State Rep. Matt Pierce secured the Democratic nomination for District 61 again.

Pierce defeated Democratic socialist Lilliana Young, his first primary challenger in 22 years. Pierce was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2002, and he stressed his proven track record with Indiana’s Democratic Party ahead of the primary.

"I'm really gratified at this strong showing of support for my candidacy," Pierce said. "When you being a primary campaign like that, you're not sure how many people actually are paying attention and have the time out of their day to understand what you're doing at the Statehouse. I was really gratified as I got out and talked to voters that they understood the fight I was fighting up there."

No Republican filed to run in the race.

Strongly opposing redistricting, Pierce said he took a leadership role to push against the Trump Administration and other Republican pressure to redraw Indiana’s congressional maps ahead of the 2026 Midterm Election.

During his campaign, Pierce stressed the importance of democratic values in government.

Pierce, an Indiana University Bloomington graduate and senior lecturer, has been outspoken about academic freedom and First Amendment rights on the state’s college campuses.