Republican incumbent Greg Pence fended off a challenger to retain his congressional seat in District 6 in Tuesday’s primary election.
He’ll face off against Democrat Cinde Wirth, who won her party’s primary, in November’s general election.
Indiana’s 6th Congressional District was recently redrawn following the 2020 Census, and will include the entirety of Johnson County this election. Previously, Johnson County was part of the 9th District, which is currently represented by Trey Hollingsworth.
Pence, of Columbus, received 76% of the votes in Johnson County, beating out James Alspach, who received 24% of votes locally. Though final numbers were not available by press time, the Associated Press called the race for Pence shortly after 8 p.m.
“I would like to thank my family, friends and supporters that put their trust in me to faithfully represent the newly-drawn 6th District, and it is a tremendous honor to be the GOP nominee. I will work tirelessly in the coming months to earn the support of my new constituents, and look forward to continuing to represent our Hoosier values in Congress,” Pence said in a statement Tuesday night.
Pence has held the 6th District seat since he was first elected in 2018.
He has served on the committees for transportation and infrastructure, as well as the committee on foreign affairs during his time in Congress. But his work on the House energy and consumer protection committee motivated him to seek reelection.
Serving on the Subcommittee on Energy has illustrated the work that needs to be done to improve the country’s energy infrastructure, he said. Pence also pledged to focus on increased consumer protection and bringing more employment opportunities to the 6th District.
In the Democratic primary, Wirth garnered 76% of the votes in Johnson County, compared to 24% from George Holland, a U.S. Air Force veteran who was running on an anti-war platform.
Wirth, an educator and small business owner from Columbus, previously ran to represent District 59 in the Indiana House of Representatives in the 2020 primary. She later ran for Indiana State Senate in District 44 in the general election that fall.
Her campaign is focused primarily on health care and ensuring Indiana residents have access to the care they need. Other issues Wirth is focused on are ensuring that jobs created in Indiana pay workers a living wage and improving the state’s air quality.
“I am truly honored by the groundswell of support that has built for my campaign. As a former high school science teacher, a small business owner, and an advocate for small family farms, I am relatable to people from all over the district,” Wirth said in a statement Tuesday. “This overwhelming win means that voters in Indiana’s 6th District believe I can beat Greg Pence in the fall. Thank you to everyone who supported me and came out to vote.”
How you voted
Democrat
George Thomas Holland: 24%
Cynthia “Cinde” Wirth: 76%
Republican
James Dean Alspach: 24%
Greg Pence: 76%
