Victoria Spartz loses Indiana congressional race to Democrat Jay D. Ford
Victoria Spartz, a Republican and former Indiana state senator, lost her bid for the U.S. House to Democrat Jay D. Ford. With 99% of votes counted, Ford received 51.66% and Spartz 48.34%. The result gives Democrats their first House representative from Indiana in more than 30 years.
Key points
- Jay D. Ford defeated Victoria Spartz in Indiana’s 5th congressional district.
- With 99% of votes counted, Ford received 51.66% and Spartz 48.34%.
- Ford is a Democratic member of the Indiana Senate.
- The special election was held on November 3, 2024.
- Ford will become the first Democrat representing Indiana in the U.S. House in more than 30 years.
- Spartz was born in Nosivka, Chernihiv region, in 1978 and moved to the United States in 2000.
- Spartz initially supported Ukraine before voting against U.S. assistance packages totaling more than $60 billion.
Why it matters
Ford’s victory ended the Republican advantage in Indiana’s congressional delegation, with Democrats now holding three of its nine House seats instead of two. It was also a notable result in a district traditionally dominated by Republicans. For Ukraine, the outcome mattered because Spartz had shifted from supporting American assistance to voting against packages exceeding $60 billion and joining efforts to block additional proposals for Kyiv.
What happened
Democrat Jay D. Ford defeated Republican Victoria Spartz in the special election for Indiana’s 5th congressional district. After 99% of votes were counted, Ford had 51.66% and Spartz had 48.34%. The election took place on November 3, 2024. Ford, an Indiana state senator, will become the first Democrat to represent Indiana in the U.S. House in more than 30 years and the state’s first openly gay congressional representative.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian outlets highlighted Spartz’s Ukrainian origins and her change of position on assistance to Ukraine. They linked her electoral defeat to her votes against major aid packages and to criticism of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Background
Spartz was born in Nosivka in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region in 1978, moved to the United States in 2000 and later became a U.S. citizen. Before entering Congress, she worked in finance, taught at Indiana University and served in the Indiana Senate. Elected as a Republican in 2020, she initially supported Ukraine after Russia began its full-scale invasion and condemned the invasion in 2022. She later voted against U.S. military and financial assistance to Ukraine.