Indiana Democrat Ford Unseats Spartz After Medicaid-Focused Campaign
Democratic state Sen. J.D. Ford declared victory over three-term Republican U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz in Indiana's 5th Congressional District, flipping a seat that had trended Republican since 2021 redistricting. The race drew national attention partly because the candidates offered sharply different approaches to health care: Ford campaigned on protecting Medicaid funding and preserving rural hospitals, while Spartz pushed reduced federal spending and more transparency and competition in health care. Elsewhere in Indiana, incumbents including Democratic Reps. Frank Mrvan and André Carson and several Republicans won reelection, shifting the state's delegation to a six-to-three GOP edge from seven-to-two. The outcome feeds into the broader national fight for U.S. House control, which will shape federal policy on spending and entitlement programs including Medicaid.