J.D. Ford won Senate District 29 away from Republican control. Now he is leaving it, a Democrat running for Congress against U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, and the seat is open.
The district takes in Carmel, Zionsville and the west side of Marion County down to U.S. 36. Voters there will choose between two people who know state government. John Ruckelshaus, a Republican, served in the Indiana Senate from 2016 to 2020. Kristina Moorhead, a Democrat, is a former deputy state Medicaid director.
Where they agree
Both put the cost of living first. Each wants to repeal the 7% sales tax on utilities, and each wants to change how property taxes are figured. Ruckelshaus would have lawmakers rethink how the state sets property values. Moorhead goes further and would tie property taxes to inflation instead of home values.
Data centers draw agreement too. Both want tougher rules, and both want local governments to be able to pause new projects. Ruckelshaus points to Marion County’s current ban as a model. He also wants “closed loop” water systems that do not touch local water utilities, and wants operators to pay for all infrastructure upgrades. Moorhead would require public input on any proposal and backs “community benefit” rules, such as minimum wages or payment for utility upgrades.
Child care
Gov. Mike Braun has named child care a top priority for the 2027 budget session. Moorhead wants to widen who qualifies for vouchers. “By providing access to vouchers, we provide an opportunity for employment, we provide employers the opportunity to hire workers, and we also provide our children a really great opportunity to start early learning,” she said.
Ruckelshaus prefers tax breaks for parents and ways to help businesses run their own child care centers. “I’m a former employer, a co-owner of several small businesses, so I get it, it’s part of workforce,” he said. He called it one of the biggest challenges and expenses for young families.
Medicaid
Moorhead objects to the loss of programs that pay family caregivers through Medicaid and wants back the funding lawmakers cut in 2025. She calls the new work requirements “excessive.” Many people who can work only can once the state deals with their long-term health problems, she says, and most Medicaid recipients able to work already do.
Ruckelshaus does not think government can fix Indiana’s Medicaid problems alone and wants private businesses and charities involved. Still, he said the legislature’s recent cuts went too deep.
Early voting begins Oct. 6. Election Day is Nov. 3.
