Incumbents See Easy Wins In Most Indiana Congressional Races

By Casey Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle

November 8, 2022

Indiana Republicans secured easy victories in multiple congressional races, while Democrats still waited late Tuesday to see if their incumbent would come out on top in the hotly contested First Congressional District.

The Associated Press called races in most of the congressional districts by 9 p.m. Tuesday. It was still unclear late Tuesday night who the winner would be in the 1st District, however, although a Democrat win appeared likely, according to unofficial election results.

In that traditional Democratic stronghold, incumbent Frank Mrvan narrowly led his GOP challenger Jennifer-Ruth Green. With 81% of precincts reporting at 11 p.m. Tuesday, unofficial election results showed Mrvan had secured 52.8% of votes, while Green earned 47.2% of votes.

Voters in the Northwestern Indiana district, which includes most of the Hoosier state’s share of the Chicago Metropolitan area, haven’t selected a Republican representative since an election in 1928.

National Republicans targeted the first-term Democrat as part of their push to regain a majority in the closely divided U.S. House, putting up Green — a Black U.S. Air Force veteran and nonprofit science education leader.

She aligned herself with former President Donald Trump in the lead-up to a seven-way primary, though she’s since backed off, telling Politico, “His personality was not something that I want to emulate.”

A Fox News regular, she has continued to campaign with members of Trump’s circle, pumping gas with former Vice President Mike Pence and fundraising with former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

Other districts

Meanwhile, in the Second Congressional District Rudolph “Rudy” Yakym III emerged as the victor over Democrat Paul Steury with 74% if votes, according to preliminary and unofficial poll results.
The race received unprecedented national coverage after the death of Rep. Jackie Walorski, who had represented the district since 2013. She was up for re-election but died in August, far enough from the November election to require a special election. Yakym previously served as Walorski’s campaign finance director.

Incumbent congressman Jim Banks, a Republican, earned 66% of the vote to defeat Democratic opponent Gary Snyder, who earned about 30% of votes in northeastern Indiana’s 3rd District.

In the 4th Congressional District, Jim Baird received 68% of votes to overcome Democrat challenger Roger D. Day., who earned 32% of votes, according to unofficial polling numbers.
Day also lost to Baird in 2018, when the incumbent first won the seat after spending eight years in the Indiana General Assembly as a state representative.

Freshman lawmaker Victoria Spartz, a Republican, earned 60% of votes in the 5th District to secure a second term in Washington, D.C., according to preliminary results. Her opponent, Democrat Jeannine Lee Lake, a Muncie journalist, received 40% of votes in the central Indiana district. Lake previously challenged Congressman Greg Pence twice in the 6th Congressional District before redistricting placed her in the 5th District.

In his reelection bid, Pence promised to strengthen the middle class and professed other pro-business positions. He earned 68% of votes in the 6th District on Tuesday to secure a win over his opponent, Democrat Cynthia “Cinde” Wirth. Preliminary results showed Wirth earned 32% of votes.

The only safe Democrat seat, located entirely within Marion County, has been held by André Carson since 2008 when he won a special election following the death of his grandmother, Julia Carson. He secured his seat again on Tuesday, receiving 66% of votes. Angela Grabovsky, a Republican, earned 32% of votes, according to unofficial poll results.

Larry Buschon, Indiana’s longest-serving Republican Representative currently in Congress, will keep his seat for another term after he earned 68% of votes, beating out Democrat Ray McCormick, who received 28% of votes.

After GOP Rep. Trey Hollingsworth said earlier this year that he wouldn’t run for a third term representing Indiana’s southernmost district, former State Sen. Erin Houchin, a Republican, emerged as the victor Tuesday night. Houchin earned 65% of votes while Democratic challenger Matt Fyfe, a high school math teacher from Bloomington, earned 33% of votes.

The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary.