INDIANAPOLIS — A congressional district Democrats were planning to target in 2020 will have a competitive primary, now that a former state lawmaker who is well liked by the party is officially joining the race.
Christina Hale announced her intention to seek the Democratic nomination for the 5th Congressional District seat on Thursday. The district stretches from the north side of Indianapolis through Hamilton County, north to part of Kokomo and east to parts of Madison and Grant counties. It is the congressional seat being given up by Rep. Susan Brooks, R-Carmel, who announced in June that she would not seek reelection.
Hale, 47, is from Indianapolis and served two terms in the Indiana Statehouse from 2012 until 2016. She was John Gregg’s running mate during his second unsuccessful run for governor in 2016 and has been executive director at the non-profit Kiwanis Youth Programs since then.
“People want their representatives to not only understand but to feel the challenges they face," Hale said. "I know these challenges personally. I know the price of milk and how hard it can be to find quality daycare. I’ve been a single mom scrapping to balance work and school, and then repay my student loans and buy my first house."
Hale is the third Democrat in the 5th District race. Also running is Dee Thornton, the Democratic nominee who lost to Brooks by 13 points in the 2018 general election, and Jennifer Christie, who lost to Thornton in the 2018 Democratic primary.
The only Republican who has filed so far is Micah Beckwith, a pastor at Northview Church in Carmel. But others with political experience are believed to be considering a run, including Indiana Rep. John Ruckelshaus, R-Indianapolis, and former Republican State Senator Mike Delph.
