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Nonpartisan Voter Resource May 5 · Nov 3
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House District 37

Hamilton County -- Challenging the Speaker

The Candidates

Other candidates on this ballot

Todd Huston Incumbent (R) -- Unopposed

House District 37 covers portions of Hamilton County north of Indianapolis, including communities in and around Fishers, Noblesville, and Cicero. This is one of Indiana's wealthiest and fastest-growing areas. The district is represented by Todd Huston, the Speaker of the Indiana House, who has held the seat since 2012.

Huston is not just an incumbent; he is the single most powerful Republican in the Indiana House. As Speaker, he controls committee assignments, floor schedules, and the legislative agenda for the 100-member chamber. Since 2020, no Democrat has appeared on the general election ballot -- Huston ran unopposed in both 2022 and 2024.

Levi has the clear organizational advantage in the Democratic primary. He announced seven months before Cole filed, has a functioning campaign website with detailed policy positions, local press coverage, and drew Senator Andrea Hunley as a campaign kickoff speaker. His "David versus Goliath" framing -- a pharmacy tech taking on the Speaker -- provides a compelling narrative. Cole brings a science-oriented professional background but has not yet built visible campaign infrastructure.

The winner faces Speaker Huston in November -- a prohibitive challenge by any measure. But the race has symbolic importance: the 2018 result (46% for a Democrat) suggests that under the right conditions, a Democrat can at least force a conversation in this district.

Why It Matters

Challenging the Speaker of the House is an act of political communication even when the math is against you. A strong Democratic showing could signal suburban discontent with the supermajority's agenda on education, healthcare, and energy policy. Huston has run unopposed in two consecutive general elections.

Key Numbers

Huston's vote share in 2022 and 2024 (unopposed) 100%
Last Democrat's share (Aimee Rivera Cole, 2020) 43.8%
Republican supermajority in Indiana House 70-30

Candidate Profiles

Sources

  1. 1. The Indiana Citizen: 2026 Indiana Primary Candidate List https://indianacitizen.org/2026-indiana-primary-candidate-list/
  2. 2. Ballotpedia: Indiana House of Representatives elections, 2026 https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2026
  3. 3. Indiana House Republicans: Kyle Pierce https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/members/general/kyle-pierce/
  4. 4. Ballotpedia: Kyle Pierce (Indiana) https://ballotpedia.org/Kyle_Pierce_(Indiana)
  5. 5. Ballotpedia: Terri Austin https://ballotpedia.org/Terri_Austin
  6. 6. Hoosier Women Forward: Kimberly Townsend https://hoosierwomenforward.org/kimberly-townsend/
  7. 7. ZoomInfo: Kimberly Townsend, Executive Director at Anderson Housing Authority https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Kimberly-Townsend/205539911
  8. 8. The Indiana Citizen: Candidacy Challenges -- Democrats, Republicans trying to run in May primary face scrutiny https://indianacitizen.org/candidacy-challenges-democrats-republicans-trying-to-run-in-may-primary-face-scrutiny/
  9. 9. The Indiana Citizen: Cleared to run -- 2 Democrats eyeing Statehouse seats survive candidacy challenges https://indianacitizen.org/cleared-to-run-2-democrats-eyeing-statehouse-seats-survive-candidacy-challenges/
  10. 10. Herald Bulletin: Housing Authority's Townsend receives servant leadership award https://www.heraldbulletin.com/news/housing-authoritys-townsend-receives-servant-leadership-award/article_6af05d76-f0f9-11ee-a362-e3a5e88d0c5e.html
  11. 11. Herald Bulletin: Anderson Housing Authority passes resolution to affirm political neutrality https://www.heraldbulletin.com/news/local_news/anderson-housing-authority-passes-resolution-to-affirm-political-neutrality/article_37228584-336d-4294-b0d3-9c8330a84f6f.html
  12. 12. Nouhad E. Melki II: MeetMe bio page https://www.nouhadmelki.com/my-bio
  13. 13. Melki for Indiana Rep | State House District 36 -- X/Twitter https://x.com/nouhadmelki
  14. 14. Fox59/WANE: Indiana House panel passes immigration bill requiring compliance with ICE https://fox59.com/news/politics/indiana-house-panel-passes-immigration-bill-that-would-require-local-governments-public-schools-and-colleges-to-comply-with-ice/
  15. 15. Wikipedia: Hamilton County, Indiana https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_County,_Indiana
  16. 16. Indiana House Republicans: Todd Huston https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/members/leadership/todd-huston/
  17. 17. Ballotpedia: Todd Huston https://ballotpedia.org/Todd_Huston
  18. 18. Indiana House Republicans: Re-elect Huston as House Speaker https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/news/press-releases/indiana-house-republicans-re-elect-huston-as-house-speaker/
  19. 19. Ballotpedia: Aimee Cole https://ballotpedia.org/Aimee_Cole
  20. 20. Joel Levi for Indiana: About Joel https://joelleviforindiana.com/about-joel
  21. 21. The Times of Noblesville: Joel Levi Launches Campaign for House District 37 https://thetimes24-7.com/2025/08/joel-levi-launches-campaign-for-house-district-37/
  22. 22. LarryInFishers: Joel Levi Launches Challenge to House Speaker Todd Huston https://www.larryinfishers.com/2025/08/08/joel-levi-launches-challenge-to-house-speaker-todd-huston-in-2026-race/
  23. 23. Joel Levi for Indiana: A Voice for All Hoosiers https://joelleviforindiana.com/voice-for-all-hoosiers
  24. 24. Ballotpedia: Joel Levi https://ballotpedia.org/Joel_Levi
  25. 25. Current in Fishers/Noblesville: Q&A -- Meet the candidates running for Indiana House District 37 https://youarecurrent.com/2026/03/18/qa-meet-the-candidates-running-for-indiana-house-district-37/