Candidate Statement
I’m running for Congress because working families are being squeezed from every direction — rising costs, stagnant wages, and a system that no longer feels fair. My focus is simple: lower costs, help families keep more of what they earn, and restore balance so the system works for everyday Americans again. I’m a healthcare professional, husband, and father — not a career politician — and I see firsthand how financial stress impacts families. We need practical, common-sense solutions that bring people together and actually improve people’s lives.
Education
Logan University-Doctorate in Chiropractic-2003
Occupational background
Chiropractor
Political Office(s) Held in the Past
None
The most important issue facing the United States today is affordability. Working families are being squeezed by rising costs for housing, groceries, healthcare, and energy, while wages haven’t kept pace.
I would focus on lowering costs and restoring balance. That includes allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices to bring down healthcare costs, expanding domestic energy production to stabilize fuel prices, and increasing housing supply to reduce rent and home prices.
I also support eliminating interest on federal student loans so borrowers pay back what they borrowed—not years of added interest—and reforming the tax code so working families keep more of what they earn while closing loopholes that benefit the very top.
We don’t need more political fighting—we need practical solutions that make everyday life more affordable.
I would rate our democracy a 4. Our elections are secure and fair, and our institutions are strong. The bigger issue today is declining trust.
Congress should focus on transparency, accountability, and fairness to rebuild that trust. That includes requiring financial transparency and independent audits for elected officials, enforcing clear ethics rules, and making campaign finance more transparent so voters know who is funding campaigns.
We should continue to protect election integrity by maintaining accurate voter rolls, supporting voter ID with free and easy access to identification, and ensuring every eligible vote is counted.
Restoring trust also means lowering the temperature in Washington and focusing on real solutions that improve people’s lives.
The United States should lead with strength, stability, and common sense—promoting peace through deterrence while avoiding unnecessary conflicts.
I support maintaining a strong military to protect our interests and support our allies, while being cautious about long-term military engagements that put American lives and resources at risk without clear objectives.
We should prioritize diplomacy, economic partnerships, and strategic alliances to prevent conflicts before they start. At the same time, we must hold adversaries accountable when they threaten global stability.
At home, we also need to be responsible with taxpayer dollars. Endless spending abroad without clear results puts added pressure on working families here.
America should lead—but with discipline, clear goals, and a focus on keeping our country safe and strong.
As a healthcare provider, I see firsthand how rising costs and limited access impact patients and their families. Too many people delay care, skip medications, or go without treatment because they simply can’t afford it.
I support allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices to lower prescription costs and reducing administrative burdens that drive up expenses across the system.
Mental health must also be treated as healthcare. Right now, too many individuals struggling with mental health or substance use are pushed into the criminal justice system instead of receiving treatment. I support expanding access to community-based care, crisis response teams, and treatment programs as alternatives to incarceration.
By focusing on affordability, access, and treating root causes, we can improve outcomes, reduce costs, and help people stay healthy and productive.
Indiana communities—especially rural areas—need practical support that strengthens local economies and lowers costs.
I support investing in infrastructure like roads, broadband, and utilities so small towns can grow and compete. Expanding high-speed internet is critical for education, healthcare access, and small business development.
For agriculture, we must protect family farms by ensuring fair markets, reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, and expanding access to risk management tools and crop insurance.
I also support policies that promote job growth by helping small businesses start, hire, and expand—along with workforce training focused on skilled trades and local industry needs.
Strong communities are built locally. Congress should support Indiana by making it easier to live, work, and grow a business—whether you’re in a small town or a growing suburb.
Candidate Statement
State Senator J.D. Ford is a two-term legislator who made history as the first out-serving member of the Indiana General Assembly by unseating a 13-year incumbent who led the charge to ban same-sex marriage. By flipping a long-held red district through a focus on community service over status, J.D. proved that values transcend partisanship. Now, he is running for Congress to bring that same people-focused leadership to Washington. J.D. entered the Statehouse as a rare kind of public servant: one with a part-time job. Not independently wealthy, he knows firsthand the weight of rising healthcare costs and higher grocery bills. Throughout his time in the Senate, he has spent his career fighting to lower the cost of medication, protecting reproductive freedom, and defending public education. The son of a union truck driver and an assisted living administrator, J.D.’s values are rooted in the idea that government should work for those who keep society moving. He was the first in his family
Education
Purdue University Northwest - master’s in education : University of Akron - bachelor’s in criminal justice
Occupational background
Indiana State Senator
Political Office(s) Held in the Past
Indiana State Senator Representing District 29
Campaign Phone (public)
7653762773
The most important domestic issue facing the United States today is a total collapse of accountability. The President is supposed to answer to Congress and Congress answers to the people. Instead, we have "corporate socialism" where our leaders answer global donors and CEOs instead of constituents. While families struggle with rising costs, we’re giving government handouts to billionaires who replace jobs with AI and exploit taxpayer-funded subsidies.
