The indiana delegation
congressional officials …
Indiana is a moderately-sized congressional delegation.
Of the 11 class members, only two are female, and nine are male, with one minority representation through the end of the year. One member is a lawyer, several are business people, ten have Master’s degrees, and one has a doctorate.
Several members of the Indiana congressional delegation are veterans, with one member earning two Purple Hearts in Vietnam.
The average tenure for the delegation is only 2.6 terms, assuming everyone completes their service through the end of 2026. The longest-serving member has been in Congress for nine terms.
Four members of the Indiana delegation are in the first term.
When you look at these profiles, we have given each a letter grade for their effort this Congress, based on various factors, which you will find in What Is Thomas Looking For? These letter grades are probably pretty familiar to you if you have ever been a school student (we hope the answer to that is we all have!)
If you see a meager score for a particular member, it will probably be due to one or two key factors: ethics challenges or anti-democratic behavior.
Republicans have been hit hard on their lack of push back on former and now current President Trump and their support of election denying in the 2020 presidential campaign. The unanswered soaring deficit on their watch, the dismantling of allied relationships around the globe, and opposition to funding anti-authoritarian initiatives. The denial of climate change weighs heavily on us as well. We make no secret that transparency and Government in the Sunshine are important to us, and we further argue that some have been awful stewards of this category. For example, one of the 11 Indiana delegation members voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results the same evening as Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol.
Democrats have been hit hard for their lack of progress on key matters because they do control the United States Senate and have a razor-close margin in the U.S. House of Representatives. They have not been, in our opinion, innovative or necessarily insistent on finding rational, reasonable solutions to the problems plaguing the American public today. We want to see more and better.
Both have been dinged for being too partisan and not collaborative where evident. In our opinion, being too doctrinaire or an obstructionist to good government in the 21st century does not get one a good grade from Thomas.
We also indicate what we believe might be the outcome of these Members’ 2026 elections today. None of the United States Senators is up for re-election this season.
Our prospect ratings fall into three categories:
Safe Bet - which means what it means. These members of Congress are running strong and look to be overwhelming prospects for re-election at this time. However, we reserve the right to re-categorize their chances if necessary.
It’s A Race - means this race is too close to call, and we can not reasonably predict who will win this seat.
Nudging - means the seat is leaning one way or another for this candidate. We have just a small number of current members of Congress in this category. Stay tuned!
So, would you like to meet these fascinating Indianans? If so, keep reading on!
what is thomas looking for?
There is one vulnerable race for Thomas to watch in Indiana for 2026:
IN01 - Frank Mrvan’s seat (Incumbent D - Nudging D)
the senators
Credit: US Senator Todd Young
United States Senator todd young (r)
Indiana’s senior senator, Todd Young, is a second-term member of the U.S. Senate who is not facing re-election in 2026. The Senator serves on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; the Finance Committee; the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee; and the Select Committee on Intelligence. Married and the father of four, Senator Young enlisted in the Navy after high school but then was appointed to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. He went on to earn a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago and another from the University of London. He also earned a law degree from the University of Indiana.
Thomas Take: Not Up For Re-Election in 2026
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Senator Jim Banks
United states senator jim banks (r)
Indiana’s junior senator is serving his first term in the U.S. Senate and is a graduate of Indiana University with a graduate degree from Grace Seminary. Married and the father of three, Senator Banks serves on the Armed Services Committee; the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee; the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee as a current Naval Reserve Officer.
Thomas Take: Not Up for Re-Election in 2026
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
the representatives
Credit: US Rep. Frank Mrvan
district 1 - u.s. rep. Frank Mrvan (D)
Congressman Frank Mrvan represents northwestern Indiana as a third-term member of the House. A graduate of Ball State University, the married father of two serves on the Appropriations Committee.
Thomas Take: Nudging Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
district 2 - U.S. Rep. rudy yakym (r)
Congressman Rudy Yakym is serving his second term in the House representing northern Indiana and the South Bend area. A graduate of Indiana University with an MBA degree from the University of Notre Dame, Yakym serves on the Ways and Means Committee. He is married and the father of three.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Rudy Yakym
Credit: US Rep. Marlin Stutzman
District 3 - U.S. Rep. marlin stutzman (r)
Representing northeastern Indiana and the Fort Wayne area, freshman Congressman Marlin Stutzman serves on the Financial Services Committee and the Committee on the Budget. He is married, the father of two, and attended both Glen Oaks Community College and Trine University but did not earn degrees.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
District 4 - U.S. Rep. jim Baird (r)
Representing central Indiana in a district that stretches over to the Ilinois border, four-term Congressman Jim Baird is an Army veteran who was awarded two Purple Hearts for combat duty in Vietnam. The married father of three graduated from Purdue University and holds a doctorate from the University of Kentucky. He serves on the Agriculture Committee; the Foreign Affairs Committee; and the Science, Space and Technology Committee.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
Credit: US Rep. Jim Baird
Credit: US Rep. Victoria Spartz
district 5 - U.S. rep. Victoria spartz (R)
Congresswoman Victoria Spartz is a Ukrainian-American House member serving in her third term. Representing central Indiana and the northern suburbs of Indianapolis, Congresswoman Spartz does not currently serve on any committee. A strong anti-Socialist advocate in Congress, the married mother of two graduated from Kyiv University, where she also earned her MBA degree before earning a second Master’s degree from Indiana University.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
district 6 - U.S. rep. Jefferson shreve (r)
A freshman Congressman for east-central Indiana, Congressman Jefferson Shreve graduated from Indiana University and earned two master’s degrees from the University of London and Purdue University, The married Congressman serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
Credit: US Rep. Jefferson Shreve
Credit: US Rep. André Carson
district 7 - U.s. Rep. André Carson (D)
André Carson is a nine-term member of the U.S. House representing the majority of Indianapolis in Congress. The divorced father of one graduated from Concordia University and earned a graduate degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
district 8 - U.s. Rep. mark messmer (r)
Freshman Congressman Mark Messmer represents a district that includes southwestern and west-central Indiana. Congressman Messmer is a member of the Armed Services Committee and Committee on the Environment and Public Works. Married and the father of four, Messmer graduated from Purdue University.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
Credit: US Rep. Mark Messmer
Credit: US Rep. Erin Houchin
district 9 - U.s. Rep. erin houchin (R)
Representing south-central and southeastern Indiana in the House, second-term Congresswoman Erin Houchin serves on the Education and the Workforce Committee; the Energy and Commerce Committee; the Budget Committee; and the Rules Committee. She is a graduate of Indiana University and holds a graduate degree from George Washington University in the District of Columbia. Congresswoman Houchin is married and the mother of three.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: B