Republican and Democratic voters in the 5th Congressional district will choose their candidate in the May 5 primary to represent them in the November general election for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Rep. Victoria Spartz, a Republican from Carmel, is the incumbent. She has held the seat since 2021 and is running for a fourth term.
The race comes after Republicans in the Indiana General Assembly failed in their effort to redraw the district's boundaries. The northern suburbs of Indianapolis have historically been a Republican stronghold: Voters have selected a Republican to represent them for the last 34 years. The last Democrat elected to the 5th District was Jim Jontz in 1990.
Spartz faces a Republican primary challenger this year, while seven Democrats are competing for their party's nomination. Several challengers in both parties have made Spartz's record a central issue, including her support for Indiana Republicans' attempt to change congressional maps.
Candidates in both primaries have focused on health care, affordability, government reform and the influence of money in politics.
U.S. House members serve two-year terms, write and vote on federal legislation, sit on committees and direct federal resources to their districts.
The district covers Delaware, Grant, Hamilton, Howard, Madison, and Tipton counties.
WFYI 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.
Steven Avitabile Avit
Party: Democrat
Age: 47
Residence: Carmel
Occupation: Chiropractor and business consultant
Website: steveavit.com
Campaign message: "I'm running because the system is upside down. Costs keep rising, but paychecks don't — and too many politicians are focused on helping insiders instead of the people they represent. I'm not a career politician. I've spent my life working with real people, solving real problems, and I'll bring that same mindset to Congress. It's time to put working families first and deliver results people can actually feel."
Top priorities: Affordability, government reform, Social Security and Medicare. "Government should focus on practical solutions that help people get ahead, reduce financial pressure, and make life more affordable for the families who keep our communities running," he wrote on his campaign site.
J.D. Ford
Party: Democrat
Age: 43
Residence: Carmel
Occupation: Indiana State Senator
Website: electjdford.com
Campaign message: "I decided to take my service beyond the statehouse and straight to D.C. because you deserve a representative who fights to keep your voice on the table, not one who tries to squeeze you out of it. When Representative Victoria Spartz lobbied to redraw our congressional maps just to serve a political agenda, it was the last straw. That wasn't about service. It was about stealing YOUR voice."
Top priorities: Ford's platform focuses on lowering grocery and housing costs, capping out-of-pocket health care expenses, codifying LGBTQ+ rights and protecting Social Security without benefit cuts. He aims to restore federal accountability by checking a "rogue president" through requiring congressional approval for major spending and war, while enacting "strict clawback rules" for corporate subsidies to ensure they benefit U.S. residents.
Jackson Franklin
Party: Democrat
Age: 26
Residence: Muncie
Occupation: Combat medic in the Indiana National Guard
Website: jacksonfranklinforcongress.com
Campaign message: "I am running to give a voice to working class people. This is a grassroots campaign, meaning we will never accept any corporate PAC or AIPAC money. We are unapologetically fighting for the working class, not the donor class. We are fighting to create a system that works for all of us, not just the top one percent. We have a rigged political system where the ultra-wealthy have an outsized influence on our politics and we have a system that prioritizes the profits of billionaires over the people this government is supposed to serve. That's why our campaign slogan is proudly saying 'People Over Profits!'"
Top priorities: Franklin's platform focuses on a four-year transition to "Medicare for All," a single-payer system that would eliminate premiums and deductibles. He advocates for government reform through public election funding and a national referendum process. His policies include raising the minimum wage to a living wage, universal free daycare and tuition-free public college.
Phil Goss
Party: Democrat
Age: 58
Residence: Noblesville
Occupation: President of the Board of Directors for Perla Brewing, a Polish brewery; operates family farm in Fort Wayne; former U.S. Department of State visa processing specialist for Eastern Europe
Website: philgoss.com
Campaign message: Goss advocates for "leadership that puts people before corporations and constitutional rights before political power," according to his website. He believes a representative should answer "to voters, not donors, and … understands the realities of both rural and suburban life." Goss believes his background in government, public stewardship, and international business prepares him to represent a diverse district. "This campaign is about restoring trust in government by proving that it can work for ordinary people again."
Top priorities: Goss supports "Medicare for All," describing it on his campaign site as "a universal, publicly funded healthcare system that guarantees comprehensive coverage for every American." His platform includes updating federal policy to support family and mid-sized farms, adjusting the tax code to help working families while "ending loopholes that allow billionaires and corporations to avoid paying their fair share," and ending the influence of dark money in politics.
