STATEHOUSE – The Indiana Rural Summit is sending at least 16 members to the Indiana General Assembly next session, showing that rural races can be competitive if qualified candidates receive training, fundraising assistance, and regional coordination.
“The November 3 election results demonstrated that political power is not fixed and districts can change,” said Indiana Rural Summit Founder Michelle Higgs. “Voters can organize. And communities that have been overlooked can make themselves heard. The work of our candidates, volunteers, and regional coalitions helped make that possible.”
Indiana Rural Summit candidates elected to the legislature include:
Indiana Senate
- Rodney Pol — SD4
- Natasha Baker — SD22
- Kristina Moorhead — SD29
Indiana House of Representatives
- Ryan Kominakis — HD4
- Randy Novak — HD9
- Charles “Chuck” Moseley — HD10
- Racheal Bleicher — HD24
- Tiffany Stoner — HD25
- Sara Gullion — HD34
- Lindsay Gramlich — HD39
- William Colteryahn — HD40
- Amy Huffman Oliver — HD62
- Wendy Dant Chesser — HD71
- Michele “Shelly” Henry — HD72
- Stephanie Jo Yocum — HD88
- Jarren Hurt — HD91
The candidate list reflects the Summit’s November 4, 2026 election update and remains subject to final election results.
The race between Indiana Rural Summit candidate Nick Marshall and Senator Chris Garten, Republicans’ choice for President Pro Tem, is currently under review and ballots are being recounted.
The 2026 election delivered significant victories over entrenched Republican leadership in the Indiana General Assembly. Four Democratic challengers defeated sitting committee chairs: Natasha Baker (Indiana Senate District 22) defeated Sen. Ron Alting (Public Policy Committee, 28 years in office); Ryan Kominakis (Indiana House District 4) defeated Rep. Ed Soliday (Utilities, Energy & Telecommunications Committee, 20 years); Stephanie Jo Yocum (Indiana House District 88) defeated Rep. Chris Jeter (Judiciary Committee, 6 years); and Indiana Rural Summit-recruited Jarren Hurt (Indiana House District 91) defeated Rep. Bob Behning (Education Committee, 34 years). Together, these four incumbents represented 88 years of legislative service. Two additional Democratic challengers defeated Republican legislative leaders: William Colteryahn (Indiana House District 40) unseated Rep. Greg Steuerwald (House Republican Caucus Chair, 19 years), while Tiffany Stoner (Indiana House District 25) defeated Rep. Becky Cash (Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee Vice Chair, 4 years). In total, six Indiana Rural Summit Democratic challengers defeated Republican incumbents holding legislative leadership positions, demonstrating that even long-established incumbents in positions of power can be held accountable at the ballot box.
The Indiana Rural Summit is a nonpartisan, statewide initiative designed to amplify the voices of rural and small-town Indiana residents and create real pathways for collaboration.
“Perhaps the most significant story isn’t simply who won, but how far districts moved,” said Higgs. “In House District 71, Wendy Dant Chesser received 63.6% of the vote, producing a Democratic victory margin of 27.2 percentage points. In House District 62, Amy Huffman Oliver received 59.3%, winning by 18.6 percentage points. Across our coalition, candidates in some of Indiana’s most difficult districts made measurable gains, even when they did not win their seats.”
One of the Indiana Rural Summit’s central strategies was built on a simple idea: candidates are stronger when campaigns work together rather than compete for limited resources. The Indiana Rural Summit created regional networks known as Power Packs that could share volunteers, visibility, organizing capacity, and voter engagement. That strategy helped propel candidates across the finish line and make races around the state more competitive.
“The relationships built this election, the volunteers activated, the candidates developed, and the communities engaged are the foundation for the next chapter,” said Higgs.
About the Indiana Rural Summit
The Indiana Rural Summit is a coalition of rural and small-town candidates, community leaders, and volunteers committed to giving rural and small-town Hoosiers a voice, a choice, and a vote. Under the motto E Pluribus Unum . . . Out of Many, One, they have flipped the script on gerrymandering, using the artificial boundaries as opportunities for organizing. The Summit invests in training, messaging support, internships, and coalition-building events — building a durable cohort of candidates and organizers who run, learn, and run again. Founded by Michelle Higgs, the Indiana Rural Summit grew out of her 2024 campaign for House District 60 and now supports candidates across rural Indiana.
