Voters in Indiana's 3rd congressional district will have a contested primary on the Republican side, with Jon Kenworthy taking another shot at Rep. Marlin Stutzman. Kenworthy received about 4% of the vote in 2024, while Stutzman won the seven-candidate Republican primary.
On the Democratic side, Kelly Thompson has been running for nearly a year, staving off any likely primary contenders. She is the only one on the ballot for voters who pull the Democratic ballot.
Candidates in the race have focused on inflation, gas prices and housing affordability. The 3rd District covers all of Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells and Whitley counties, plus parts of Jay and Kosciusko counties in Northeast Indiana. Fort Wayne is the district's largest population center, with just under 775,000 total residents within the mostly-rural district.
The 3rd District seat was previously held by U.S. Sen. Jim Banks (R-Columbia City), who gave it up in 2024 to run for the Senate.
In 2010, Stutzman was picked by caucus to fill out the remainder of Congressman Mark Souder's term after his resignation, and also won a special election for the seat. Stutzman made an unsuccessful bid in 2016 for the U.S. Senate, losing to now-Sen. Todd Young in the primary. In the 2024 general election, Stutzman beat out Democrat Kiley Adolph with 65% of the vote to return to Congress.
The 3rd District's boundaries are unchanged after the Indiana General Assembly declined in December to take up President Donald Trump's push to redraw the state's congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms.
WBOI contacted each campaign to ask why the candidate is running and what their priorities are. For candidates who did not respond, information was gathered from their campaign websites and social media. Candidate statements have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Jon Kenworthy
Party: Republican
Residence: Fort Wayne
Occupation: Military analyst
Website: kenworthyforcongress.com
Campaign message: "I'm running for the people who make Northeast Indiana what it is: families, workers, and communities built on responsibility and service."
Main priorities: "We need real campaign finance reform focused on transparency and accountability. The American people deserve to know who is funding campaigns, where that money is coming from, and what interests may be influencing decisions in Washington. The American people deserve the full truth when it comes to the Epstein case. If elected, I will push for the release of all appropriate, unredacted records — while ensuring victims are protected — and for any individual who broke the law to be held accountable..
Marlin Stutzman (incumbent)
Party: Republican
Age: 49
Residence: Howe
Occupation: Businessman, farmer
Website: gomarlin.com
Campaign message: "As a Christian husband, father, and legislator, I have brought our Hoosier values boldly to the center of the debates in Indianapolis and in Washington. I have authored laws that have protected marriage, the family and life at every stage, and I will continue to stand in defense of the Judeo-Christian values that made America great. I will never stop fighting the Marxist liberal agenda that threatens to destroy our history, our children, our future and our freedoms."
Main priorities: According to his campaign website, Stutzman is focused on eliminating inflation and building a healthy economy, as well as "corruption in federal bureaucracies." He is also concerned with "cultural humanists in our education system."
Kelly Thompson
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Business owner
Website: kellythompsonforcongress.com
Campaign message: "My work with the local youth opened my eyes to the REAL needs of our community, so I decided to make sure our local Representative was aware of them. He was not interested, dismissive…So, I decided to run to represent our families myself. I never saw myself as a politician; I still don't. And after seeing the economic and national security risks escalate, I could not sit at home and do nothing. I could not look at my children and grandchildren and tell them I didn't try to fight for them and their future families."
Main priorities: On her website, Thompson identifies protecting farmland, lowering healthcare costs, making affordable housing more available, and legalizing cannabis among other issues.
