An open House seat in Indiana pits staunch conservative and President Trump supporter Victoria Spartz against centrist Democrat Christina Hale in a traditionally Republican district that has shown signs it could be shifting to the left.
The 5th District seat is open because Republican Rep. Susan Brooks is leaving Congress after eight years. Her decision to not run for reelection was a bit of curveball since she was the head of GOP recruitment for the 2020 elections.
That’s created a spirited contest between Spartz and Hale in the district, which includes some of the wealthiest towns in Indiana, such as Zionsville, Carmel, and Fishers.
Democrats, who had Brooks on their retirement watch list, think they can flip the district as suburban housewives who voted for Trump in 2016 might oppose him come November. But winning the district might be easier said than done. Republicans have essentially controlled the ward since former President Richard Nixon was first inaugurated.
Republicans have ruled the district since 1969, with the exception of a brief interruption by Democratic Rep. Jim Jontz, who represented the region from 1987-93. Jontz lost to Republican Steve Beyer in 1993, and ever since, the district has been represented by Republicans.
Spartz, a state senator, seeks to keep the Republican legacy alive in the 5th District by replacing Brooks in the next Congress, which begins in January 2021.
Spartz, a native of Ukraine, has represented the state’s Senate District 20 since 2017. She is a farmer, a CPA, and an adjunct faculty member for Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis. Before becoming a state senator, she served as CFO for the office of the state attorney general. She is a married mother of two and lives in Noblesville, which resides in the 5th Congressional District.
Spartz has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association and National Right to Life, two organizations that advocate for issues popular in Indiana. The state was ranked 20th in 2019 for the best states for gun owners, according to the publication Guns and Ammo. Abortion clinics in the state are on the decline, from 30 in 1982 to 9 in 2014.
Hale is a former state representative and was in office from 2012 to 2016. She did not run for reelection in 2016 because she ran as lieutenant governor in 2016 with John Gregg running for governor.
Gregg sought to oust Mike Pence as governor before he became the Republican vice presidential nominee in July of 2016. Then-Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb and Auditor Suzanne Crouch, both Republicans, beat the Democrats in the general election.
NARAL Pro-Choice America has endorsed her bid. Hale has also said she will strive to provide healthcare to all state residents.
