HD-61: Bloomington / Monroe County (Safe D) -- Contested Democratic Primary
House District 61 sits in the heart of Bloomington, the home of Indiana University, and is the most reliably Democratic state house district in Indiana. The district encompasses central Bloomington and surrounding portions of Monroe County. Monroe County voted approximately 61% for Kamala Harris in 2024 -- and the precincts inside Bloomington city limits were far more lopsided, with Harris carrying a roughly 4-to-1 advantage over Trump within the city. [1] [2]
Incumbent Matt Pierce has held this seat since 2002 -- nearly a quarter century. He has run unopposed in every general election since at least 2018, and the last time a non-Democrat appeared on the ballot was 2016, when he defeated independent Drew Ash 78.8% to 21.2%. No Republican filed for HD-61 in 2026, meaning the winner of the May 5 Democratic primary will be the next representative with no general election opposition. Pierce's last primary challenger was in 2004 -- 22 years ago. [1] [3]
This is, in practical terms, the general election. The only contested race for this seat is the one on May 5.
Matt Pierce (D, Incumbent)
Matt Pierce is one of the longest-serving members of the Indiana House Democratic caucus. Born in 1960, he earned a bachelor's degree in telecommunications and political science from Indiana University in 1984, then a law degree from IU School of Law at Bloomington in 1987. He is licensed to practice law in Indiana, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. [3]
Pierce's career has alternated between government service and academia. He began working for the Indiana General Assembly in 1988 in various staff roles -- legislative assistant, research analyst, and attorney. He served as a legal clerk for the National Association of Broadcasters and interned for the U.S. House Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance. He was elected to Bloomington City Council (Third District) in 1995, served as principal clerk of the Indiana House from 1996-1998, and then served as chief of staff for Congressman Baron Hill from 1999-2001. He won his state house seat in 2002 and has held it since. He is now a Senior Lecturer in the IU Media School, teaching telecommunications law, policy, and management. [3] [4]
In the House, Pierce serves as Assistant Democratic Floor Leader -- the second-ranking Democrat in the chamber -- and is the ranking minority member of the Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee. He also sits on the Courts and Criminal Code Committee, the Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee, and the Statutory Committee on Ethics. His most frequently cited legislative accomplishment is the 2013 criminal code reform that shifted Indiana's approach away from mass incarceration. He participated in the February 2011 Democratic walkout opposing right-to-work legislation, accepting daily fines that ultimately totaled $3,500 per member. [3] [4] [5]
Pierce's campaign platform for 2026 emphasizes healthcare access, affordable housing, utility affordability, and strong public schools. He frames his role as defensive -- protecting Bloomington constituents' interests against a Republican supermajority that holds roughly 70 of 100 House seats. "My number one job in this current atmosphere is to really make sure that the voices of Bloomington constituents are heard at the Statehouse," he told the Indiana Daily Student. At a March 2026 public forum, he and Young found common ground on opposing school vouchers, data center construction, and the criminalization of homelessness, differing primarily in tone and approach rather than substance. [5] [6]
Pierce's campaign fundraising is modest but consistent. His recent cycle totals: $19,982 raised in 2024, $21,389 in 2022, $15,857 in 2020, and $14,805 in 2018. His base salary as a state representative is $33,032.24 annually plus a $213 daily per diem. [3]
Recent results: Pierce won 17,018 votes (100%) in 2024, 11,698 (100%) in 2022, 17,499 (100%) in 2020, and 16,870 (100%) in 2018 -- all unopposed. [1]
Lilliana Young (D, Primary Challenger)
Lilliana Young, 40, is the first person to challenge Pierce in a Democratic primary in 22 years. She is a transgender woman who works as a hostess and busser at a restaurant in Bloomington. Originally from the Dallas, Texas area, she moved to Indiana approximately a decade ago when her ex-wife, who is from Spencer, Indiana, wanted to relocate closer to family after their daughter's birth. She and her current wife both work service-sector jobs, live near the poverty line, receive Medicaid, and have reported facing monthly rent anxiety. Her annual income is approximately $15,000-17,000. [7] [8] [9]
Young serves as secretary of the Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission, appointed by Mayor Kerry Thomson -- the first openly transgender officer in the commission's history. She founded The Sisterhood, a mutual aid organization and community hub for Bloomington's transgender women, and was instrumental in the passage of Resolution 2024-14, which designated Bloomington a "safe haven" for gender-affirming healthcare. Before finalizing her decision to run, she spent five months taking campaign training classes through the National Democratic Training Committee and Democratic Socialists of America. She announced her candidacy on September 21, 2025. [7] [8]
