Dem challenger defeats Indiana House GOP leader in stunning upset

A virtual unknown has unseated one of the most powerful Republicans in Indiana elected office.

Democrat Lauren Cole, a clinical trial coordinator, defeated House Speaker Todd Huston 52% to 48%.

“This victory belongs to every person who believed in this campaign and helped make it possible,” Cole said on social media. “To the voters of District 37: thank you for trusting me to represent you. This campaign was always about putting people first, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

House District 37 covers parts of Hamilton County. It’s among the more than a dozen seats to flip for Democrats so far, shattering the GOP’s 14-year supermajority in the House.

Cole ran on a platform of access to affordable healthcare, strengthening public school funding and investing in workers.

Huston, of Fishers, was first elected to the chamber in 2012. He has served as speaker since 2020.

His stunning defeat comes even though caucus leaders usually represent comfortably drawn districts.

“This was an incredibly challenging midterm election and ultimately the national headwinds were too difficult to overcome in a number of our races,” Huston said in a written statement. “We’re so proud of our team and all our candidates who stepped up to serve and spent countless hours in their communities, listening to voters and talking about the issues that matter to Hoosiers.”

He said he was disappointed by the results but was proud of the progress “we’ve made in Indiana to grow our economy, bring good-paying jobs to our state, lower taxes and create thriving communities where people want to live, work, start a business and raise their family. It’s been the honor of my life serving Hoosiers in Hamilton County and across our great state. I’m grateful for the opportunity and all that we’ve accomplished together.”