Putting Hoosier Values First
J.D. Ford is the 2026 Democratic candidate for Congress in Indiana's 5th Congressional District, representing Hamilton, Delaware, Madison, Grant, Howard, and Tipton counties. Learn about his plans to lower healthcare costs, support working families, bring a strong Democratic check in Congress, and make life more affordable for Hoosiers.
Big Heart. Bigger Impact.
Building a better future for the 5th through compassion
Hoosiers deserve a voice and a choice in their leadership. That's why I'm running for Congress. You helped me flip a long-held Republican district with the same hard work, compassion and drive that I'll bring to Washington. I'll fight to lower healthcare costs, empower all Hoosiers, and make life more affordable for the families who keep Indiana moving. As the first openly LGBTQ+ legislator in our state's history, I know what it means to feel left out and I'm committed to building a state and a nation with liberty and justice for ALL.
Showing Up for You.
Showing up and listening to Hoosiers is the best part of my public service. I'm accountable to you, so my door is always open.
– State Senator J.D. Ford
Meet J.D.
Your Indiana State Senator and candidate for Congress in Indiana's 5th District
J.D. Ford is an Indiana State Senator and candidate for Congress in Indiana's 5th Congressional District, bringing a working-class perspective to Washington.
J.D. Ford entered the Indiana Statehouse in 2018 as a public servant who understood what everyday Hoosiers face. As a legislator who isn't independently wealthy, J.D. knows firsthand what Hoosiers deal with every day: rising healthcare costs, higher grocery bills, and policies too often written for the wealthy instead of working families.
He flipped a long-held red district—Indiana Senate District 29—by outworking and out-caring the political establishment. Voters chose a leader focused on service, not status—someone willing to fight to lower the cost of lifesaving medication, strengthen public education, and ensure every Hoosier gets a fair shot.
J.D. grew up in a working-class family, his father a union truck driver, his mother an assisted living administrator. From his grandparents, who served their community as local officials, he learned early that public service is about people, not power. Those values guide him through his nonprofit career and his work in the Senate.
J.D. is the first, and so far only, openly LGBTQ+ member of the Indiana General Assembly, and one of its youngest. He lives with his dog, Stella, and his cat, Sir Aaron Purr. Outside the legislature, he enjoys sports, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
J.D.'s Leadership
J.D. is a legislator for the people. Since entering the Indiana Senate in 2019, he is one of the most influential Democratic Senators working to pass bills in each session.
Today, J.D. is known as one of the Senate's most trusted problem-solvers. He has served as:
Minority Caucus Whip
Minority Caucus Chair
Ranking Minority Member, Senate Committee on Education
Ranking Minority Member, Veterans Affairs & The Military
Ranking Minority Member, Family & Children Services
State senators write and vote on state laws and the state budget, and in most states they also confirm the Governor's appointments. In most states the senate is the smaller of the legislature's two chambers, with larger districts and longer terms than the house.