Stoner, Cole, and Gramlich defeat Republican incumbents in Indiana House districts
Three Democrat challengers unseated Republican officeholders in Central Indiana, including House Speaker Todd Houston, ending a 14-year supermajority.
By Luca Harrison ·
Democrats seized control of key legislative seats in Indiana on Tuesday, ending a 14-year Republican supermajority in the state House. The party defeated three Republican incumbents in Central Indiana districts, a shift that breaks the two-thirds threshold the GOP held since 2012.
Tiffany Stoner won House District 25 with 63.2% of the vote, defeating incumbent Becky Cash. The district covers Zionsville, Whitestown, and parts of Boone and Hendricks counties. Stoner lost the same race by 64 votes in 2024. Lauren Cole defeated House Speaker Todd Houston in House District 37, a Hamilton County seat spanning Fishers, Cicero, and Arcadia. Houston had served as speaker since 2020 and held the seat since 2012.
Lindsay Gramlich also defeated Republican incumbent Danny Lopez in House District 39, which includes portions of Carmel and Westfield. Both Cole and Gramlich are new to public office. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee identified all three races as targets in May, aiming to flip six statehouse seats to shift the balance of power.
In the state Senate, Republicans retained their advantage despite Democratic gains in other chambers. Spencer Deery won reelection in Senate District 23 with 53.8% of the vote, securing a second term in a district covering Tippecanoe, Montgomery, Vermillion, Parke, Warren, and Fountain counties. Deery survived a contentious primary after opposing President Donald Trump's push to redraw congressional districts. He won the primary by three votes, a margin that forced a recount and a decision by the Indiana Supreme Court.
Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal took Senate District 31 with 57.6% of the vote, defeating Republican Juanita Albright. The seat, which includes the northeast corner of Indianapolis and parts of Fishers, was last held by Democrat Kyle Walker. Walker retired after serving since 2016, when he replaced Jim Merritt. Forestal is term-limited as sheriff and sought the state senate seat after Walker announced his departure.
The legislative changes follow a period of internal party conflict over redistricting. About a dozen Republican lawmakers opposed the administration's demand to favor GOP candidates in congressional maps. Trump subsequently backed challengers against those who resisted, a strategy that succeeded in some races but not others. The final results reflect a mixed outcome for both parties across the statehouse chambers.
