Republicans entered Election Day expecting to defend their seven-to-two advantage in Indiana’s congressional delegation. By 1 a.m. Wednesday, Democrats had flipped the 5th District, leaving the GOP with a six-to-three edge, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported.
The shift came when Democratic state Sen. J.D. Ford defeated three-term Republican U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz in central Indiana, capturing 51.66% of the vote with 98% of precincts reporting, according to an Associated Press tally. The race was called for Ford around 1 a.m., marking the only Democratic pickup in the state and contributing to the party’s national victories that gave Democrats control of both the U.S. House and Senate heading into 2027.
This result matters because it hands Democrats a check on President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda during his final two years in office, even as Republicans retained their majority in Indiana’s congressional delegation.
Ford Defeats Spartz in 5th District
The contest drew national attention as one of the state's most closely watched races. Ford, who will move from the Indiana Senate to Washington after eight years in the state legislature, received 134,476 votes.
Spartz, first elected to Congress in 2020 and seeking a fourth term, had won reelection in 2024 by more than 18 percentage points. The district had become more reliably Republican after state lawmakers redrew Indiana’s congressional boundaries in 2021.
The district stretches from Hamilton County’s northern suburbs into communities including Anderson, Muncie, Marion and Kokomo. Both candidates emphasized healthcare costs and government accountability, but offered different approaches. Spartz campaigned on reducing federal spending, balancing the budget and increasing transparency and competition in health care. Ford pressed for protecting Medicaid funding, preserving rural hospitals, reproductive rights and addressing household costs. The candidates also took opposing positions on the unsuccessful congressional redistricting effort, with Spartz supporting the proposed new boundaries while Ford voted against them in the state Senate.
“This election is a wake-up call for Indiana. An influx of liberal voters has turned Hamilton County, once one of the top 20 most conservative counties in the country, blue — with not enough rural Indiana voters to offset those numbers,” Spartz said in an early Wednesday statement.
She added: “Democrats significantly outspent us and ran a very dishonest campaign, but I urge my supporters not to get discouraged. We may not win every battle, but WE WILL WIN THE WAR!”
Incumbents Sweep Remaining Districts
Elsewhere, all eight incumbent U.S. House members won reelection. In Northwest Indiana’s 1st District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan defeated Republican Barb Regnitz with 62.58% of the vote, winning a fourth term. A Hammond native and former North Township trustee, Mrvan campaigned on federal infrastructure investments, union jobs, reproductive rights and reducing prescription drug costs. Regnitz, a Porter County commissioner with a background in software engineering and financial planning, campaigned on stronger border enforcement and reducing federal spending.
In Indianapolis’ 7th District, Democratic U.S. Rep. André Carson claimed 76.52% of the vote against Republican Patrick McAuley and Libertarian James Sceniak. As Indiana’s longest-serving current House member, Carson has represented the district since winning a special election in 2008 after the death of his grandmother, former U.S. Rep. Julia Carson. His campaign focused on affordability, infrastructure and equality while opposing Trump’s tariffs and reductions in federal assistance programs.
Republican incumbents also prevailed across northern, central and southern Indiana. U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym won the 2nd District with 51.86% over Democrat Jamee Decio, a South Bend lawyer and former Elkhart County deputy prosecutor. The district includes South Bend, Elkhart, Goshen and Warsaw. U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman took the 3rd District with 54.88% against Democrat Kelly Thompson; Stutzman, a farmer from Howe, returned to Congress after winning the seat in 2024 and had previously represented the district before an unsuccessful 2016 U.S. Senate campaign.
U.S. Rep. Jim Baird secured a fifth term in the 4th District with 54.17%, defeating Democrat Drew Cox, a Purdue University music instructor. Baird, a farmer, small-business owner and Vietnam veteran, campaigned on lowering costs and energy independence. In the 6th District, U.S. Rep. Jefferson Shreve won a second term with 55.96% against Democrat Cynthia “Cinde” Wirth in a rematch of their 2024 contest; Shreve, a former Indianapolis city-county councilor, had won the previous matchup with 63.9% of the vote.
In southern Indiana, U.S. Rep. Mark Messmer defeated Democrat Mary Allen in the 8th District with 55.24%. Messmer, a former Indiana state senator and Senate majority leader first elected to Congress in 2024, won the seat previously held by Republican Larry Bucshon. The district, once known for competitive elections, has been held by Republicans since 2010. U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin won a third term in the 9th District with 54.14%, defeating Democrat Brad Meyer and Libertarian Tonya Hudson. Houchin, a former state senator from Salem, campaigned on border security and reduced federal spending.
“I will continue working to hold government accountable, lower the cost of healthcare, secure our elections, strengthen our communities, and make sure Washington works for Hoosiers,” Houchin said.
National Control Shifts to Democrats
The Indiana results were part of a broader national fight for control of the U.S. House, where Republicans entered Election Day holding a narrow majority. Democrats ultimately won control of the chamber and also captured the U.S. Senate after flipping at least seven Republican-held seats, according to the AP.
Once ranked among the top 20 most conservative counties in the nation, the suburban Indianapolis county has shifted blue, a change Spartz attributed to an influx of liberal voters that rural turnout could not offset.
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