The Race
Indiana State Senate District 31 covers the northeastern corner of Indianapolis and the Fishers area in Hamilton County -- specifically the city of Fishers, the Geist reservoir community, and parts of Lawrence Township in Marion County. It spans portions of Marion, Hamilton, and Hancock counties. [1]
This is one of Indiana's few politically competitive state senate seats. In 2018, long-time Republican Sen. Jim Merritt barely survived a challenge from Democrat Derek Camp, winning 51.4% to 48.6% -- a margin of just 1,609 votes. [2] After Merritt retired, the Republican caucus appointed Kyle Walker to fill the seat in 2020. Walker won election in 2022 with 55.4% against Democrat Jocelyn Vare's 44.6% -- more comfortable than Merritt's squeaker, but still well below the 70%+ margins that characterize most Indiana senate seats. [3]
Walker is not seeking reelection. His departure is wrapped up in Indiana's bitterly divisive mid-decade redistricting fight. Walker publicly opposed the proposed GOP redraw of Indiana's congressional maps, stating that 93% of his constituents opposed it. He was subsequently targeted by swatting attacks -- fraudulent emergency calls designed to trigger armed police responses at his home. He also resigned from his position as executive vice president of MO Strategies, a political consulting firm. Walker joins Sens. Eric Bassler and Greg Walker as Republican redistricting opponents who are leaving the Legislature. [4]
The open seat has attracted the largest field of any Indiana state senate race in 2026: eight candidates, four in each primary. The May 5, 2026 primaries will narrow each side to one nominee for the November 3 general election. [5]
Historically, this is an expensive district. Campaign spending in the 2022 cycle alone totaled $1.9 million. [1] Both primaries will require candidates to raise and spend real money.
Republican Primary
Four Republicans are competing for the nomination. Two -- Albright and Ditlevson -- have significant institutional support and local government experience in Fishers. Hankins brings statewide political network experience but is not from the district. Keefer is a late entrant with deep Lawrence Township roots.
Juanita Albright
Physician, HSE School Board President, Fishers
Dr. Juanita Albright is a physician who has practiced medicine and lived in Fishers for more than 20 years. She is the president of the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board, arguably the most prominent local elected position among any candidate in either primary. Her husband, Eric, is a pediatric pathologist. She has been especially focused on healthcare challenges facing older Hoosiers and was appointed by Mayor Scott Fadness to the Fishers Senior Center Committee. [6]
Albright filed on January 7, 2026 -- the first day of the filing window -- signaling an organized, well-prepared campaign. Her platform centers on lowering inflation and the cost of living, fiscal responsibility, quality education, and public safety. [6]
Endorsements: U.S. Senator Jim Banks, Americans for Prosperity, Indiana State Police Alliance, Indiana Chamber of Commerce. [7] This is the broadest endorsement portfolio of any candidate in either primary. The Banks endorsement connects her to the Trump-aligned wing of Indiana Republican politics. Americans for Prosperity signals libertarian-conservative economic credibility. The Indiana Chamber endorsement is a marker of establishment business-community support. The State Police Alliance endorsement is notable given that she's running against a field that includes a sitting sheriff on the other side.
Assessment: Albright is the frontrunner in the Republican primary. She has the most endorsements, the most prominent local government role, and the deepest institutional support. Her combination of HSE School Board leadership (which gives her name recognition across the district's fastest-growing community) and the Banks/AFP endorsement coalition puts her in a strong position.
Tiffanie Ditlevson
Fishers City Council at-large member, Air Force veteran, Fishers
Tiffanie Ditlevson serves as an at-large member of the Fishers City Council. She is a former U.S. Air Force major and combat veteran. After the 9/11 attacks, she was stationed at Masirah Air Base, Oman, where as the Services Commander in "tent city," she led 72 military and 53 foreign employees in the implementation and execution of a $12 million support structure for 10,000 combat soldiers. [8]
She holds a Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where she earned her Air Force commission. She is 50 years old and has lived in Fishers for 16 years. In civilian life, she works as a real estate professional and is principal of Tiffanie Strategies and Solutions. Her community involvement includes the Hamilton East Public Library Board of Trustees, co-chair of the Fishers GOP Club, and past commander of VFW Post 1120. [8]
Her campaign priorities include keeping more money in Hoosiers' pockets, smart infrastructure investments, strengthening public safety, ensuring a strong return on education dollars, and protecting quality of life. She described herself as offering "proven leadership and a nuanced perspective -- someone who understands the challenges that come with growth and knows how to deliver results." [9]
Endorsements: Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, who called her a "proven, results-focused leader." [10]
Assessment: Ditlevson is the second-strongest Republican candidate. The Fadness endorsement is significant -- he is one of the most popular Republican officials in the district's population center. Her military service and council experience give her a credible resume, and her deep roots in Fishers civic life make her a serious contender. The question is whether the Fadness endorsement alone can match Albright's broader coalition. Ditlevson and Albright are competing for the same Fishers establishment vote, which could split that base.
