Every incumbent who was challenged in Indiana’s U.S. House seats secured their party’s nomination on Tuesday night.
But with three open seats, many races attracted multiple candidates. Experience won the day as former officeholders took the Republican nomination in those districts.
Here are the results of Tuesday’s congressional primaries:
1st Congressional District
The Democratic incumbent for Indiana’s 1st District, Frank Mrvan, faced no opposition in his party’s primary, meaning he secured his party’s nomination when polls closed. He’s served the northwest Indiana district since 2021.
On the Republican side, carpenter Mark Leyva, Lake County councilman Randy Niemeyer and small business owner Ben Ruiz competed for their party’s nomination. Niemeyer won with 61% of the vote, while Levya received 25% of the vote and Ruiz received 14%.
2nd Congressional District
In the 2nd District, which stretches from St. Joseph County to Miami County, Republican U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym ran unopposed, winning his party’s nomination as polls closed Tuesday. Yakym was first elected in a 2022 special election following the death of Rep. Jackie Walorski.
Lori Camp, a software employee, won the Democratic nomination with no opposition.
3rd Congressional District
The GOP primary race for northeast Indiana’s 3rd District was among the closest of the night as eight candidates sought to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, who’s running for U.S. Senate.
Former 3rd District Rep. Marlin Stutzman was declared the winner with 24% of the vote. Coming up short were nonprofit executive Tim Smith with 23% of the vote, former Allen County Judge Wendy Davis with 19%, state Sen. Andy Zay with 16% and project manager Grant Bucher with 10%. Former Senate staffer Jon Kenworthy received 4%, and Mike Felker and Eric Whalen both received 2%.
In the Democratic primary, Kiley Adolph was declared the winner with 63% of the vote. Phil Goss received 37%.
4th Congressional District
Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Baird was challenged by Charles Bookwalter and John Piper for the party’s nomination in the 4th District, which stretches from Morgan County to Newton County. Baird has held his position since 2019.
Baird easily won his primary Tuesday night with 65% of the vote. Bookwalter had 27% and Piper had 8%.
In the Democratic primary Derrick Holder who, receiving 64% of the vote to Rimpi Girn’s 37%.
5th Congressional District
Incumbent Victoria Spartz won the GOP primary in the 5th Congressional District Tuesday despite facing a crowd of opponents when she reversed her decision not to seek reelection. She was first elected in 2020 to represent the district, which runs from Hamilton County north to Grant County.
Spartz secured 39% of the vote. She was followed by Chuck Goodrich, a current state representative and CEO of Gaylor Electric, with 33%; Max Engling, who previously worked under former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, with 10%; Raju Chinthala, founder and president of the Indiana India Business Council and a speech pathologist, with 7%; Mark Hurt, a lawyer who previously worked on health care policy, with 6%. The other Republicans — former accountant Patrick Malayter, foster child advocacy nonprofit president Matthew Peiffer, businessman and veteran LD Powell, and property manager Larry Savage Jr. — were all at or below 2% each.
Spartz will face Democrat Deborah Pickett, who bested Ryan Pfenninger 60% to 40%.
More:Here’s who is running against Spartz and Goodrich in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District
6th Congressional District
Jefferson Shreve, a 2023 Indianapolis mayoral candidate with deep pockets, won the Republican primary to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Greg Pence.
Shreve received 28% of the vote, and state Rep. Mike Speedy and businessman Jamison Carrier were close behind at 22% and 20% respectively. Former state Sen. Bill Frazier had 10%, state Sen. Jeff Raatz had 9%, former state Rep. John Jacob had 8%, and veteran Darin Childress had 2%.
The district includes the southern portion of Marion County and stretches east to the Ohio border.
Cynthia Wirth ran unopposed for the 6th District Democratic nomination, meaning she’ll face Shreve in November. She ran in 2022 and was defeated by Pence, who received nearly double her votes.
More:With Greg Pence out, 7 Republicans vie for Indy-based 6th Congressional District
7th Congressional District
7th district Democratic incumbent André Carson easily won his primary, receiving 91% of the vote.
He has served the Indianapolis district since 2007, when he won a special election victory to fill his grandmother’s seat.
Carson was opposed this year by Democrats Pierre Pullins and Curtis Godfrey, both veterans. They said they were running to give 7th District residents more choice. Godfrey received 6% of the vote and Pullins received 4%.
On the Republican side Jennifer Pace won the race with 31% of the vote. Pace died of a heart attack in early March after the deadline to remove names from the ballot. A Republican caucus will be held to choose Pace’s replacement.
Retired Army Lt. Catherine Ping ended the race with 30%, retired postal worker Philip Davis with 26% and former Evansville mayor candidate Gabe Whitley with 13%.
More:Here’s who’s challenging Rep. André Carson in Indiana’s 7th Congressional District
8th Congressional District
State Sen. Mark Messmer was declared the Republican nominee for the open 8th District seat in southwestern Indiana.
Eight Republicans and four Democrats were vying to replace Rep. Larry Bucshon in what some call a “free-for-all” after he announced he was not running for reelection.
Messmer ended the night with 39%, followed by former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler with 20%, surgeon Richard Moss with 14%, Army 2nd Lt. Dominick Jack Kavanaugh with 12%, and Owen County Republican Party Chair Kristi Risk with 9%. Coming in at or under 3% each were former Sullivan County Commissioner Luke Misner, banker and real estate broker Jim Case and former correctional officer Jeremy Heath.
On the Democratic side, movie theater manager Erik Hurt took the nomination with 45% of the vote. Musician and sales manager Edward Upton Sein had 23%, bus driver Michael Talarzyk had 21% and veteran Peter Priest II had 12%.
The district has gone back and forth between parties.
9th Congressional District
Republican U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin, who has held the southeast Indiana 9th District seat for one term, beat challenger Hugh Doty with 80% of the vote.
On the Democratic side, health entrepreneur Timothy Peck defeated veteran and technician D. Liam Dorris, 66% to 34%.
Contact IndyStar politics intern Nadia Scharf at nscharf@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @nadiaascharf.