Young describes herself as "an aggressively progressive democratic socialist." Her platform centers on six issues: wages and worker's rights, housing access, healthcare access, public education, government accountability, and human rights. Her first legislative priority would be pushing for a $20 per hour minimum wage -- she criticizes Indiana's adherence to the $7.25 federal minimum as "criminal" and argues that employers exploit the low floor by advertising $10-12/hour wages as "competitive." On housing, her top substantive priority, she proposes legalizing rent freezes, building public housing, and fining landlords for keeping properties vacant. She also supports legalizing marijuana to fund public healthcare and education, and seeks to repeal anti-trans legislation and codify LGBTQ protections into the state constitution. [8] [9]
Young's critique of Pierce is not ideological so much as temperamental. She argues that he "has squandered his position" as the incumbent in what she calls Indiana's "safest blue district," contending he could do more to support Democrats in competitive districts, hold press conferences criticizing Republican legislation, and campaign more forcefully. She explicitly rejects bipartisan compromise with Republicans, stating that such compromise has historically yielded minimal benefit for Democrats, and wants the party to become a formal "obstruction party" against the Republican supermajority. [7] [8] [9]
Young has conducted food drives, attended protests, and engaged on community issues including opposition to Flock surveillance cameras. No campaign finance data is publicly available as of this writing. [7] [9]
The HD-61 Primary Dynamic
This race is a contest between institutional experience and insurgent energy in a district where the stakes are real -- whoever wins the primary will be the representative, period.
Pierce brings 24 years of legislative experience, a law degree, a leadership position in the Democratic caucus, relationships across state government, and a deep understanding of the legislative process. His argument is essentially that effectiveness in a 30-70 minority requires institutional knowledge, relationships, and strategic patience. His record -- defending public schools, opposing right-to-work, reforming criminal sentencing -- is substantively progressive by any reasonable measure.
Young brings lived experience of economic precarity, a willingness to confront the Republican majority more aggressively, and the energy of a first-time candidate who is personally affected by the policies she would fight. The legislative salary would more than double her current income -- a fact she has been transparent about, and which underscores the class dimension of her candidacy. Her platform is significantly to Pierce's left, particularly on minimum wage, housing intervention, and her explicit rejection of bipartisanship.
The question for Democratic primary voters in Bloomington is not whether they want a progressive representative -- both candidates are progressive -- but whether they want an experienced legislative insider navigating a hostile supermajority or a democratic socialist outsider bringing a different kind of fight. In a district dominated by Indiana University and its affiliated workforce, this is a genuine philosophical choice about what representation means when your party has no power to pass legislation.
HD-63: Dubois / Martin / Daviess / Pike Counties (Safe R, Open Seat) -- Contested Primaries on Both Sides
House District 63 covers all of Martin County and portions of Dubois, Daviess, and Pike counties in southwestern Indiana. This is deep-red rural territory -- the kind of district where Amish buggies share roads with pickup trucks, small-town Catholic parishes anchor community life, and the recreational vehicle and furniture manufacturing industries drive the economy. Jasper, the Dubois County seat and the district's largest town, is the center of gravity. [10] [11]
The partisan lean here is not subtle. In 2024, Trump carried Dubois County with 69.8% and Daviess County with a staggering 81.4%. Retiring incumbent Shane Lindauer won his last four general elections with margins of 35 to 54 points. The Republican nominee will be the next representative; the Democratic primary determines who gets the honor of losing the general election. [10] [12]
Why the Seat Is Open
Shane Lindauer (R) was first appointed to this seat on October 30, 2017, after Mike Braun resigned to run for U.S. Senate (Braun later became Indiana's governor). Lindauer, a chiropractor and small business owner from Jasper who had served on the Dubois County Council and in the Indiana and Missouri Army National Guard, won election in his own right in 2018 and was reelected three more times. He rose to chair the House Natural Resources Committee and earned a reputation as a collegial, faith-driven legislator -- colleagues gave him the nickname "Shane-nanigans" for his skill at maneuvering bills through committee. [11] [13] [14]
