Indiana State Senate District 8
Indiana State Senate District 8 is represented by Mike Bohacek (R).
As of the 2020 Census, Indiana state senators represented an average of 135,806 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 130,032 residents.
About the chamber
Members of the Indiana State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Indiana legislators assume office the day after their general election.[1]
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Indiana State Senate:[2]
| “ |
Sec. 13. A candidate for the office of senator in the general assembly must:
|
” |
According to Indiana Code 3-8-1-1, all candidates must be registered voters.[4]
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[5] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $32,070.24/year | $196/day. |
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Indiana General Assembly, the state committee of the party that last held the seat must appoint a replacement. This is contingent upon the approval of the respective state chairperson of the party. Any vacant seat held by an independent must be filled by a special election.[6]
See sources: Indiana Code §3-13-5-0.1
2016 pivot county
This district was one of 710 state legislative districts that, based on boundaries adopted after the 2010 census, intersected with one or more Pivot Counties. These 206 Pivot Counties voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012.
The 206 Pivot Counties were located in 34 states. Iowa, with 31, had the most such counties. At that time, the partisan makeup of state legislative districts intersecting with Pivot Counties was slightly more Republican than the overall partisan makeup of state legislatures throughout the country.[7]
District map
Redistricting
2020 redistricting cycle
The Indiana General Assembly approved new state legislative district maps on October 1, 2021, and Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed the new district boundaries into law on October 4, 2021. The Indiana Senate Republican caucus released its first draft of state Senate districts on September 20, 2021, and the Indiana House Republican caucus released its first proposed state House district maps on September 14, 2021. The Indiana state Senate approved final legislative district boundaries by a vote of 36-12, with all votes to approve by Republicans. Eleven Senate Democrats joined State Sen. Ron Grooms (R) in voting against the maps. The Indiana House of Representatives approved final district maps by a vote of 64-25. All votes in favor were by Republicans with 22 Democrats and three Republicans voting against.[8][9]
After the General Assembly approved the maps, House Speaker Todd Huston said, "We're incredibly grateful for the work of Representative Greg Steuerwald and Senator Eric Koch who tirelessly and thoughtfully led the way on drawing these maps. Redistricting is a complex and important process that impacts all Hoosiers. We're thankful for the hundreds of constituents who shared their feedback along the way, and I'm confident we delivered fair maps that ensure every Hoosier vote counts."[10]
The full legislative history of Indiana's redistricting proposals, including House and Senate committee reports and proposed amendments, can be found here at the Indiana General Assembly's website. These maps took effect for Indiana's 2022 legislative elections.[11]
How does redistricting in Indiana work? In Indiana, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. The legislature must approve a redistricting plan by the close of the first legislative session occurring after completion of the United States Census. The governor may veto the lines drawn by the state legislature.[12][13]
In the event that both chambers of the state legislature do not approve a congressional redistricting plan, a backup commission must draw the lines. The commission comprises the following members:[13]
- Speaker of the House
- President Pro Tempore of the Senate
- Chair of the Elections Committee, Indiana State Senate
- Chair of the Elections and Apportionment Committee, Indiana House of Representatives
- A gubernatorial appointment
The Indiana Constitution mandates that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no such requirements for congressional district lines.[12]
Indiana State Senate District 8
until November 8, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Indiana State Senate District 8
starting November 9, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Elections
2024
See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Indiana State Senate District 8
Incumbent Mike Bohacek defeated Leon P. Smith in the general election for Indiana State Senate District 8 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mike Bohacek (R) | 71.7 | 42,545 |
| Leon P. Smith (D) | 28.3 | 16,782 | ||
| Total votes: 59,327 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 8
Leon P. Smith advanced from the Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 8 on May 7, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Leon P. Smith | 100.0 | 2,735 | |
| Total votes: 2,735 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Indiana State Senate District 8
Incumbent Mike Bohacek defeated Joe Layne and Spencer England in the Republican primary for Indiana State Senate District 8 on May 7, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Bohacek | 44.4 | 5,950 |
| Joe Layne | 33.1 | 4,427 | ||
 | Spencer England | 22.5 | 3,010 | |
| Total votes: 13,387 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
- See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Indiana State Senate District 8
Incumbent Mike Bohacek defeated Gary Davis in the general election for Indiana State Senate District 8 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Bohacek (R) | 59.4 | 35,329 |
| Gary Davis (D) | 40.6 | 24,132 | ||
| Total votes: 59,461 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Indiana State Senate District 8
Incumbent Mike Bohacek advanced from the Republican primary for Indiana State Senate District 8 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Bohacek | 100.0 | 7,575 |
| Total votes: 7,575 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
- See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Indiana State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 3, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 5, 2016. Incumbent Jim Arnold (D) did not seek re-election.