I will fight for:
Reclaiming Congressional Authority: We must end executive overreach that drags us into conflicts, without congressional approval. We’re all paying too much for gas because one person decided to start a war. We are literally paying for his lack of planning.
Lowering Healthcare Costs: I will work to hold healthcare and pharmaceutical companies accountable for their premiums, coverage and prescription prices by passing cost-saving measures on to the consumer and not directly into executives’ pockets.
Protecting American Job
3
The foundations of our democracy are resilient, but the threat lies in the individuals who prioritize power over people. In my eight years as a State Senator, I’ve seen that our systems fail when leaders bypass rules or hide from the public. Congress must reassert its constitutional oversight to ensure no one treats the Constitution like an obstacle to personal enrichment.
The United States should serve as an anchor for global stability by adhering to our existing treaties and international pacts. When we honor our standing agreements, we strengthen the alliances that keep Hoosier families safe. In Congress, I will support the full restoration of USAID to ensure we are using diplomacy and humanitarian aid as our first line of defense, rather than defaulting to unauthorized conflicts that cost us $1 billion every day.
Healthcare is a bridge to stability, not a luxury for the few. I have seen how high prescription costs and unaddressed mental health crises in our jails drain local budgets and tear families apart. In Congress, I will fight to make healthcare subsidies permanent to prevent premium spikes and support diverting mental health cases from our criminal justice system into specialized care, ensuring that our tax dollars are invested in long-term recovery rather than the revolving door of incarceration.
We must prioritize infrastructure that bridges the gap between our rural breadbasket and our growing suburban hubs. As a State Senator, I have fought against the corporate socialism that subsidizes corporations while our local farmers and small businesses are squeezed by rising utility and energy costs. In Congress, I will advocate for a Farm Bill that prioritizes family-owned operations over corporate conglomerates and push for expanded rural broadband and healthcare access, ensuring that Hoosier voices in our most remote corners are never sidelined by Washington's special interests.
Candidate Statement
This is a grassroots progressive campaign that is unapologetically fighting for the working class, not the donor class. We stand with the principles that the government must codify women’s rights as human rights, trans rights as human rights, LGBTQ+, immigrants, veterans, and all other rights that the current administration is fighting to roll back. We fight for what is right for the sake of it being right. This campaign will never take any corporate PAC money, and is the proud continuation of the political Revolution of Bernie Sanders and AOC
Education
American Military University, American History
Occupational background
Combat medic in the US Army, Registered Paramedic
Political Office(s) Held in the Past
N/A
Campaign Phone (public)
765-273-2058
I see that one of the largest issues that we are facing in this nation is that working people are getting crushed and struggling to get by while large corporations rake in record breaking profits. Working families struggle to pay for the necessities like healthcare, housing, education, groceries and more, while these corporations jack up the prices all to pad the pockets of the billionaire CEOs. The system is rigged, and we pay for it with our lives.
Once in Congress, I will continue to fight to ban corporate price gouging, fight to expand our healthcare to have universal coverage in a Medicare for all system, build millions of affordable homes across the nation and cap rent increases, and strengthen unions the likes of which this nation has never seen starting with passing the PRO Act (Protect the Right to Organize) which will ban the so called “Right to work” for less laws nationwide which has crushed unions.
No more of a profits over people system, we need “People Over Profits!”
