U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz announces she's running for reelection to 5th district

Indiana U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz is running for reelection in 2024, changing course from nearly a year ago when the congresswoman announced she did not plan to seek another term representing the 5th Congressional District.

Spartz announced Monday morning she intended to file for reelection to the 5th Congressional District, ending months of speculation she might reverse her 2023 announcement that she would not seek another term in Congress. She officially filed with the Secretary of State's office on Monday afternoon.

"Deciding where your duty lies - family, work, or country, is never an easy task. Earlier last year, I decided to take some time off from running for public office to recharge and spend more time in Indiana with my family. However, looking where we are today, and urged by many of my constituents, I do not believe I would be able to deliver this Congress, with the current failed leadership in Washington, D.C., on the important issues for our nation that I have worked very hard on,” Spartz said in a released statement.

But the Noblesville congresswoman joins the race at a fairly late point, just days before the state's Feb. 9th filing deadline for the May primary and many months after other candidates entered the race to fill the once-empty 5th District seat.

That could leave her at a disadvantage in some ways, especially when it comes to fundraising. For example, Spartz raised just over $100,000 in 2023, according to federal campaign reports, while state Rep. Chuck Goodrich, who represents parts of Hamilton County, the top fundraiser of current 5th District Republican candidates, raised $699,000, according to his campaign.

It's an unusual move for an incumbent elected official to go back on the decision to not seek reelection, and a move that may lead to frustration for the Republican party and other candidates who stepped up to run in the 5th District, said Chad Kinsella, an associate professor of political science at Ball State University.

"It is kind of the unwritten rule of politics, that when you come to a decision on running again, or not running again, once that announcement is made, it's over and everybody moves on," Kinsella said.

As of Monday, 10 other Republicans filed to run for the 5th District's May primary, and appear to show no signs of backing away from the race. Some released fiery statements Monday criticizing Spartz.

“The 5th District can’t afford another two years of Victoria Spartz's flip-flopping and putting America last," Goodrich, who filed for the 5th District primary in January, said in a statement. "With woke insanity, a broken border, and out of control spending driving inflation, I will always put the people of this district first and never waiver on my conservative principles.”

Reconsidering for months

Spartz told IndyStar in December she had not officially ruled out running for reelection and was still balancing whether to take time off to be with her family or keep working in Washington D.C. She continued to tell voters she was in the process of making a decision during a town hall in Carmel in late January.

But for months before that, Spartz made several shifting statements on whether she would truly stay out of the 5th District race.

From December: Is U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz in or out? Republicans lining up to run as she weighs decision

Ahead of a government shutdown deadline in September, Spartz had a back-and-forth with former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in which McCarthy said he wished Spartz would run again and not “quit.” Spartz at the time responded in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that “his wish might come true.”

The congresswoman also in late 2023 threatened to quit Congress if lawmakers did not establish a commission to study the national debt. Spartz in early January introduced a bill to bring that topic back before federal lawmakers.

Spartz, of Noblesville, was first elected to Congress in 2020. She was reelected to the 5th District in 2022.

Who filed in the 5th

As of Monday, the Republicans who have filed for the 5th District are as follows:

• Chuck Goodrich

• Jonathan D. Brown

• Raju Chinthala

• Max Engling

• Mark Hurt

• Scott A. King

• Patrick Malayter

• LD Powell

• Larry L. Savage Jr.

• Matthew Peiffer

Some of the Republicans candidates on Monday launched attacks at Spartz and her record in Washington D.C., which could be signs of an ugly few months ahead of the May primary election.

"Congresswoman Spartz’s well-documented history of waffling on the issues and reelection campaign leaves Indiana families without a principled voice in Congress," 5th District candidate Max Engling said in a statement on Monday. "Decisive conservative leadership means standing your ground when it comes to reducing the debt, fighting for Indiana families, and getting America back on track. I’m in this race to win and the Congresswoman’s latest announcement makes me more committed than ever to stay in this race, trust the Lord, and fight for family-first policies.”

While existing candidates are already taking jabs at Spartz, she still will likely see the benefit of name recognition that comes with serving two terms in Congress, Kinsella said.

"That's one of the big benefits of being the incumbent is you are a known entity," Kinsella said.

Whoever wins the Republican primary will likely have to face a Democrat in November. As of Monday, no Democrats have filed for the race yet, per filings posted by the Secretary of State’s office. That did not stop the state party's chairman from taking aim at Spartz Monday.

“Her erratic behavior in office and her own indecisiveness threatens to end her political career," Indiana Democratic Party Chair Mike Schmuhl said in a statement Monday. "Hoosiers need real leadership in Washington, which Rep. Spartz has failed to deliver for the 5th Congressional District."

The primary election is May 7.

Contact IndyStar's state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz running for reelection to 5th district