Democrats are looking to break the GOP supermajority in the Indiana House of Representatives this fall, which would grant them more power to stop or negotiate controversial issues.

But first they have to win their primaries.

There are 39 contested Republican and Democratic primaries in House districts across the state, including 11 contested Democratic races in Republican-held districts.

The GOP currently controls 70 of the 100 House districts, but Democrats only need to pick up four seats to block a quorum.

House members serve two-year terms and make a base salary of $33,000, though the average salary is upwards of $80,000 annually when adding per diem and leadership bonuses.

Among the more competitive race, a GOP outsider once removed from the ballot for failing to vote Republican in his two most recent primaries is seeking to unseat the third-ranking Republican in the Indiana Statehouse.

And a Knox County commissioner who nearly unseated a long-time incumbent is back for a second shot at the seat.

GOP newcomer’s loyalty questioned

Sid Mahant, a political newcomer who owns a successful trucking company, deposited $500,000 of his own money into his campaign to unseat Avon Republican Rep. Gregory Steuerwald, an attorney who has represented House District 40 since 2007.

This is Mahant’s second go-round with the GOP establishment following a failed congressional campaign to replace Rep. Greg Pence in the sixth district, which ended abruptly when the Indiana Election Commission removed him from the ballot in 2024.

GOP leaders called Mahant’s loyalty to the party into question again this cycle when Hendricks County GOP chair J. Phillips Clay filed a complaint alleging Mahant’s past donation to Indianapolis Democrat Renee Pack meant he was not a Republican in good standing.

The party dismissed Clay’s complaint when they found the donation was made in 2021.

“They’re playing a dirty game, and it seems like they are tired of or they’re afraid of me,” Mahant told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. “They’re going to lose, because I have people behind me. They’re common people who are looking at change.”

Steuerwald did not respond to requests for an interview.

Views on immigration

Mahant, himself a naturalized citizen, is often at odds with his party on immigration.

The businessman said his entry into politics was inspired by the unexpected death of an employee whose wife — already trying to immigrate to the U.S. — wished to visit the U.S. to perform last-rites, but was stymied by visa backlogs. Mahant said his representatives declined to intervene.

“The system is behind,” he said.

Steuerwald co-authored legislation last session to strip noncitizen truck and bus drivers who don’t have specific employment-based visas of commercial driver’s licenses — inspired by recent traffic fatalities, including one in Steuerwald’s Hendricks County.

Mahant said the law will negatively affect thousands of immigrant families — the bill’s authors “have no knowledge about transportation” or the economy, he said— but conceded “it’s too late to discuss the matter” given a similar federal rule set to take effect this year.

Outside of immigration, Mahant said he wants the legislature to be more transparent about taxes and spending, and to focus on school security and a return to traditional “pencil-paper” schooling.

“I’m not a career politician,” he said. “If you want a career politician, then don’t cry about where the country is going, why the economy is dead. If you want something fixed, you’ve got to have somebody in the system who has real life experience.”

Gov. Mike Braun endorsed Steuerwald in mid-April, despite the governor’s support for President Donald Trump’s campaign to defeat Republican Senators who opposed mid-cycle redistricting.

Steuerwald is one of 12 House Republicans to vote against the measure, which ultimately died in the Senate. Trump did not make an endorsement in the race.

Streeter takes second swing at Borders

Trump did endorse 10-term incumbent Rep. Bruce Borders of Jasonville in his rematch with Knox County Commissioner Kellie Streeter, whom he narrowly defeated in the 2024 GOP primary for House District 45.

Streeter, now in her tenth year as commissioner, said she is concerned about property taxes, infrastructure and state preemption of local control, particularly when it comes to energy production.

“I firmly stand on local decision making for our area,” she said, adding: “I believe our rural district needs to be heard.”

Streeter said she’s made hard decisions as a county legislator and executive when it comes to funding Knox County infrastructure, from the county jail to roads, bridges and drains — a job which often led her to the Statehouse to speak on behalf of her county and the Indiana County Commissioners Association.

That’s why she wants to join the state legislature and find a long-term solution to Indiana’s property and fuel taxes, saying the legislature needs to consider ways to shift the tax burden toward goods, services and income taxes for real property tax relief.

“I firmly believe it’s time we take a good, hard look with experienced individuals to figure out a long-term funding solution where the price at the pump isn’t so high, yet we still have adequate funding to have good roads, bridges and drainage, because our economy depends on it,” Streeter said.

The Borders campaign did not respond to requests for an interview.

Other race to watch: House District 95

Indianapolis City-County councilor Keith Graves and Lawrence councilor Tyrrell Giles are challenging long-time incumbent Rep. John Bartlett in the Democratic primary for House District 95.

Bartlett, a member of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, has represented the far eastside Indianapolis district since 2007.

Mirror Indy spoke with all three candidates, who had this to say about their campaign.

Bartlett said he’s focused on women’s health care, utilities and road funding, and that he’s “totally opposed” to data centers: “There are too many unanswered questions about data centers for me to buy in at this point. I am completely unequivocally opposed to data centers.”

Giles also said he wants to limit data center development: “I’m concerned about the rapid growth of the data center charge and how that’s going to affect the common working man. I want to be very cautious and sensitive to the workers of HD 95 on top of all the environmental issues and all the other issues that everybody else has.”

Graves said he wants a neutral report on data centers, and that his priorities are tenants’ rights, mental health support and financial relief for the poor: “We’ve got to fight those root causes if we really want Indiana to be the best,” Graves said.

Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.