Mike Bohacek defeated Maxine Spenner in the Indiana State Senate District 8 general election.[14][15]
| Indiana State Senate, District 8 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Mike Bohacek |
58.27% | 31,239 | |
| Democratic | Maxine Spenner | 41.73% | 22,373 | |
| Total Votes | 53,612 | |||
| Source: Indiana Election Divsion | ||||
Maxine Spenner defeated Dan Cruz in the Indiana State Senate District 8 Democratic primary.[16][17]
| Indiana State Senate, District 8 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Maxine Spenner |
52.36% | 6,836 | |
| Democratic | Dan Cruz | 47.64% | 6,219 | |
| Total Votes | 13,055 | |||
| Source: Indiana Election Division | ||||
Mike Bohacek defeated Allen Stevens in the Indiana State Senate District 8 Republican primary.[16][17]
| Indiana State Senate, District 8 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Mike Bohacek |
57.04% | 9,099 | |
| Republican | Allen Stevens | 42.96% | 6,853 | |
| Total Votes | 15,952 | |||
| Source: Indiana Election Division | ||||
2012
- See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2012
Elections for the office of Indiana State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 8, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 10, 2012. Incumbent Jim Arnold (D) defeated Eric Harris (R) in the general election. Arnold defeated Maxine Spenner in the Democratic primary, while Harris defeated Austin Griffin in the Republican primary.[18][19]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Arnold Incumbent |
58.3% | 30,777 | |
| Republican | Eric Harris | 41.7% | 22,029 | |
| Total Votes | 52,806 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Jim Arnold Incumbent |
69.9% | 4,922 |
| Maxine Spenner | 30.1% | 2,117 |
| Total Votes | 7,039 | |
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Eric Harris |
51.9% | 4,113 |
| Austin Griffin | 48.1% | 3,817 |
| Total Votes | 7,930 | |
Campaign contributions
From 2000 to 2024, candidates for Indiana State Senate District 8 raised a total of $783,254. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $34,055 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money
| Campaign contributions, Indiana State Senate District 8 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
| 2024 | $355,856 | 4 | $88,964 |
| 2020 | $139,676 | 1 | $139,676 |
| 2016 | $29,878 | 4 | $7,470 |
| 2012 | $67,008 | 4 | $16,752 |
| 2010 | $9,100 | 1 | $9,100 |
| 2008 | $89,486 | 4 | $22,372 |
| 2006 | $4,587 | 1 | $4,587 |
| 2004 | $75,713 | 2 | $37,857 |
| 2002 | $1,400 | 1 | $1,400 |
| 2000 | $10,550 | 1 | $10,550 |
| Total | $783,254 | 23 | $34,055 |
See also
- Indiana State Legislature
- Indiana State Senate
- Indiana House of Representatives
- Indiana state legislative districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Indiana General Assembly, "Indiana Constitution, Article 4, Section 3," accessed February 5, 2021
- ↑ Indiana General Assembly, "IC 3-8-1-13: Senator in general assembly," accessed May 21, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Justia, "IN Code § 3-8-1-1 (2024)," accessed May 27, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Indiana General Assembly, "Indiana Code," accessed February 5, 2021 (§3-13-5-0.1)
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- ↑ Indiana House of Representatives Republican Caucus, "GOP statements on initial drafts of Indiana House and Congressional district maps," September 14, 2021
- ↑ IndyStar, "Gov. Holcomb signs Indiana's redistricting maps into law," October 4, 2021
- ↑ Indiana Senate Republicans, "General Assembly approves new congressional, state legislative districts 10.1.21," October 1, 2021
- ↑ Indiana Senate Republicans, "General Assembly approves new congressional, state legislative districts," Oct. 1, 2021
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 All About Redistricting, "Indiana," accessed April 6, 2015
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Brennan Center for Justice, "Indiana," accessed April 6, 2015
- ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "November 8, 2016 General Election candidates," February 5, 2016
- ↑ Indiana Election Division, "General election 2016 results," accessed December 16, 2016
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Indiana Secretary of State, "May 3, 2016 Primary Election candidates," February 5, 2016
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Indiana Secretary of State, "May 3, 2016 Primary Election Results," accessed August 18, 2016
- ↑ "Indiana Secretary of State - Official Primary Results," accessed October 11, 2013
- ↑ "Indiana Secretary of State – Official General Election Results," accessed October 11, 2013
