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State House — Northwest Indiana

Uncontested general election races

The Candidates

Northwest Indiana's dozen uncontested-general races range from genuine toss-ups to foregone conclusions. HD-9 and HD-10 are the competitive ones; the rest are safe seats where the general election is structurally decided.

Competitive Races

District Incumbent (Party) Challenger (Party) Key fact
HD-9 Randy Novak (D) Chris Cleveland (R) Genuine toss-up. Novak appointed Oct 2025 after Pat Boy retired; prior result 51-49 D. Cleveland is Princeton/UChicago grad, fmr Chicago GOP chair.
HD-10 Chuck Moseley (D) Ted Uzelac (R) Moseley won just 52.1% in 2024. 18-year incumbent trending vulnerable. Uzelac is fmr Portage asst police chief and city councilman.
HD-4 Ed Soliday (R) Ryan Kominakis (D), Travis Gearhart (L) Soliday 57.6% in 2024. Vietnam vet, 80 years old, chairs Utilities committee. Kominakis is Marine vet and steelworker.
HD-5 Dale DeVon (R) Alex Wait (D) DeVon 54.6% in 2024 -- closest margin of his career. Suburban Granger/Notre Dame area trending purple. Wait is a screenwriter with minimal profile.
HD-19 Julie Olthoff (R) Nick Neal (D) Seat flipped 3 times in 4 years (2014-2020). Olthoff now at 58.7% post-redistricting. Neal is fmr Hammond police officer, nonprofit VP.

Leaning Competitive

District Incumbent (Party) Challenger (Party) Key fact
HD-7 Jake Teshka (R) Oliver Davis (D) Teshka 60.8% in 2022, unopposed 2024. Davis is 12-year South Bend councilman with doctorate. Seat was D until 2020.
HD-15 Hal Slager (R) Anthony Oberman (D) Lost seat by 82 votes in 2018, won it back 2020. Now at 63%. Oberman has no visible campaign.

Safe Seats

District Incumbent (Party) Challenger (Party) Key fact
HD-11 Mike Aylesworth (R) Tyler Bridges (D) Unopposed in 2022 and 2024. Aylesworth is 83, chairs Ag committee, 5th-gen Porter County. Bridges is a 28-year-old teacher.
HD-13 Matt Commons (R) Geswein or Moyer (D), Ben Davis (Socialist) Won 73.7% in 2024. Purple Heart veteran, upset prior incumbent. Socialist Party candidate is first left-third-party filing in years.
HD-16 Kendell Culp (R) Ashley Hammac (D) Won 76.9% in 2024. Full-time farmer, IN Farm Bureau VP. Hammac is a PhD soil scientist -- farmer vs. scientist.
HD-17 Jack Jordan (R) Mary Gibson (D) Unopposed 2024, 74.8% in 2022. Chairs Budget Subcommittee of Ways and Means. Gibson ran for township trustee and got 17%.
HD-21 Timothy Wesco (R) Charles Burkley (D) Won 79.1% in 2024. Pastor-legislator, chairs Elections and Apportionment. Burkley is a loan officer, first D candidate in Nappanee in a decade.

For full biographical profiles, see the deep-dive research: Batch 1, Batch 2, Batch 3.

Why It Matters

Northwest Indiana's dozen uncontested-general House districts span the full spectrum from toss-up to foregone conclusion. HD-9 is a genuine toss-up where a fire chief defends a knife-edge Democratic seat against an Ivy League Republican. HD-19 flipped three times in four years before settling into Republican comfort. The rest are deep-red rural seats or entrenched incumbencies where the general election outcome is not in doubt — but the candidates who file anyway tell you what the districts actually look like.

