Republican Representative Victoria Spartz is running for reelection after all.
On Monday, Spatz announced she would be seeking another term for her seat representing the 5th Congressional District in Indiana. That’s a reversal from her position last year, when she said she would not be seeking reelection.
In February of 2023, Spartz said she’d be stepping aside from Congress to spend more time with her family.
Things have apparently changed over the last year, though, as she said she doesn’t believe that her work in Congress is done yet.
As Spartz announced in a statement:
“Looking where we are today, and urged by many of my constituents, I do not believe I would be able to deliver this Congress, with the current failed leadership in Washington, D.C., on the important issues for our nation that I have worked very hard on.”
Spartz, who was born in Ukraine, narrowly won her seat in Congress for the first time back in 2020. That was an election that cost her campaign a lot of money, as it was a tightly-contested race.
She then won reelection in 2022 by garnering 61% of the vote after a redistricting plan in the state was put in place by the Republican-led leadership.
In her statement, Spartz made reference to her heritage when she said:
“As someone who grew up under tyranny, I understand the significance of these challenging times for our Republic, and if my fellow Hoosiers and God decide, I will be honored to continue fighting for them.”
The reelection race she enters now probably looks a lot different than it would have if she didn’t announce last year that she wasn’t running.
There are nine other Republican candidates who have filed the necessary paperwork with the Secretary of State to enter the election. The Secretary of State’s office posted public filings this week that showed no Democrat has filed to run for Spartz’s seat.
This means that Spartz isn’t an automatic to get through the primary election in her party, though if she does, she’ll basically automatically win the seat in the general election.
Even if Spartz does retain her seat, Indiana will be sending at least three new members to Congress next year.
Last month, Republican Representatives Greg Pence — the brother of former Vice President Mike Pence — and Larry Bucshon said they wouldn’t be seeking reelection this year.
In addition, Republican Senator Mike Braun will not be seeking reelection to the upper chamber, as he is running for the governorship in Indiana. Representative Jim Banks has already announced that he will be running for the Senate seat that Braun will be vacating.
Things can still change in the election for Spartz’s seat and any others in Indiana, as the state’s deadline to file for election and appear on the 2024 primary ballot is this Friday.
Much more will be known at that time, for Spartz and all others seeking to represent Indiana in both the state and federal governments.