2/5
Our democracy is not only under grave threat from the current regime, which it is, but it already crumbling and broken to serve the interests of large corporate lobbyists and wealthy special interests groups. To have a healthy democracy, we must remove money out of politics. As your representative, I will continue to fight to:
- Overturn Citizens United / Ban corporate PACs + Special interests and move to public funding of elections
- Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act
- End partisan gerrymandering
- Ban members of Congress from trading stocks
- Have ranked choice voting to have healthy 3rd parties. No more voting for “the lesser evil”
Our politicians should answer to us voters, not billionaires and large corporations. If money equals “free speech” as Citizens United claims, then whoever has the most money in our democracy has the loudest voice, and that is no democracy, that is oligarchy and we must fight it! We need a system that represents all Americans not just the top 1%
The US needs to lead with diplomacy, not endless war and arming and funding of genocides.
We are not closer to having universal school meals in this nation by bombing elementary schools overseas.
And we will not get closer to having affordable healthcare over here by bombing hospitals over there!
We must end the immoral and illegal wars overseas and must stop supporting terrorism against the people across the Middle East and elsewhere. For years the US has funded Israel’s genocide in Gaza and now in Lebanon and the destruction of Iran. This must stop immediately.
As your congressman, I will fight to:
- End the wars overseas
- Send humanitarian aid to the places that need it (Ex: Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon, Ukraine, Iran, Cuba)
- Cease all military aid to Israel immediately
- Cut the bloated military budget and spend that money to fund programs to help us here at home
Real strength is building peace and bridges, not destroying diplomacy and fueling conflict.
Healthcare is a human right. Period.
As a paramedic that has worked on the ambulance I have seen firsthand the worst of this “wealthcare” system that of course prioritizes the profits of a few on top while we working people literally pay for it with our lives.
On the ambulance, I have transferred people from the hospital back to their homes to die because they didn’t have health insurance and did not want to put their families in medical bankruptcy. That’s why I am fighting for:
- MEDICARE FOR ALL
- We must also let Medicare negotiate drug prices down and cap the cost of insulin and other lifesaving drugs
- Guarantee women’s reproductive healthcare as a human right and that women control their own bodies! Codify it
- Mental healthcare is a human right. That’s why I am fighting to include all mental healthcare in the Medicare for all system
- We must end the criminalization, discrimination, and stigmatization against those with mental illnesses and fully fund crisis response teams
Indiana has been overlooked while large corporations send our jobs away and working people struggle. We are a rust belt state and Hoosiers deserve to be invested in and bring our jobs back.
Once in Congress, I will continue to fight for:
- Major investment in our rural communities, including building universal broadband/internet, developing better infrastructure, and investing in clean energy jobs for rural communities.
- Strong anti-trust enforcement to protect family farms from monopolies/ large corporations that own the market
- Fair prices that support farmers not just the agribusiness giants
- Bringing back manufacturing jobs with pro-worker / pro-union trade policies.
- Funding of local schools, hospitals and small businesses and end the greed of the large corporations
Our communities are demanding to stop being stabbed in the back by billionaires and politicians that send our jobs away and deny us fair wages. I’m the one that will stand up for workers and fight back
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Candidate Statement
Victoria Spartz has forfeited her constitutional authority to President Trump and has therefore violated her oath of office. She has surrendered the power over appropriations, of oversight, and waging war that the voters if the Fifth District reserved for her as our representative. She is simply not doing her job. I will give the voters of this district their voices back, and to return those powers to the Congress where they belong.
Education
University of Notre Dame, B.A.
Occupational background
Small business owner
Political Office(s) Held in the Past
None.
Campaign Phone (public)
3176897071
The concentration of wealth is a huge problem for the future health of our country. Over the past 50 years, worker productivity has risen by 100% while wages have only increased by 33%. Workers are being shut out of those productivity gains and the money they have generated has been shifted upward. Workers need to be paid fairly for their labor, and until they are, that gap will persist. It is essential that the gap be narrowed and that we regrow the middle class.
We must raise the minimum wage so no one who works full-time lives in poverty. We need to make affordable childcare available to everyone, so families don’t have to choose between work and raising children. We need to reduce the cost of health care so that families aren’t at risk of bankruptcy when someone gets sick.
I would say we are at 2, and trending in the wrong direction. For fifty years, the Executive Branch has been grabbing power for itself while the Congress has willingly let them do it. It has been disastrous for our democracy. As the branch closest to the voters, Congress must take that power back. An unaccountable Executive Branch, coupled with corporate and media consolidation, have started us down the road to autocracy.
Congress must reassert its Article 1 authority over appropriations and war-making to constrain not just this President, but the Presidency.
