Vote counting began Friday night as an incumbent Republican and an Indiana state senator faced off in a high-profile race for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District.
The final tally will determine whether U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, 48, keeps her seat or Indiana state Sen. J.D. Ford, 43, wins it. Both candidates called for more government accountability. Ford’s platform also included affordability and access to health care, while Spartz called for reducing federal spending and debt and changing immigration policies.
Last week, the Cook Political Report changed its rating of Indiana’s 5th Congressional District from “Likely R” to “Lean R.” Earlier this year, the report rated Spartz’s seat “Solid R.”
Major cities in the 5th Congressional District include Anderson, Carmel, Fishers, Fortville, Frankfort, Greentown, Hartford City, Kokomo, part of Lawrence, Lebanon, Logansport, Marion, McCordsville, Muncie, Noblesville, Pendleton, Peru, Sheridan, Tipton, Wabash, Westfield, Whitestown and Zionsville.
In northwest Indiana, 1st District incumbent Frank Mrvan, a Democrat, faced Republican challenger Barb Regnitz. The Hill reported that the district has historically been the state’s most competitive territory, though Mrvan remains favored to retain it.
Indiana has nine congressional districts, all with incumbents seeking reelection. Seven are Republicans.
In December, the Republican supermajority in the Indiana Senate voted down a proposal to redraw congressional district boundaries ahead of Tuesday’s midterm election, perturbing Gov. Mike Braun and President Donald Trump.
