SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Republicans in Indiana retained three congressional seats without incumbents running in Tuesday’s election. They were awaiting results in a fourth race where they aimed to knock off an incumbent Democrat in the northwest part of the state.
Three incumbents are retiring or seeking another office, creating vacancies that were filled with victories by the GOP.
In the state’s northwest corner, the GOP is targeting Democratic incumbent Rep. Frank Mrvan, who is seeking his third term in the 1st District. According to Ballotpedia, Democrats have held the seat since 1930, but a Republican-drawn map that took effect in 2022 made the district more conservative. Mrvan won in 2022 with nearly 53% of the vote after taking just under 57% in 2020.
Mrvan faces Randell Niemeyer, a member of the Lake County Council and co-owner of a trucking business.
If Republicans get that seat, they could control eight of the nine Congressional seats.
In the state’s 7th District, incumbent Andre Carson, the only other Democrat in the delegation, easily won reelection.
Republican Jefferson Shreve, who ran unsuccessfully last year for Indianapolis mayor, won a seat in Congress on Tuesday.
Shreve defeated Democrat Cynthia Wirth for the post vacated by three-term U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, the older brother of the former vice president. Wirth challenged Pence for the seat in 2022.
Shreve, who built a self-storage business, calls immigration the nation’s most pressing issue. He believes the wall along the Mexican border should be finished, the policy of “catch-and-release” ended, and more should be done to end cross-border drug trafficking. He says excessive federal spending by President Joe Biden’s administration is driving inflation but backs more resources for police and the military. He’s opposed to abortion and is a strong supporter of gun rights.
Wirth, who has been a high school biology and environmental science teacher, argued for more job training to upgrade Indiana’s workforce to lure industry to the state and for incrementally raising the minimum wage. She campaigned on putting more resources into teacher training and promised to develop programs to improve Indiana’s air and water quality.
Across the state on the eastern border, the 3rd District seat will be vacated by Rep. Jim Banks, who is ending a four-term tenure and on Tuesday won a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Marlin A. Stutzman, the man who preceded Banks, will return to Congress after an eight-year hiatus with a win in Tuesday’s election.
Republican Stutzman, a large-scale farmer and truck-company operator, defeated Democrat Kiley Adolph to reclaim the seat he vacated for an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate in 2016. His successor, Rep. Jim Banks, did the same this year and won his race for Senate.
Stutzman, who previously served in Congress from 2010-2017, campaigned on reining in federal spending, arguing that it would stimulate the economy. On immigration, he wants to complete the wall along the border with Mexico that former President Donald Trump proposed a decade ago. He supports abolishing the U.S. Department of Education, saying public schools should be run locally by parents. He points to a long record of expanding the rights of gun owners.
Adolph, a former professor, nonprofit vice president, teacher and consultant, focused on tax breaks and access to affordable housing to help families struggling in an uncertain economy. She emphasized education, from publicly funded universal pre-K to additional workforce training for high school graduates not bound for college. She wants to expand access to abortion and wants women to receive equal pay for equal work done by men.
Seven-term congressman Larry Bucshon is retiring from his post representing the 8th Congressional District, in the southwest part of the state.
Mark Messmer, the former Indiana state Senate majority leader, won a seat in Congress Tuesday, defeating Democrat Erik Hurt for the 8th District post Bucshon left.
Messmer kept the seat in Republican hands after resigning his post in the state Senate in September to concentrate on his congressional bid. He beat Hurt, an Evansville movie theater manager.
Messmer is strongly opposed to abortion rights. He supports deporting migrants who have entered the country illegally and takes credit for votes in the General Assembly to allow local police detention of migrants charged with felonies, a ban on sanctuary cities and universities and requiring proof of citizenship to vote.
He steadfastly supports Israel and wants to promote blockchain technology and avoid central bank-issued cryptocurrency.
Hurt campaigned on codifying abortion rights and ensuring access to other family planning procedures and on providing universal pre-K education. He wants to require more background checks on gun purchases, ban assault rifles and reallocate funds from traditional policing to social services to prevent crime. He proposes ending all arms sales to Israel and on the subject of elections, suggests compulsory voter registration and abolishing the Electoral College.
John O'connor (), The Associated Press