House District 51 covers all of LaGrange County and eight of Steuben County's twelve townships in Indiana's far northeast corner. This is one of Indiana's most Republican state house districts -- Isa won 74.4% in 2024. The contested primary is on the Republican side, where Theresa Steele is challenging first-term incumbent Isa.
The fight is about one thing: HB 1038, the casino relocation bill. Isa was not merely a yes vote; he was a sponsor of the bill and served as a House advisor during the conference committee process. The bill allows competitive bidding for a casino in Allen, DeKalb, or Steuben County, requiring a minimum $500 million investment and a countywide referendum before construction.
Steele is not a political outsider -- she serves as Precinct Committee Chairman in the Steuben County GOP, started the Steuben Teenage Republicans, and was a founding member of the Steuben Republican Women's group. Her argument is that the legislative process lacked transparency and community input. In a rural, conservative, heavily Amish-influenced region, anti-casino sentiment can draw from both fiscal conservative and social conservative wells.
The challenge Steele faces is structural. Isa already won a contested primary in 2024 with 57%, and single-issue campaigns can generate energy but rarely generate the broad coalition needed to unseat an incumbent. The casino referendum will test whether Steele's position reflects majority sentiment, but the primary comes first.