Sources

  1. 1. The Indiana Citizen: 2026 Indiana Primary Candidate List https://indianacitizen.org/2026-indiana-primary-candidate-list/
  2. 2. Wikipedia: 2026 Indiana House of Representatives election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Indiana_House_of_Representatives_election
  3. 3. Indiana House Republicans: Ed Soliday https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/members/general/ed-soliday/
  4. 4. Wikipedia: Edmond Soliday https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmond_Soliday
  5. 5. Ballotpedia: Indiana House of Representatives elections, 2026 https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2026
  6. 6. Wikipedia: 2024 Indiana House of Representatives election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Indiana_House_of_Representatives_election
  7. 7. Lakeshore Public Media: Valpo Local Announces Run for Indiana State House D-4 https://www.lakeshorepublicmedia.org/local-news/2025-10-16/valpo-local-announces-run-for-indiana-state-house-d-4
  8. 8. Ballotpedia: Ryan Kominakis https://ballotpedia.org/Ryan_Kominakis
  9. 9. WISH-TV: Libertarian Party of Indiana announces candidates for state and federal elections https://www.wishtv.com/news/politics/libertarian-party-of-indiana-announces-candidates-for-state-and-federal-elections/
  10. 10. Indiana Capital Chronicle: Indiana Libertarians nominate Lauri Shillings for secretary of state https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/briefs/indiana-libertarians-nominate-lauri-shillings-for-secretary-of-state/
  11. 11. NWI Times: Five in Republican race for Porter County Council https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/five-in-republican-race-for-porter-county-council/article_51fd83f0-fad0-5f92-941a-973bf752854e.html
  12. 12. Indiana House Republicans: Dale DeVon https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/members/general/dale-devon/
  13. 13. ALEC: Legislator of the Week: Indiana Representative Dale DeVon https://alec.org/article/legislator-of-the-week-indiana-representative-dale-devon/
  14. 14. Indiana Democratic Party: Indiana 2024 DNC Delegation https://indems.org/indiana-2024-dnc-delegation/
  15. 15. WSBT: Granger meeting draws crowd for update on large Microsoft data center planned https://wsbt.com/news/local/town-hall-held-for-900-acre-microsoft-granger-data-center-capital-avenue-cleveland-road-construction-st-joe-farm-development-power-cost-water-usage-traffic-environmental-concerns-economic
  16. 16. Indiana House Republicans: Jake Teshka https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/members/general/jake-teshka/
  17. 17. Wikipedia: Jake Teshka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Teshka
  18. 18. City of South Bend: At Large -- Dr. Oliver Davis https://southbendin.gov/official/dr-oliver-davis/
  19. 19. LinkedIn: Oliver J. Davis, Jr., DSW, LICSW, LCSW, ACSW https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-davis-jr-dsw-lcsw-acsw-9209929/
  20. 20. 95.3 MNC: Oliver Davis enters race for Indiana House District 7 https://www.953mnc.com/2026/01/16/oliver-davis-enters-race-for-indiana-house-district-7/
  21. 21. WSBT: Well-known South Bend Common Council member runs for Indiana House seat https://wsbt.com/news/local/well-known-south-bend-common-council-member-runs-for-indiana-house-seat-district-7-west-side-south-bend-western-southern-st-joseph-county-city-council-mayor-representative-south-bend-indiana
  22. 22. 95.3 MNC: South Bend Common Council member files resolution calling for emergency hearing on hunger crisis https://www.953mnc.com/2025/11/03/south-bend-common-council-member-files-resolution-calling-for-emergency-hearing-on-hunger-crisis/
  23. 23. Indiana House Democratic Caucus: Randy Novak https://www.indianahousedemocrats.org/members/randy-novak
  24. 24. The Indiana Citizen: NEW LEGISLATOR: Rep. Randy Novak sworn in to fill Pat Boy's remaining term https://indianacitizen.org/new-legislator-rep-randy-novak-sworn-in-to-fill-pat-boys-remaining-term/
  25. 25. The Indiana Citizen: DEMOCRAT LEAVING: State Rep. Pat Boy, known for environmental and social advocacy, is retiring https://indianacitizen.org/democrat-leaving-state-rep-pat-boy-known-for-environmental-and-social-advocacy-is-retiring/
  26. 26. Indiana Capital Chronicle: Democratic caucus selects new Indiana House member https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/briefs/democratic-caucus-selects-new-indiana-house-member/
  27. 27. LaPorte Herald-Dispatch: Cleveland announces candidacy for Indiana House District 9 seat https://www.lpheralddispatch.com/news/local/cleveland-announces-candidacy-for-indiana-house-district-9-seat/article_f146f4b6-5d74-516f-b880-5bb69b41b328.html
  28. 28. Charles Moseley - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Charles_Moseley
  29. 29. Indiana House of Representatives District 10 - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_House_of_Representatives_District_10
  30. 30. Chuck Moseley - Indiana House Democratic Caucus https://www.indianahousedemocrats.org/members/chuck-moseley
  31. 31. Uzelac chosen for council seat - NW Indiana Times https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/uzelac-chosen-for-council-seat/article_3c3b8870-578c-56ea-99d4-52b13ea4a1fd.html
