U.S. Rep. André Carson is facing three challengers in the Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District.
Carson has held the seat since 2007. He was born and raised on the east side of Indianapolis.
In Indianapolis, he hosts an annual jobs fair, counts securing federal funding for lead pipe replacement, workforce training programs and new IndyGo buses among his recent wins. In Congress, Carson serves on committees related to intelligence, strategy related to the Chinese Communist Party, and transportation and infrastructure.
He is Indiana’s only Black legislator on the federal level and one of just four Muslims in Congress.
Prior to joining Congress, he worked for the Indiana State Excise Police and the state’s Department of Homeland Security. He served briefly on the City-County Council.
Carson is being challenged by three candidates:
- George Hornedo, 35, is a lawyer and political strategist. He’s served on the Indiana Democratic Party’s State Central Committee. He also served on former President Barack Obama’s 2012 inaugural committee and advised former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg during his 2020 presidential run.
- Destiny Wells, 42, is a former deputy attorney general for Indiana who served in the U.S. Army Reserve.
- Denise Paul Hatch, 66, is a former Center Township constable for Marion County Small Claims Court. She was removed from that office after pleading guilty to official misconduct, a felony.
Indiana 7th District Republican primary
Patrick McAuley is facing Felipe Rios in the Republican primary for the 7th District.
Indiana 6th District Republican primary
U.S. Rep. Jefferson Shreve is facing Sarah Janisse Brown to be the Republican nominee for the 6th District.
Shreve, a first-term member of Congress, sailed to victory in 2024 after defeating six candidates in a crowded Republican primary. He served on the City-County Council for six years and ran an unsuccessful campaign for mayor of Indianapolis in 2023.
In Congress, he sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. He touts securing funding for County Road 144 in Bargersville and improving performance at the Indianapolis USPS hub among his accomplishments.
Brown, an author and mother of 15, said she was moved to challenge Shreve out of a “responsibility to steward the American Dream and pass the torch to the future generations.”
Indiana 6th District Democratic primary
Four candidates are competing to be the Democratic nominee for the 6th District.
- William Kory Amyx has spent more than two decades helping families navigate financial aid for higher education.
- Nicholas Frederick Baker has been an attorney for more than 20 years. He’s argued on cases related to the rights of Marines exposed to contaminants at Camp Lejeune.
- David Lawrence Boyd is a licensed catastrophe insurance adjuster and former federal officer with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He’s also worked as a field representative for the U.S. Census Bureau.
- Cynthia Wirth spent more than 10 years teaching high school biology and environmental science. She served as a congressional fellow in Washington, D.C. from 2018 to 2019.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Emily Hopkins is a senior reporter at Mirror Indy. You can reach them by phone or Signal at 317-790-5268 or email at emily.hopkins@mirrorindy.org. Follow them on most social media @indyemapolis or on Bluesky @emilyhopkins.bsky.social.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
