First came Kyle Walker. Then J.D. Ford. Now Andrea Hunley.
That makes for three state senators from the Indianapolis area all deciding not to run for reelection to the Indiana General Assembly in 2026, meaning three open seats with no incumbents that candidates will be vying for in this year’s primary and general elections — including a potential pickup opportunity for Democrats.
Hunley, an Indianapolis Democrat, announced Jan. 16 she wouldn’t seek a second term as state senator in order to prioritize local issues. She’s widely expected to announce a campaign for the 2027 Indianapolis mayor’s race.
Days earlier, Ford, another Indianapolis Democrat, announced his intentions to run for Congress to challenge U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz.
Walker, a Republican from Lawrence, announced he wouldn’t run again in December, in the midst of fervor over the state’s redistricting debate. Walker was a no vote on redistricting and has been a relatively moderate member of the Republican supermajority. He said he was leaving to pursue new career opportunities.
The openings mean more than 400,000 Indianapolis and Central Indiana residents are guaranteed to have new representation in the Indiana Senate come 2027. The three lawmakers are all up-and-coming politicians, two of which hold leadership positions in the Senate. The third, Ford, was in leadership as recently as 2024 as Senate Democrats’ caucus whip.
It’s an unusual situation that likely won’t be replicated anytime soon, according to Greg Shufeldt, a University of Indianapolis professor.
Their departure could mean less influence for the Indianapolis area in the immediate future with one third of Indy’s senators poised to be freshmen come 2027. While Hunley was relatively new to the Statehouse, Ford was elected back in 2018 and Walker had been there since 2020.
For constituents, the guaranteed new faces will bring new ideas and perspectives to the Statehouse, Shufeldt said. On the other hand, he said, “we lose the institutional memory of someone who has been there, knows how the system works or has built relationships.”
“You kind of have to restart” that process with new representation, Shufeldt said, which could potentially put Indianapolis constituents at a short-term disadvantage.
A pickup opportunity?
The openings also mean the Democratic party has work — and potential opportunity — ahead for them, Shufeldt said.
While Hunley’s seat is seen as a safe Democratic seat — she won with 72% of the vote in 2022 — Ford’s is more competitive and a seat the party will have to defend. Ford defeated his 2022 Republican opponent Alexander Choi 52-48.
Meanwhile, Walker’s seat is a potential Democratic pickup opportunity. Walker won the district with 55% of the vote in 2022 compared to Democratic challenger Jocelyn Vare’s 45%.
“I would say Democrats have a better pickup opportunity devoid of anything about who the specific candidates are,” Shufeldt said. “It’s a midterm election and in general the out party tends to overperform or do well. Even within Indiana, this is probably an opportunity for Democrats to have a better year than they did in 2024.”
Already, 13 candidates from both parties have filed to replace the candidates.
Shufeldt expects to see more candidates file, since it’s much harder to defeat an incumbent than it is to win an open seat. The candidate filing deadline is Feb. 6.
“That increases the chances you have to win,” Shufeldt said. “When we see open seats, we see more candidates file.”
Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@indystar.com or follow her on X @hayleighcolombo.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: With 3 open Indianapolis Senate seats, is there opportunity for Democrats?
Reporting by Hayleigh Colombo, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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