INDIANAPOLIS — Former Indiana Republican State Senator Victoria Spartz issued a statement late Wednesday after the Associated Press declared her winner of Indiana’s 5th Congressional District race.
"I am so honored and humbled by the trust the people of Indiana’s 5th District have placed in me.” Spartz said. “This has been a long, tough campaign and I look forward uniting Hoosiers around real solutions and serving every resident of Indiana’s 5th District by ensuring we have the right policies for a strong economy, good schools, affordable healthcare and a great quality of life."
Democratic challenger and former Indiana State Representative Christina Hale issued a statement congratulating Spartz.
“Today, I would like to acknowledge the effort of everyone who supported our campaign. From our talented and hardworking staff to the hundreds of volunteers who spent hours phone-banking on our behalf, to the thousands who put up a yard sign and everyone who contributed. I am in awe of the depth of support from my husband Chris and all of my dearest friends and family. We would not have gotten this far without you and I’ll always be thankful for your help. For more than a year, we spoke about protecting and expanding every Hoosiers’ right to affordable health care and promoting bipartisanship and civility in our politics. This was a historically close race, and our message clearly resonated with voters. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to talk about the issues that matter most to our community and lift up the voices of so many people in our district. Lastly, I want to congratulate all of the incredible candidates across the country who ran tonight – both those who won their races and those who came up short. Now is the time for all of us to come together and to do the hard work of defeating this pandemic and building a brighter future for all Americans,” Hale said.
“That job is hard than it’s ever been,” said Edward Frantz, professor of history at the University of Indianapolis. “How can you show that government funds are coming into the district and you are representing the district, not just letting their voices be heard when you’re in DC, but then, in turn, making sure that federal power shapes that district.
During her campaign, Spartz railed against special interest groups that she said dominated Washington politics.
“The worst thing you can do in this culture is go off to Washington and become part of the Washington culture. However, if you don’t do that, you won’t become an effective legislator, so it’s a really difficult balance,” Frantz said.