Nine candidates are running in the Republican primary in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District on May 7, 2024. Incumbent Rep. Victoria Spartz (R) and Chuck Goodrich (R) lead in polls and local media attention.
Spartz announced in Feb. 2023 that she would not run for re-election. Spartz rescinded her retirement decision on Feb. 5, 2024, in order to seek re-election. According to The Washington Post, “several campaign strategists have noted the difficulty she has had in regaining support from her constituents after Goodrich made inroads campaigning for the months while she was out of the race.” Both candidates have criticized their opponent’s foreign policy, with Goodrich accusing Spartz of prioritizing Ukraine’s interests over the United States and Spartz accusing Goodrich of prioritizing China’s interests over the United States.
Spartz, first elected in 2020, is running on her record. Spartz says she was responsible for “12 bills signed into law and many policies developed from scratch.” Spartz says her upbringing in the USSR guides her policy views: “limited government is always better, and financial and healthcare decisions should be made by individuals in the free market, not bureaucrats and special interests.”
