Who's running in Indiana's 3rd congressional district
2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
2 candidates · ballot order · Marlin Stutzman currently holds this seat
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Eliminating inflation and building a healthy economy.
Rooting out what he calls corruption in federal bureaucracies.
Laws protecting marriage, the family and life at every stage.
Opposing what he calls the Marxist liberal agenda and cultural humanism in education.
Support for President Trump's agenda.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
US Representative for Indiana's 3rd District 2010–2017 and since January 2025.
Indiana House of Representatives 2003–2009; Indiana Senate 2009–2010.
Lost Republican US Senate primaries in 2010 (to Dan Coats) and 2016 (to Todd Young).
Won the 2024 general election with about 65% of the vote.
Won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary with 68.2% against Jon Kenworthy.
Member of the House Financial Services and Budget committees and the Freedom Caucus.
Endorsed by President Trump and the NRA Political Victory Fund.
Raised $839,564 through June 30, 2026, with $101,922 on hand.
Arguments in favor
He has brought Hoosier values to the centre of debates in Indianapolis and Washington, authoring laws protecting marriage, the family and life, and will keep fighting an agenda he says threatens the country's history, children and freedoms.
— Marlin Stutzman campaign, statement to WBOI
President Trump endorsed him for re-election, and district Republicans backed him with nearly 69% of the primary vote in a rematch with Jon Kenworthy.
— President Donald Trump; WBOI reporting on the primary
Arguments against
At a candidate forum his primary opponent pressed him over whether his campaign had taken contributions from foreign sources and over his overseas travel, saying 'Hoosier common sense says there's some smoke there' and that voters deserved answers.
— Jon Kenworthy, Republican primary opponent, reported by KPC News
His Democratic opponent says she ran after taking the real needs of local young people to him and finding him 'not interested, dismissive'. He also did not answer The Journal Gazette's primary candidate questionnaire.
— Kelly Thompson campaign, statement to WBOI; The Journal Gazette
What we couldn’t verify
No DCCC or NRCC material naming Stutzman specifically in 2026 could be found; the district is not on either committee's target list.
Stutzman did not respond to The Journal Gazette's questionnaire, so his detailed positions for this term are taken from his campaign's statements.
Whether he will debate Thompson had not been reported.
Fair wages and a better tax structure for working families.
Legalizing cannabis.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Co-owner of a concrete contracting company and founder of a nonprofit.
Democratic nominee for Indiana House District 22 in 2020.
Says she voted Republican until 2016 and changed parties after Donald Trump's election.
Won the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary unopposed.
Raised $136,340 through June 30, 2026, with $6,039 on hand.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
She is running for the families, workers and communities of Northeast Indiana, and entered the race after finding the incumbent dismissive of local needs she raised from her work with young people.
— Kelly Thompson campaign, statement to WBOI
Her appeal is pitched past party lines — she is a former Republican voter who argues working families have been taken for granted 'no matter how you have voted before'.
— Kelly Thompson campaign site
Arguments against
She had raised about one-sixth of Stutzman's total and held $6,039 in cash at mid-year, in a district he carried with about 65% in 2024 and that every forecaster rates safe Republican.
— Federal Election Commission filings; 2024 result; forecaster ratings
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Thompson by name could be found — not from Stutzman's campaign, the NRCC, or Fort Wayne coverage in WBOI, 21Alive, The Journal Gazette or KPC News.
Her detailed policy positions beyond the headings on her campaign site were not published in the coverage found.
Whether she will debate Stutzman had not been reported.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Indiana held its primaries on May 5, 2026. Two candidates appear on the November ballot: Republican incumbent Marlin Stutzman and Democrat Kelly Thompson. The roster is confirmed against the Indiana Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list, updated August 27, 2026. That list also carries one write-in candidate, independent Phillip D. Beachy; write-in candidates are not printed on the Indiana ballot, so he is not profiled here. The district covers Northeast Indiana — Fort Wayne and Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells and Whitley counties, plus parts of Jay and Kosciusko. Its lines are unchanged because the Indiana Senate rejected mid-decade redistricting in December 2025. Stutzman won it with about 65% in 2024 and forecasters rate it safe Republican. Through June 30, 2026 Stutzman had raised $839,564 to Thompson's $136,340.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Indiana ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.