Surprise US House candidate filing joins GOP Indiana Senate battles as key primaries

Democratic U.S. Rep. André Carson picked up an unexpected primary challenger on Friday as two-time statewide candidate Destiny Wells entered the race just before Indiana’s filing deadline.

Otherwise, most key primary challenges are a result of threats of political retaliation by President Donald Trump and Gov. Mike Braun from the defeated Indiana congressional redistricting plan.

The filing period ended at noon Friday for the May 5 Republican and Democratic primaries. The candidates list includes five Trump-endorsed challengers to Republican state senators who voted against the redistricting plan.

The Indiana Senate could be further upended as a couple longtime Republican members are facing opponents who argue they are more conservative.

Republicans and Democrats also have big primary fields for two swing districts in suburban Indianapolis where the current senators aren’t running again.

The typically low-key Senate primaries could get heated as a pro-redistricting group has vowed to “spend seven figures opposing those senators” who didn’t go along with Trump’s demands.

Republican Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (Martinsville) started the year with more than $3 million in campaign funds he controls to help those sitting senators keep their seats.

“We expected to have primaries, and that’s part of the conversation, part of the debate,” Bray said about Trump’s endorsements. “I know the members from our caucus are going to work extremely hard to run, tell the story of what we’ve been doing here in the Senate and how well the state is running. So that will play out through May.”

Besides those Senate races, here are some U.S. House and Indiana House primary contests to watch this spring:

U.S. HOUSE

All nine of Indiana’s current U.S. House members are running for new terms after the failed push to redraw the current congressional maps (under which Republicans hold seven of the nine seats) into a version where Republicans would be favored in each one.

District 1: Porter County Commissioner Barb Regnitz appears the likely Republican candidate to face Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan in the northwest Indiana district that is the state’s most competitive.

Regnitz has kickstarted her campaign with a $1.5 million personal loan and her most prominent GOP opponent, 2022 Republican nominee Jennifer-Ruth Green, dropped out of the race Thursday. Long-shot candidates Ben Ruiz, Richard Mayers and James Schenke also filed for the GOP primary.

District 4: The Republican primary will see U.S. Rep. Jim Baird’s bid for a fifth term opposed by state Rep. Craig Haggard of Mooresville. Haggard is challenging the 80-year-old Baird’s effectiveness in Congress.

District 7: Democratic Rep. André Carson is facing his most serious primary challenge since first winning the Indianapolis seat in 2008.

George Hornedo, an attorney who was a staffer with Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential race, began campaigning last year, criticizing Carson for not being aggressive enough in Washington.

Destiny Wells, who joined the race Friday, was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2024 and secretary of state in 2022. She did not return messages from the Indiana Capital Chronicle seeking comment on her entry into the race.

INDIANA SENATE

Four current senators are not seeking re-election: Republicans Eric Bassler of Washington and Kyle Walker of Indianapolis and Democrats Andrea Hunley and J.D. Ford, both of Indianapolis.

Republicans who opposed redistricting and their Trump-backed foes: District 19 Sen. Travis Holdman of Markle is facing Bluffton City Councilman Blake Fiechter.

District 21 Sen. Jim Buck of Kokomo is opposed by Tipton County Commissioner Tracey Powell.

District 23 Sen. Spencer Deery of West Lafayette is  challenged by Paula Copenhaver, who is a top aide to Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and the Fountain County Republican chair.

District 38 Sen. Greg Goode of Terre Haute faces Vigo County Councilwoman Brenda Wilson.

District 41 Sen. Greg Walker of Columbus is challenged by state Rep. Michelle Davis of Whiteland.

Other veteran GOP senators in primaries to watch: District 15 Sen. Liz Brown of Fort Wayne is in what is emerging as a bitter fight against Darren Vogt, who is a staffer to U.S. Sen. Jim Banks. Both Banks and Attorney General Todd Rokita are backing Vogt — and Rokita has kicked in $50,000 for Vogt’s campaign.

District 22 Sen. Ron Alting of Lafayette is challenged by Richard Bagsby, who is running a right-wing campaign with the endorsement of Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith.

Open districts in suburban Indianapolis: With Democratic Sen. J.D. Ford leaving to run for Congress, District 29 has a crowded field.

The Republican primary includes two former state senators — Mike Delph and John Ruckelshaus — and Roni Ford, a former school board member and U.S. Sen. Todd Young staffer. The Democratic race includes prominent pastor David Greene Sr., Pike Township Board member Demetrice Hicks and pharmaceutical lobbyist Kristina Moorhead.

The decision by Republican Sen. Kyle Walker to not seek re-election attracted several hopefuls to the District 31 race.

The best-known candidate is Democratic Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal. He’ll be faced in the primary by Fishers real estate agent Catherine Torzewski, former state Senate staffer Andrew Dezelan and Lasima Packett, a retired National Guard member and community advocate.

On the Republican side, the candidates are Hamilton Southeastern School Board member Juanita Albright (who is the sister of former Sen. Carlin Yoder), Fishers City Councilwoman Tiffanie Ditlevson and Travis Hankins, who previously ran for a southern Indiana congressional seat.

INDIANA HOUSE

Eight current House members are not seeking reelection this year: Republicans Brad Barrett of Richmond, Ed Clere of New Albany, Michelle Davis of Whiteland, Karen Engleman of Georgetown, Craig Haggard of Mooresville, Mike Karickhoff of Kokomo and Shane Lindauer of Jasper; and Democrat Sue Errington of Muncie.

Other interesting primaries: District 40 Rep. Greg Steuerwald of Avon, who is the third-ranking House Republican, is being challenged by Sid Mahant, a trucking company owner who has deposited $500,000 into his campaign account.

District 45 Rep. Bruce Borders of Jasonville will face Knox County Commissioner Kellie Streeter for the Republican nomination. Border is in his 10th House term but narrowly beat Streeter with 38% of the vote in a three-candidate 2024 primary. This year will be a Borders vs. Streeter race.

District 95 Democratic Rep. John Bartlett has held the east side Indianapolis seat since 2007. He’s being challenged in the primary by Indianapolis City-County Councilor Keith Graves and Lawrence City Councilman Tyrrell Giles.