On October 13, 2025, Lindauer announced he would not seek reelection: "After careful consideration with my wife Stacy, I've decided it's time to step away from public office and focus on what is best for my family and small business." He was honored with a formal farewell in the House chamber alongside retiring Rep. Sue Errington. His departure opened the first competitive Republican primary in HD-63 since 2014, when Mike Braun defeated Richard Moss 66.8% to 33.2% for the seat. [11] [13]
Amy Kippenbrock (R, Primary Candidate)
Amy Kippenbrock is the Dubois County Clerk and the most institutionally credentialed candidate in the Republican primary. Born in Martin County and raised in Jasper, she was first elected clerk in 2018 with over 56% of the vote and was reelected in 2022. Under her leadership, Dubois County transitioned from precinct-based voting to county-wide vote centers, and she modernized the office with digital recordkeeping software. She was named Indiana "Clerk of the Year" in both 2020 and 2024 -- a distinction that signals broad recognition within the statewide clerk community. She completed Ball State University's Certificate in Election Administration, Technology, and Security (CEATS) program in May 2024 and was appointed by the Governor to the Oversight Committee on Public Documents. [15] [16]
In 2025, Kippenbrock was elected Dubois County Republican Party Chair. Her campaign for HD-63 officially launched at The Parklands in Jasper on November 19, 2025. She is married to Kevin Kippenbrock, whose family operates the multi-generational small business KWK Enterprise. They have three sons and two granddaughters. [15]
Kippenbrock's platform emphasizes keeping local schools strong, supporting small businesses, advancing conservative values, and maintaining fiscal responsibility. This is a standard southwest Indiana Republican platform -- the kind of language that signals institutional conservatism rather than ideological insurgency. [15] [16]
Notably, Kippenbrock has sought higher office before. In September 2024, she filed as the first candidate for the Republican caucus to fill Indiana Senate District 48 after Sen. Mark Messmer's departure. She lost that caucus vote to Dubois County Councilman Daryl Schmitt in the second round of voting. Richard Moss -- her current HD-63 Republican primary opponent -- also competed in that same SD-48 caucus and lost. Both are effectively running for HD-63 after being passed over for the Senate seat by their own party's precinct committee members. [16] [17]
Richard Moss (R, Primary Candidate)
Dr. Richard Moss is a board-certified otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat surgeon) who has practiced in Jasper and Washington, Indiana since 1991. He earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Indiana University and his M.D. from the IU School of Medicine. Before establishing his private practice, he worked as a volunteer head and neck cancer surgeon in teaching hospitals in Thailand, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal from 1987 to 1991. He is Jewish, married to Supit ("Ying"), a nurse he met while working in Thailand, and they have four children. He has also written three books, including "A Surgeon's Odyssey" and "Empire of Eunuchs: How the Republican Party Betrayed America." [18] [19]
Moss is a serial political candidate with a distinctive record: he has run for office five times without winning. His first bid was for this very seat in 2014, when he lost the Republican primary to Mike Braun 33.2% to 66.8% (2,292 votes to 4,611). He then moved to congressional races, running for Indiana's 8th District in 2016 (lost to incumbent Larry Bucshon 35% to 65%), 2018 (lost to Bucshon 25.2% to 63%), and 2024 (finished fourth with 14.1%, or 11,227 votes, in a crowded primary won by Mark Messmer with 38.5%). His 2024 congressional campaign raised and spent $757,656 -- a significant sum that demonstrates fundraising capacity. He also competed in the 2024 SD-48 caucus and lost. [18]
Moss positions himself firmly in the America First / Freedom Caucus wing of the Republican Party. His platform, articulated primarily through his congressional campaigns, emphasizes border security and mass deportation, balanced budgets and spending cuts, "full spectrum energy dominance" including coal and natural gas while rejecting climate science, opposition to DEI initiatives, traditional marriage, and pro-life policies. He signed the Americans for Tax Reform Taxpayer Protection Pledge in 2024. His 2024 congressional endorsements included Congressman Bob Good (then-chairman of the House Freedom Caucus), Indiana State Rep. Betty Cash, and the Bull Moose Project. [18] [19]
The Kippenbrock-Moss primary represents a familiar Republican intraparty contest: institutional conservatism vs. ideological insurgency. Kippenbrock is the party-builder -- the county clerk who modernized elections, the county party chair who recruits candidates, the person who works within the system. Moss is the outsider who has repeatedly challenged the party establishment, written a book condemning the GOP as betraying America, and positioned himself further right than the mainstream of southwestern Indiana Republicanism. His five consecutive losses suggest either that Republican primary voters in this region do not want what he is selling, or that he has not yet found the right-sized race. HD-63, with its smaller electorate and open seat, may be his best structural opportunity yet.
