Democrat J.D. Ford beats Spartz in major upset for Indiana House seat

Democrat J.D. Ford is projected to beat Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), who represents a district President Trump won by 17 points in 2024, for a Republican-favored House seat, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Ford, a state senator, ousted the Indiana Republican in the state’s 5th Congressional District, located northwest of Indianapolis. Ford’s victory shocked observers, given Spartz represents a reliably GOP district and wasn’t expected to be in play.

Ford’s victory portends serious warning signs for Republicans, who expected a good night for Democrats but thought they would eke wins in more reliably Republican districts.

The win is notable given that Trump and national Republicans pressured state lawmakers to redistrict and create an aggressive GOP gerrymander in the state that would have given the party a chance to pick up two more House seats.

Indiana currently has a 7-2 GOP edge in the House delegation. The new map would have created a 9-0 lean for the GOP, but Indiana Senate Republicans ultimately rebuffed those calls, angering the president.

In addition to being the first Democrat to hold the seat in more than three decades, Ford will be Indiana’s first openly gay member of Congress.