Scott Anthony King
Party: Republican
Age: 56
Residence: Noblesville
Occupation: Currently pursuing a political career
Websites: Facebook
Campaign message: "My district is the absolute best in the nation. In my honest opinion, anyway. There are issues that have been brought to my attention by many of my constituents. I would like to become a honorable leader for them to voice concerns to, so they can feel better about their own issues (politically) which dog them day in and day out."
Top priorities: King's platform includes "working with legislators to open up investigations re: 'the Clear Skies Initiative'" and Flock surveillance cameras, noting that "Our privacy must be upheld." Regarding the economy, he wants to investigate "why we are being taxed on top of Tariffs." On immigration, he said "some people are abusing our trust as well as our Alms. Meant for actual needy and downtrodden. Bad actors need removed from our collective. This will allow for a beautiful transition to what has already begun here in America. Safety first!"
Dylan McKenna
Party: Democrat
Age: 56
Residence: Westfield
Occupation: Vice president of sales. part owner of a technology company
Website: mckenna4congress.com
Campaign message: "I believe that President Trump has abandoned the rule of law and replaced it with a system of corruption and cruelty. Victoria Spartz, my representative, has surrendered her Article 1 authority to him (on tariffs, on war, etc.) and has left the voters of this district without a voice. I intend to serve those people and give them their voice back." McKenna describes his candidacy as a "response to a national emergency" rather than a career move.
Top priorities: McKenna's platform centers on government reform, affordability, and veterans' affairs. He advocates for strict ethics rules for public officials, stating, "Once elected, all assets should be placed in a blind trust and no trading of stocks or cryptocurrency should be allowed." He also pledges to reverse what he calls "draconian cuts" to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and aims to lower health care, housing and energy costs for families.
Tara Nelson
Party: Democrat
Age: 43
Residence: Carmel
Occupation: Business and technology
Website: taranelsoncongress.com
Campaign message: "I'm running for Congress to protect the Constitution, restore accountability in government, and bring experienced leadership that delivers results. With more than twenty years leading complex technology and business transformation initiatives across finance, healthcare, pharmaceutical, and government sectors, I've built a career solving difficult problems and improving performance. As a lifelong Hoosier, I believe in hard work, community, and responsible leadership.
Top priorities: Nelson advocates for Medicare for All to ensure people do not face bankruptcy for basic medical care. She supports reforming the immigration system to make it "easier, cheaper and faster," which includes eliminating privatized jails and stating that "ICE needs to be checked." Her government reform platform includes "impeaching Trump and his cabinet for blatant corruption and international war crimes" and investigating wasteful taxpayer spending and fraud at federal agencies.
Deborah Pickett
Party: Democrat
Age: 67
Residence: Carmel
Occupation: Currently running for U.S. representative and president of homeowner association
Website: pickettforcongress.com
Campaign message: "I am running for Congress to fight for my constituents in the 5th Congressional District to bring decorum, competence, and integrity to the job… to make government more effective and efficient for Hoosiers. My constituents are struggling under the policies and actions of the Trump administration and U.S. Rep. Spartz has repeatedly failed to do her job standing up for them." Pickett aims to improve trust in government "by working with others to rebuild government agencies degraded by the current administration."
Top priorities: Pickett's platform focuses on reclaiming "Congressional authority from the current president" and rebuilding government agencies through "rehiring expertise, refunding programs, and reestablishing government oversight and accountability." She supports universal basic health care and long-term financing for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Victoria Spartz
Party: Republican
Age: 47
Residence: Carmel
Occupation: U.S. Representative for Indiana's 5th District; certified public accountant
Website: spartzforcongress.com
Campaign message: Spartz said she is running "to help get our Republic back on track fiscally and provide better opportunities for innovation and 21st-century jobs." Born in Ukraine and having worked as a CPA, Spartz says her life story molded her belief that "limited government is always better, and financial and healthcare decisions should be made by individuals in the free market, not bureaucrats and special interests."
Top priorities: Spartz wants to address health care costs by increasing transparency and competition to "allow more consumer choice and more innovative value-based, not volume-based, health care delivery models." To tackle the national debt, she proposes cutting federal spending rather than raising taxes. "The debt can be tackled, not by raising taxes on US citizens, but by taking a critical look at the unnecessary spending of the federal government." In a 2024 interview, she also advocates for clean energy through nuclear and natural gas and stated "we need to bring manufacturing back in the communities like I represent in Indiana."
Contact WFYI data journalist Zak Cassel at zcassel@wfyi.org
Indiana Public Radio reporter Thomas Ouellette contributed to this report.