Tiffanie Arthur (D, Primary Candidate)
Tiffanie Arthur is the chair of the Daviess County Democratic Party, elected by local party leaders in early 2026. She resides in Washington, Indiana (the Daviess County seat). Her campaign website (tiffaniearthur.com) frames her candidacy around rural Indiana concerns with the motto "Serving Today. Building Tomorrow." Her three stated priorities are strong public schools, thriving rural communities, and practical solutions for working families. She describes HD-63 as "a region defined by family farms, small businesses and rural communities where hard work, strong schools, and community ties still matter." [20] [21]
Beyond her role as county party chair, Arthur's public profile is limited. Her campaign website provides no biographical details regarding education, employment history, or professional background. She is raising money through ActBlue and maintains social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. As county party chair, she has organizational infrastructure that neither of her Democratic primary opponents appears to match. [20]
Anthony "Tony" Bolen (D, Primary Candidate)
Anthony W. "Tony" Bolen filed for the Democratic primary for HD-63. His campaign website (AnthonyBolen4IN63.com) states his goal is to "restore common sense to government" and to serve as a representative who actually "represents" the people of the district. The site features a countdown to the May 5, 2026 primary, volunteer recruitment, and fundraising through donations with suggested amounts from $10 to $1,000+. He maintains a Facebook presence and campaign events with a photo gallery. [22]
Like Arthur, Bolen's publicly available biographical details are sparse. His campaign website's "Meet Anthony" and "Issues" sections were not fully accessible during research, and no local media profiles of his candidacy were found. He does not appear to have prior political candidacy experience in Indiana public records.
Adam Mann (D, Primary Candidate)
Adam Mann was born and raised in Dubois County, attended Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools, and earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Southern Indiana. He describes himself as "a problem solver" and emphasizes leadership through demonstrated competence. His campaign platform focuses on fiscal responsibility, deregulation, addressing the affordability crisis, corporate accountability, and rejecting partisan labels. [23]
Mann previously ran for Dubois County Council At Large as a Democrat in 2024. He was candid about that race, stating: "The reason I am running is to give the people of Dubois County more candidate options on the ballot, in addition to getting my feet wet in politics." That level of transparency about a trial run is refreshing -- and it means his HD-63 candidacy is only his second foray into electoral politics. [23]
Of the three Democratic candidates, Mann is the most ideologically heterodox. His emphasis on deregulation, fiscal responsibility, and rejecting "political theater" reads more like a moderate or libertarian-leaning platform than a conventional Democratic one. In a district where Democrats face 50-point general election deficits, this kind of ideological flexibility may represent a more realistic strategy than a progressive platform -- though the strategic ceiling in either case is low.
The HD-63 Primary Dynamics
Republican primary: Kippenbrock enters as the institutional favorite. She holds elected office, has won statewide professional recognition, chairs the county party, and has deep roots in Jasper. Moss brings name recognition from his congressional campaigns, demonstrated fundraising capacity, and a more aggressive ideological pitch. The question is whether HD-63's Republican primary voters want a party-builder or a Freedom Caucus insurgent. Moss's track record of losing five consecutive races is a significant liability -- primary voters may reasonably ask whether his fifth try will produce different results. Kippenbrock's loss in the SD-48 caucus is a lesser concern, as caucus dynamics differ fundamentally from primary elections.
Democratic primary: This is a three-way race in a district where Democrats have not won a general election in decades. Arthur, as county party chair, has the organizational advantage. Mann brings a moderate platform that could theoretically appeal to the broadest slice of a tiny Democratic electorate. Bolen remains largely undefined publicly. The winner will face either Kippenbrock or Moss in November in a district that went 76-24 Republican in 2024.
Why It Matters
These two districts represent opposite ends of the Indiana political spectrum and illustrate different things about the state of its parties.
HD-61 is a rare instance where a Democratic primary is the functional general election. The Pierce-Young race is a genuine ideological contest: an experienced moderate-progressive legislator with institutional knowledge vs. a democratic socialist service worker with lived experience of the poverty she wants to address. In a district where the Republican Party cannot compete, this primary determines whether Bloomington sends an insider or an outsider to the Statehouse. Young's candidacy is also historically notable -- if elected, she would be among the first openly transgender state legislators in Indiana history.
HD-63 is a case study in what happens when an open seat creates a vacuum in a one-party district. On the Republican side, two candidates who both lost the SD-48 caucus are now competing for a smaller prize. On the Democratic side, three candidates are competing for the right to lose by 50 points. The district's underlying structure -- Trump carried Daviess County by 64 points in 2024 -- makes the Republican primary the only election that matters.
Together, these races show how Indiana's political geography sorts contests into parallel universes: in Bloomington, Democrats argue about how progressive to be; in Dubois County, Republicans argue about how conservative to be; and in neither place does the other party's primary have any bearing on who actually governs.