The United States should be the engine that powers global peace, security, and prosperity. Doing so is in our best interest. We can accomplish this by strengthening our global alliances and, with those allies, projecting unified opposition to the nations who would disrupt that American-led international order. President Trump has insulted our allies abroad and weakened or ability protect our interests. Congress must reclaim the power they have forfeited and repair the damage he has done.
This issue is personal to me, as my wife and I have been battling insurance companies for the past 24 years as we have fought for the care that our 24-year-old son with special needs requires. I believe that health care is a human right and that the richest country in the history of the world should be able to guarantee efficient, affordable care for everyone. We need to build on the success of Obamacare and move the system toward true universal coverage, whatever form that may take. I think the logical next step is a public option that puts insurance companies in competition with national not-for-profit public insurance. By removing the profit motive, costs will come down across the entire system as private insurance companies work to compete.
We have all felt the pressure being put on our families by the Trump economy. Everything costs more and it feels like there’s no end in sight. One of my first actions in office will be to introduce legislation to eliminate the illegal Trump tariffs that have drastically raised costs for Indiana farmers, builders, and small businesses. Along those lines, I will work to enact “right to repair” laws so farmers aren’t held hostage by a manufacturer when a key piece of equipment goes down. Farmers need the tools to compete.
We also must modernize our utility and communications infrastructure so rural communities can more easily connect, grow, and prosper. These improvements should be made with the focus squarely on the people who live in those communities, not out-of-state tech giants who drive up our electric bills and pollute our water.
Candidate Statement
I'm ready to protect the constitution and hold leaders accountable for their actions.
Education
Executive MBA Purdue University, Project Management Professional (PMP)
Occupational background
Business Transformation and Technology Leader
Campaign Phone (public)
765-412-4850
The top three issues facing the United States today are government accountability, immigration reform, and healthcare reform. First, Congress must investigate corruption and misuse of taxpayer funds at the highest levels of government. No president or administration is above the law, and when credible evidence of misconduct exists, Congress has a duty to investigate and hold leaders accountable. Second, we need practical immigration reform. Our current system is overly complex, expensive, and slow. We should create a clearer, more efficient path to citizenship while maintaining secure borders and ensuring enforcement agencies operate with transparency and oversight. Finally, healthcare reform is critical. Americans pay more for healthcare than any other developed nation, yet many families still struggle to afford care. I support universal Medicare for All to expand access, control costs, and ensure that no American faces financial hardship simply to receive basic medical treatment.
1 (not secure). American democracy depends on transparency, accountability, and respect for the Constitution. In recent years, concerns about corruption, misuse of taxpayer funds, and conflicts of interest have raised serious questions about whether our leaders are being held to the same standards expected of everyday Americans. The Constitution clearly prohibits bribery and the acceptance of improper gifts by public officials, yet enforcement and oversight is missing. Several examples include the $1B plane from Qatar, $40B to Argentina, and $20B to Israel. I also support meaningful campaign finance reform so that corporate money and special interests cannot dominate our elections. Establishing clear and consistent campaign spending limits for federal offices would help reduce corruption, restore trust in government, and ensure elected officials remain accountable to the people, not to wealthy donors or outside influence.
The United States should play a responsible leadership role in promoting global stability, diplomacy, and respect for international law. Lasting peace is best achieved through strong alliances, open dialogue, and cooperation with international partners. The U.S. should prioritize diplomacy, economic partnerships, and humanitarian support while maintaining a strong national defense to deter threats. Investing in global development, public health, and conflict prevention helps address the root causes of instability and reduces the likelihood of war. At the same time, Congress must maintain oversight of foreign spending and military actions to ensure they serve the interests of the American people and global security. By leading through diplomacy, accountability, and cooperation, the United States can help promote peace, protect human rights, and strengthen international stability.
Access to affordable healthcare is one of the most urgent social issues facing Americans today. Families should not be forced into financial hardship simply to receive basic medical care or fill a prescription. I support a universal Medicare for All system that would expand coverage, reduce administrative costs, and allow the federal government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. This would help ensure that every American can access the care they need without fear of bankruptcy. Mental health must also be treated as a healthcare priority rather than solely a criminal justice issue. Expanding access to mental health services and community-based treatment can reduce incarceration, improve public safety, and help individuals receive the support they need to recover and live productive lives.
