Democratic state Sen. J.D. Ford is aiming for a jump to Congress with a challenge to Republican U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz.
Ford announced his bid Wednesday for central Indiana’s 5th Congressional District seat, where Spartz is running for a fourth term.
“The fact that we are still dealing with prices that are skyrocketing, the fact that we watched Congress take away health care subsidies for people, that’s going to have a drastic impact,” Ford told reporters. “I just couldn’t sit quietly. I couldn’t stand by the sidelines anymore.”
Spartz will have the advantage of incumbency in the district that was redrawn to strengthen its Republican lean following her narrow 2020 general election win for her first term.
Spartz easily won the 2024 election following a tight Republican primary victory with 39% of the vote after reversing her previous announcement that she wouldn’t seek reelection.
Spartz’s campaign did not immediately reply to a request for comment Wednesday about Ford’s entry into the race.
Spartz filed her paperwork for reelection on Monday and no prominent Republican primary challengers have emerged.
“Our nation will soon face significant fiscal challenges, and my extensive expertise on fiscal issues and health care will be greatly needed in Congress,” Spartz said in a Monday campaign statement. “Too many people are running for office with corrupt personal agendas and radical policies that have been destructive to our country and undermine President Trump’s conservative agenda, and we cannot allow them to prevail — too many Americans have sacrificed for our freedoms.”
Ford, who is the first and only openly gay member of the General Assembly, will have to give up the legislative seat that he first won in 2018 for a congressional run since his Senate district is also up for election this year.
Ford said he believed he could make a credible challenge to Spartz, pointing to his success in winning what had long been a Republican Senate district covering northeastern Indianapolis and the Carmel and Zionsville areas.
“People are going to tell me that the 5th District is unwinnable, I would just tell them, watch me,” Ford said.
He said he was motivated to challenge Spartz during the failed push demanded by Trump for redrawing Indiana’s U.S. House districts, which was supported by Spartz and rest of the state’s Republican congressional delegation.
Todd Shelton of Pendleton, a web development instructor at Indiana University Indianapolis and a veteran, has also filed as a candidate in the Democratic primary.
Ford’s residence in Indianapolis is outside the congressional district, which is not a legal requirement to run for Congress. He told the Indiana Capital Chronicle that he was connected with the congressional district since it included the Carmel portion of his legislative district.
“My commitment is that, when I’m successful, that I will move into the district,” Ford said.
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