Travis Hankins
Financial technology sales executive, former congressional candidate, Columbus
Travis Hankins, 44, was born in Columbus, Indiana and graduated from Indiana University in 2004. He also attended Kanakuk Bible Institute. He has run for federal office twice before: for Indiana's 9th Congressional District in 2010 and Indiana's 6th Congressional District in 2012, where he received 29.5% in the primary, losing to Luke Messer. [11]
Hankins founded and launched the "Draft Mike Pence for President Campaign" and served as Senior Field Representative for the Leadership Institute. He established Hankins Properties in 2005 and currently works as a financial technology sales executive. [11]
He identifies as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican" and states his intent to "unite the Republican Party under our values of faith, family and freedom." His three priorities are capping property taxes, stopping illegal immigration, and creating high-paying jobs. At a Butler University Turning Point USA event, he advocated for ICE presence in jails, dismissed racial profiling concerns as "fear mongering," and expressed support for the SAVE America Act and political term limits. His wife is from the Philippines and went through the five-year legal naturalization process, which he contrasts with undocumented border crossings. [12]
Endorsements: None publicly identified.
Assessment: Hankins is the most ideologically conservative candidate in the Republican field. His prior congressional campaigns and Leadership Institute ties give him activist-network connections, but he is from Columbus -- not from the district -- which is a significant liability in a state legislative primary. The Pence connection may not carry the weight it once did in a party that has moved toward Trump. His lack of local government experience and absence of district-based endorsements put him at a disadvantage against Albright and Ditlevson.
Jan Keefer
Family law attorney, Lawrence Township
Jan Keefer is an attorney and Lawrence Township resident who filed for the race on March 5, 2026 -- the latest entrant among all eight candidates. She has spent 35 years practicing family law after earning her law degree from Indiana University's McKinney School of Law. Prior to law, she had a sales career with AT&T. Her husband, Jack, is a former Lawrence North High School basketball coach. [13]
She has been active with the Lawrence Township School Foundation, Fishers Art Council, and Community Health Network Foundation. Her campaign platform includes fiscal responsibility, infrastructure investment, economic development, education and educator support, pro-adoption policies, border security, and supporting law enforcement. [13]
Endorsements: None publicly identified.
Assessment: Keefer is a late entrant without prominent endorsements, but she brings something the other three Republican candidates lack: deep roots in the Lawrence Township/Marion County portion of the district. While Albright, Ditlevson, and Hankins are all competing for Fishers/Hamilton County votes, Keefer's Lawrence base could give her a lane of her own -- if that slice of the district's Republican electorate is large enough to matter. Her 35-year legal career and community involvement give her credibility, but the late filing and absence of institutional backing make an upset unlikely.
Democratic Primary
The Democratic primary features a clear frontrunner in Kerry Forestal, whose name recognition and institutional stature as Marion County Sheriff far exceed the other three candidates. The question is not whether Forestal wins the primary but by what margin.
Kerry Forestal
Marion County Sheriff, former U.S. Marshal, Fishers
Kerry Forestal is the most prominent candidate in either primary. He has been a law enforcement officer in Marion County since 1977 -- nearly 50 years. He joined the Marion County Sheriff's Department after studying criminal justice at Ball State University and the former Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Over his career, he investigated cases involving narcotics, fraud, theft, burglary, homicide, and auto theft. [14]
In 2003, prior to the Sheriff's Office merger with the Indianapolis Police Department, Forestal was named colonel and chief deputy. In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed him U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana, overseeing federal law enforcement across 62 counties. He returned to the Sheriff's Office in 2015 as lieutenant colonel and executive officer, overseeing the criminal division. [14]
He was elected sheriff in 2018 with 65.3% of the vote and reelected in 2022 with 64.1%. He is now term-limited in that role. [15] He announced his candidacy on December 17, 2025. He is a resident of District 31, married with three grown children. He was named the "2025 Irish Citizen of the Year" by WIBC. [14]
His campaign statement: "My neighbors in District 31 deserve to know that their voice in the State Senate will fight every single day to make their lives better -- from bringing down the cost of utilities, healthcare, and groceries, to keeping our communities safe. I'm the person to do just that." [14]
Endorsements: None publicly identified at the time of this analysis, though his institutional stature as a two-term sheriff with an Obama-era federal appointment positions him strongly within the Democratic establishment.
Assessment: Forestal is the overwhelming frontrunner in the Democratic primary and arguably the strongest general-election candidate either party could field in this district. His nearly 50 years in law enforcement neutralize the typical Republican advantage on public safety issues. His 65%+ margins in Marion County sheriff races demonstrate a proven ability to win votes across party lines. The U.S. Marshal appointment by Obama gives him federal-level credibility. If elected, he would bring an institutional authority to the state senate that few freshman legislators can match. The strategic question is whether a Democrat -- even one with this resume -- can win in a district that went 55-45 Republican in 2022.