I would support Indiana communities by advocating for policies that strengthen local economies, support farmers, and invest in both rural and urban infrastructure. This includes expanding access to broadband and modern technology for rural areas, promoting responsible agricultural programs that help Hoosier farmers thrive, and encouraging small business growth through targeted economic development initiatives. I would work to ensure federal resources are used efficiently, transparently, and in ways that directly benefit communities. By combining practical solutions with accountable leadership, I aim to create jobs, improve quality of life, and empower Indiana families to succeed while preserving the values that make our state strong.
Candidate Statement
My campaign is about protecting and preserving Democracy, fighting for reproductive and personal rights, and advocating for an efficient and effective federal government that honors its commitments to Hoosiers and Americans.
Education
Bachelor of Science, Skidmore College, 1981
Occupational background
I served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a behavioral science specialist with the 55th Medical Detachment, and then as an intelligence analyst with the 21st Support Command in Indianapolis, Indiana. I have always had a deep interest in public policy issues and first worked for a small non-governmental organization, The Center for Integrative Development (CID), after graduating from college. Its mission was to assist developing countries build their educational expertise and capacity with new and renewable sources of energy technologies. Later, I worked at Hudson Institute, a public policy research organization, on their international economic and trade studies. I have managed and overseen large financial assets as a Trustee.
Political Office(s) Held in the Past
None
Campaign Phone (public)
463-328-3972
The top domestic policy challenge is the attack on our democratic institutions by those who swore to protect them. Our U.S. Constitution and government framework help us resolve disputes, find compromise, and develop smart policies. Infrastructure upgrades, responsible implementation and oversight of Artificial Intelligence, environmental degradation, and financial commitments to Seniors, Veterans, Americans and U.S. allies are issues that need fair and just solutions that balance conflicting needs. Too many elected officials defy and abuse this system resulting in the loss of public trust in it. I will honor the U.S. Constitution and work with others within our government framework to solve our challenges.
Our democracy and democratic institutions have been under siege by those in positions of power. I rate our security a 3. This score would be lower if the Democrats had not fought hard to counter this trend. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and 5o years of precedent to roll back women's reproductive rights. They also overturned the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling to uphold Section 3, of the 14th Amendment regarding Mr. Trump. Numerous current, elected public office holders have used their position to amplify and legitimize lies and false information about the 2020 election process and results. These actions violate the U.S. Constitution, sow public mistrust, and reduce support for our democracy and democratic institutions.
The United States should continue its critical leadership role in building global peace and security through its humanitarian outreach and military presence. This role is most effective when the United States works in concert with its European and Asian Pacific allies to counter the military aggression of Russia and China, protect global sea shipping lanes, and coordinate the delivery of aid to people suffering from the ravages of war, famine, and natural disasters. Of vital importance is the steady and reliable presence of U.S. military personnel and State Department officials serving in foreign countries with the intent of allowing democratic institutional structures to develop and take hold in nascent democracies.
Important social issues like healthcare access, prescription drug costs and mental health in the criminal justice system are important priorities for many of my constituents. Unfortunately, they have been ignored or reversed under the current administration which has been busy consolidating power through unconstitutional means and waging war without Congressional authority. Fortunately, lowering the cost of prescription drugs was a priority of the Biden administration and Mr. Trump has allowed negotiations for lower drug prices to continue. While fundamental health care reform is being undertaken by the next Congress to simplify the system, I support short term solutions like reinstating health care subsidies for those individuals who own small businesses and do not qualify for Medicare, Medicaid or employer's insurance; and raising the income threshold for Medicaid qualification to include more families and individuals in need of physical and mental health care.
Currently, many Indiana farmers and manufacturers are struggling with higher costs compelled by a punitive tariff policy imposed by the Trump administration. Fertilizer costs have gone up while markets for their products have vanished. Ironically, Mr. Trump's war in Iran has spiked the demand for ethanol and farmers who have been storing corn and soybeans are getting higher prices for these crops used in the production of ethanol. As gas prices have risen so has the demand for ethanol. But higher prices does not fully offset the high cost of farming or manufacturing due to tariffs or lost markets. Trump's immigration policy and deportation actions have also had a damaging impact on industries like agriculture and manufacturing that struggle with labor shortages. Removal of tariffs and reforming our besieged immigration system will help Indiana's rural areas and hopefully spur economic development.
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