturing and civilian engineering work for the U.S. Navy. His campaign advocates Medicare for All, higher wages, stronger collective bargaining rights and lower housing and education costs.
Meyer told the Capital Chronicle he would propose making the first $20,000 in wages tax-free and expanding eligibility for overtime pay. He also identified protecting Social Security as a priority.
Hudson, a real estate broker from Mitchell, previously ran for Congress and lieutenant governor. Her platform calls for abolishing the Internal Revenue Service and moving toward a sales-tax-based system, balancing the federal budget and reducing regulatory burdens on businesses and farmers.
The district includes Bloomington and communities along the Ohio River, including New Albany. Houchin and her challengers are offering voters sharply different approaches to federal taxation, health care and the government’s role in household affordability.
This article was written by Casey Smith for Indiana Capital Chronicle.
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