Andrew Dezelan
Former policy director for Indiana Senate Democrats, Fishers
Andrew Dezelan is a Fishers resident, originally from Greenfield, who studied political science at Indiana University. He spent approximately 15 years as policy director for the Indiana Senate Democrats at the Statehouse, specializing in Medicare and healthcare policy. He previously worked for the Indiana Gaming Commission. He left the Statehouse in 2025 and now works in insurance brokerage and consulting. [16]
His three campaign priorities are childcare ("so working families aren't forced to choose between a paycheck and their kids"), empowering local governments by ending state preemptions so Hamilton County can govern itself, and marijuana reform including a regulatory framework and decriminalization. [16]
Endorsements: None publicly identified.
Assessment: Dezelan's Statehouse experience gives him deep policy knowledge, particularly on healthcare, but he lacks the name recognition and electoral track record that Forestal brings. His focus on local government preemption is a distinctive policy position that speaks to the rapidly growing Fishers community's desire for more local control. He is a significant underdog against Forestal.
Lasima Packett
Army veteran, community advocate, Indianapolis
Lasima Packett was born in Michigan City, Indiana and spent her formative years in Los Angeles before returning to Indiana in 1997. In 1998, she joined the Indiana Army National Guard, serving for 20 years including deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. She served with the 81st Troop Command and retired in 2018 as a decorated veteran. [17]
She holds a degree in media and public affairs from IUPUI and an associate degree in graphic design and photography from Ivy Tech Community College. She is married to Matthew, also a veteran with 24 years of service, and they have three daughters and two granddaughters. [17]
Since retiring from the military, Packett has worked as a civic leader and neighborhood advocate across Indianapolis. Her campaign emphasizes "bipartisan solutions rooted in healthy families, strong communities, and common-sense tax policies." Her specific priorities include investing in public schools and workforce pathways, expanding affordable housing and childcare, and supporting responsible growth that protects infrastructure and quality of life. [17]
Endorsements: None publicly identified.
Assessment: Packett brings genuine military credentials and community organizing experience, but she faces an uphill battle against Forestal. Her campaign messaging emphasizes bipartisanship and practical solutions, which positions her for the general election rather than the primary -- but she needs to clear the primary first. Without major endorsements or institutional support, she is unlikely to overcome Forestal's name recognition advantage.
Catherine Torzewski
Realtor, small business owner, Geist
Catherine Torzewski grew up on Indianapolis's east side, attended Saint Simon Catholic School and Scecina Memorial High School, and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Indianapolis in 2005. Her mother was a librarian and her father was a Sheet Metal Workers Local 20 union member. She is a central Indiana realtor and small business owner focusing on investment properties, active with the MIBOR Association. She is a mother of two and lives in the Geist area. [18]
Her community involvement includes the Lawrence Township School Foundation Board, a local Moms Demand Action chapter (advocating for safe firearm storage and the Jake Laird Law), and work on political campaigns including Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn's 2024 reelection and Howard Stevenson's 2023 Fishers City Council race. [18]
Her platform focuses on affordability and accessibility in healthcare and housing, the cost of living, fully funding public education, and ensuring teachers and schools have adequate resources. She described the district as "purple and ready to flip for a candidate that can do more and deliver results." [18]
She announced on December 22, 2025, before Forestal entered the race.
Endorsements: None publicly identified.
Assessment: Torzewski was one of the earliest candidates to announce, entering before Forestal. She has the most explicitly partisan framing of any Democratic candidate, blaming "20 years of Republican super majority rule" for declining quality of life. Her Moms Demand Action involvement connects her to one of the most active grassroots networks in suburban politics, but she lacks the institutional weight to compete with Forestal.
Why It Matters
Senate District 31 sits at the intersection of several forces shaping Indiana politics in 2026.
The redistricting fallout is real. Kyle Walker's departure was not a retirement of convenience. He opposed his own party's redistricting plan, was swatted for it, and walked away. This seat is open because of intra-Republican conflict, not natural political cycles. The candidates inheriting the race must navigate a Republican primary electorate that includes both voters who supported the redistricting push and voters who sided with Walker against it.
This is Democrats' best realistic chance to flip a state senate seat. The 2018 margin of 2.8 points and the 2022 margin of 10.8 points bracket the range. The district is not safely Republican. A Democrat with crossover appeal -- particularly one who can neutralize the public safety advantage that typically keeps suburban voters in the Republican column -- has a genuine path. Kerry Forestal, a two-term sheriff with nearly 50 years in law enforcement and a presidential appointment under his belt, is that candidate. He is the strongest Democratic recruit for any Indiana state senate seat this cycle.
Eight candidates splitting into two competitive primaries means resources get burned early. The Republican primary in particular could be bruising, with Albright and Ditlevson competing for the same institutional-Fishers lane while Hankins works the activist-conservative base. The nominee may emerge weakened for the general, while Forestal is likely to coast through his primary largely unscathed.
The supermajority math makes every seat count. Republicans hold 40 of 50 state senate seats. The supermajority threshold is 34. Democrats need seven net gains to break it -- an improbable target. But every seat that flips narrows the margin and makes future supermajority challenges more plausible. SD-31, with its competitive history and a strong Democratic candidate, is the kind of seat that chips away at structural advantages one district at a time.
No public polling exists for either primary. [19]