  32. 32. Indiana: New law forces a choice - job or elected office - Chicago Tribune via The Voting News https://thevotingnews.com/new-law-forces-a-choice-job-or-elected-office-chicago-tribune/
  33. 33. Michael J. Aylesworth - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Michael_J._Aylesworth
  34. 34. Michael Aylesworth - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Aylesworth
  35. 35. Mike Aylesworth - Indiana House Republicans https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/members/general/michael-aylesworth
  36. 36. Bridging the Divide: Economic Fairness and Worker Rights in Indiana House District 11 - Progressive Indiana Network https://www.progressiveindiana.net/p/bridging-the-divide-economic-fairness
  37. 37. Matt Commons - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Matt_Commons
  38. 38. Indiana House of Representatives District 13 - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_House_of_Representatives_District_13
  39. 39. Matt Commons - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Commons
  40. 40. Candidate Q&A: Indiana House District 13, Matt Commons vs. Ed Moyer Jr. - Based in Lafayette https://www.basedinlafayette.com/p/candidate-q-and-a-indiana-house-district
  41. 41. Support Brenna Geswein for Indiana House District 13 - ActBlue https://secure.actblue.com/donate/brenna-geswein-1
  42. 42. Edward Moyer Jr. - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Edward_Moyer_Jr.
  43. 43. New 'Socialist Party of Indiana' launches at the historic homestead of American socialism - WBIW https://www.wbiw.com/2026/03/11/new-socialist-party-of-indiana-launches-at-the-historic-homestead-of-american-socialism/
  44. 44. Candidate Interview: Ben Davis - Progressive Indiana Network https://www.progressiveindiana.net/p/candidate-interview-ben-davis
  45. 45. About - Ben Davis for Indiana, House District 13 https://www.bendavisforindiana.com/about
  46. 46. Harold Slager - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Harold_Slager
  47. 47. Indiana House of Representatives District 15 - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_House_of_Representatives_District_15
  48. 48. Hal Slager - Indiana House Republicans https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/members/general/hal-slager
  49. 49. Hal Slager - Indiana State Representative District 15 https://www.voteslager.com/
  50. 50. Indiana House of Representatives District 16 - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_House_of_Representatives_District_16
  51. 51. Kendell Culp - Indiana House Republicans https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/members/general/kendell-culp/
  52. 52. Kendell Culp Re-elected Vice President of Indiana Farm Bureau - Hoosier Ag Today https://www.hoosieragtoday.com/2025/12/14/kendell-culp-reelected-infb-vp/
  53. 53. Rep. Kendell Culp's ag background shapes legislative choices - Farm Progress https://www.farmprogress.com/names-in-the-news/rep-kendell-culp-s-ag-background-shapes-legislative-choices
  54. 54. Ashley Hammac Announces Candidacy for Indiana House District 16 - EIN Presswire https://www.einpresswire.com/article/887380184/ashley-hammac-announces-candidacy-for-indiana-house-district-16
  55. 55. W. Ashley Hammac - ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/W-Hammac
  56. 56. Indiana House of Representatives District 17 - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_House_of_Representatives_District_17
  57. 57. Jack Jordan - Indiana House Republicans https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/members/general/jack-jordan
  58. 58. Mary Gibson - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Mary_Gibson
  59. 59. Fulton County, Indiana, elections, 2022 - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Fulton_County,_Indiana,_elections,_2022
  60. 60. Indiana House of Representatives District 19 - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_House_of_Representatives_District_19
  61. 61. Democrat Beck wins Indiana House seat in a squeaker - NWI Times https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/democrat-beck-wins-indiana-house-seat-in-a-squeaker-republican/article_cb51e5e7-bb63-508b-a17d-2d453965dca8.html
  62. 62. Julie Olthoff appears to pull ahead in Indiana House District 19 - NWI Times https://www.nwitimes.com/news/julie-olthoff-appears-to-pull-ahead-in-indiana-house-district-19/article_a9a6d2d2-f67d-5a00-9707-939dfd7bbff3.html
  63. 63. Julie Olthoff - Indiana House Republicans https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/members/leadership/julie-olthoff/
  64. 64. Nick Neal - VP, Community Services at Geminus Corporation - The Org https://theorg.com/org/geminus-corporation/org-chart/nicholas-neal
  65. 65. Nick Neal for Indiana House -- Campaign Kickoff Fundraiser - Mobilize https://www.mobilize.us/votenickneal/event/859949/
  66. 66. Indiana House of Representatives District 21 - Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_House_of_Representatives_District_21
  67. 67. Timothy Wesco - Indiana House Republicans https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/members/general/timothy-wesco
  68. 68. Burkley to run for Nappanee Council - Goshen News https://www.goshennews.com/news/burkley-to-run-for-nappanee-council/article_f2586638-a33d-11ed-b7a1-4b7964f05d2d.html
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