A House Republican will not be running again for his central Indiana seat in the 2026 elections, instead setting his sights on a higher office in Congress.
Two-term Rep. Craig Haggard, of Mooresville, will formally announce his campaign for the 4th congressional district tomorrow, Aug. 12, in Plainfield during a Constitutional Oath Rally at Hummel Park. His district includes portions of Hendricks, Johnson and Morgan counties.
The former U.S. Marine and Indiana Air National Guardsman retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2013, and now works as a commercial broker and small business owner.
The 4th congressional district, currently held by U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, stretches from Martinsville — southwest of Indianapolis — at its southern tip up past Lafayette to DeMotte, which is south of Gary, sharing much of its western border with Illinois.
Baird hasn’t yet announced whether not he’ll run in 2026, though Haggard has openly questioned whether Baird has tried to prop up his son, Beau Baird, as his successor in the district. Haggard also floated the possibility of a run in 2024, opting against it when Baird announced his reelection campaign.
However, the possibility of mid-cycle redistricting could fundamentally alter the direction of any 2026 congressional campaigns — even potentially drawing Haggard’s Mooresville home out of the 4th district. Technically, congressmen don’t have to live in the district they represent.
Seeking to grow his historically slim Republican majority in Congress, President Donald Trump has pressured GOP-led states to redistrict ahead of the traditional timeline to grow his party’s control. Democratic states have vowed to retaliate, potentially disrupting maps nationwide.
Republicans seeking to weaken the Democratic hold over the 7th congressional district in Indianapolis may mean redrawing the boundary to include Hoosiers in the redder doughnut counties, such as Haggard’s Mooresville hometown. Sitting U.S. Rep. André Carson has said he will run for reelection wherever his district’s new boundaries may be — but adding the residents of Indianapolis may dilute some of the ruby red districts elsewhere in the state.
Additionally, the 4th district adjoins the 1st district, another Democratic seat targeted by Republicans. It’s unclear if Hoosier Republicans will bow to Trump and redistrict the state, but doing so would transform the district Haggard seeks to win.
In response to questions about redistricting, Haggard iterated his belief in the district’s conservative bend, saying he didn’t think there was an “appetite for redistricting.”
“Indiana is a solid Republican state, It has voted for Trump 3 times already and I think proof of Indiana being conservative is our super majority. I have been hearing from constituents and I do not believe at this time there is an appetite for redistricting in our communities. I still plan on running in the 4th regardless, where I have met with tens of thousands of voters the last two years and where I plan to represent them in Congress if I am elected,” Haggard said.
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