Fall ballots for seats in the Indiana General Assembly are shaping up after a long-time incumbent beat a challenge from a “conservative advocate.”
Republican voters in Indiana Senate District 37 voted to give Rodric Bray, the Senate’s president pro tempore, a shot at another term in the office he’s held since 2012. He was facing a challenge from self-described conservative advocate Jay Hart, of Morgantown.
Bray, of Martinsville, received 2,995 votes from Johnson County voters, and while results were not final in Morgan, Putnam and Owen counties, he had a clear lead over Hart. District 37 encompasses most of White River Township and all of Union and Hensley townships in Johnson County, along with all of Morgan County and parts of Putnam and Owen counties.
Bray is running again because he’s found the work in the Senate meaningful and enjoys trying to craft policy that “makes sense” for Indiana. The top issues facing the state in Bray’s eyes include how 20% of children in third grade fail to pass IREAD-3, inflation, workforce challenges and child care affordability and access, he previously told the Daily Journal.
While Senate District 37 was the only contested race in the primary, the same cannot be said for Indiana House and Senate seats representing Johnson County in the fall. This includes S.D. 37, where Bray faces Democrat Kimberly Schofield in the November general election.
Senate
Republican incumbent Aaron Freeman will face Democrat Katrina Owens in his bid for reelection to S.D. 37, representing areas of Indianapolis and Pleasant and Clark townships in Johnson County.
Freeman is an attorney at Freeman Law and was first elected to the statehouse in 2016. Owens is a community activist and educator who wants to deliver a better Indiana for all Hoosiers, according to her website.
In S.D. 36, Republican incumbent Cyndi Carrasco will face Democrat Suzanne Fortenberry to represent residents of Greenwood and Indianapolis’ southside.
Carrasco, a southside resident, was caucused into the seat last year following the death of Sen. Jack Sandlin. She is the vice president & general counsel for the University of Indianapolis.
Fortenberry, who lives in White River Township, is the executive director of Greenwood PRIDE and is a delivery driver for FedEx. She previously ran for White River Township Trustee in 2022 but was not elected.
House
As for the other chamber of the General Assembly, three of the four House districts representing Johnson County are contested.
In House District 47, Republican incumbent Robb Greene will face Democrat Michael Potter in his bid for a second term representing a majority of southern, central and eastern Johnson County, along with Shelby County.
Greene, of Shelbyville, is a logistics consultant and was a former tech entrepreneur in Indiana’s startup community as he was part of the founding team of ClusterTruck, a technology-driven ghost kitchen. Potter, of Bargersville, is a geologist who works for a global engineering and architecture company, with Potter specializing in identifying, characterizing, and remediating chemical contamination to soil, groundwater, lakes and rivers.
For H.D. 58, Republican incumbent Michelle Davis faces a challenge in her reelection bid from Democrat Sandy James.
Davis has represented residents of Pleasant and Clark Townships since 2020, and is the director of adult education at Central Nine Career Center. James is a teacher at Greenwood Community Schools, and is the author of 25 published books.
In H.D. 60, Republican incumbent Peggy Mayfield will face Democrat Michelle Higgs in her bid for another term representing an area of White River Township in Johnson County, along with Morgan and Monroe counties.
Mayfield, of Martinsville, is the owner of an independent insurance agency, and is seeking her sixth term. Higgs, of Bloomington, is a “community leader, wife, mom of three and a Martinsville High School alumna,” according to her website.
State Rep. Craig Haggard, R-Mooresville, is the only Johnson County representative not facing an opponent this year. His district, H.D. 57, includes areas of Johnson, Hendricks and Morgan counties.
This being said, Democrats and third-party candidates could still file to run by the deadline this summer.
HOW YOU VOTED
Indiana Senate District 37
Rodric Bray: 62%
Jay Hart: 38%
