Indiana's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 7 Democratic primary)

2026 → ← 2022
Indiana's 8th Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: February 9, 2024
Primary: May 7, 2024 General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voting in Indiana
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican DDHQ and The Hill: Safe Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
See also
Indiana's 8th Congressional District U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th Indiana elections, 2024 U.S. Congress elections, 2024 U.S. Senate elections, 2024 U.S. House elections, 2024 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

A Democratic Party primary took place on May 7, 2024, in Indiana's 8th Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate would run in the district's general election on November 5, 2024.

Erik Hurt advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 8.

All 435 seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 220 to 212 majority with three vacancies. As of June 2024, 45 members of the U.S. House had announced they were not running for re-election. To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, the Republican candidate won 65.7%-31.5%. Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Donald Trump (R) would have defeated Joe Biden (D) 65.5%-32.7%.

Candidate filing deadline	Primary election	General election
February 9, 2024	May 7, 2024	November 5, 2024

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Indiana law requires a closed primary, where a voter must be affiliated with a party to vote in that party's primary. This includes if they voted for a majority of that party’s candidates in the last general election or plan to in the upcoming election. However, it is possible for any voter to vote in any party's primary so long as they meet this criteria.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on Indiana's 8th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

• Indiana's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 7 Republican primary)
• Indiana's 8th Congressional District election, 2024

Candidates and election results

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 8

Erik Hurt defeated Edward Upton Sein, Michael Talarzyk, and Peter Priest II in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 8 on May 7, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Erik Hurt	45.1	8,204
		Edward Upton Sein	22.5	4,087
		Michael Talarzyk	20.9	3,796
	Submit photo	Peter Priest II	11.5	2,098

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,185
= 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.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Kellie Moore (D)

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Erik Hurt

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "My name is Erik Hurt and I am running for Congress in Indiana's 8th congressional district. I have spent my whole life trying to fight for the poor, the sick, and the marginalized, and I will continue that fight with this campaign."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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I will fight to expand benefits and the quality of life for working class people with policies like guaranteed paid vacation, guaranteed paid parental leave, guaranteed child care, an increased minimum wage, while also fighting to bring the cost of housing and goods down with things like wealth taxes and windfall profit taxes.

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I will fight to combat climate change not only by promoting investments into clean energy but rethinking the way our cities are structured so that they are built around people and not cars so that we can bring down the amount of energy we're using.

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I want to drastically increase investments into our public education system. From pre-K through university. From trade school to liberal arts colleges. I want to raise teacher salaries, expand student resources, make sure no child is going hungry at school, and that no student will be forced into debt for wanting to get an education.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Indiana District 8 in 2024.

Edward Upton Sein

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I have been living in Southern Indiana for 25 years, working in Evansville-Vanderburgh County and reside in nearby Boonville-Warrick County. My wife Melissa of 32 years and I have raised a family here, with our two boys starting their early childhood education at Main Street Baptist Church and completing their K-12 education in Boonville’s public schools. I’m a well-known and respected local musician who has provided for his family by performing in numerous musical groups and helping to manage and grow a decades-long, family retail business, in the niche market of guitar sales since moving to the area in May of 1999. My occupation has allowed me to interact with a broad cross-section of my community. My professionalism and personal integrity has earned me the respect and support of many concerned citizens, whom I respectfully asks to represent. I believe issues of family, prosperity, security and quality of life are not partisan, and affect all Americans. By working together in the spirit of civility, respect and compromise, I believe the constituents of Indiana Congressional District 8 can send a message to our fellow citizens across the State and the nation that we have had enough of the hateful, mean-spiritedness that has come to define politics, and we are ready to show America that the Hoosiers of IN CD8 know how to act right. "

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Congress is the People’s House. The culture and its members must reflect the values and socioeconomic concerns that are emblematic of the electorate. Community members work together in common cause to solve issues that affect us all. Good neighbors respect each other’s boundaries, help support one another in times of need and celebrate the positive moments that give meaning to our lives. The 99% of the things we agree on are not overshadowed by the 1% in which we don’t. The divisiveness and mean-spiritedness that has become commonplace in politics does not represent Hoosier values. The incentive to vilify and demonize for political gain is dangerous to the body politic and, concerned citizens have had enough. It’s time to change Congress.

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The maxim, “All politics is local”, no longer applies at this current moment in history. Every District-level race has national implications. With margins so slim in the House of Representatives, the balance of power will dictate how America will handle the challenges facing our nation and the world. The slide towards autocracy facing many democracies around the world, including here in America, represents a historic shift that has profound implications for freedom of speech, bodily autonomy, the foundational principles of justice and the foundational principles of multi-racial democracy. To characterize this moment in American history is not an exercise in hyperbole but a frank and empirical analysis of the political moment.

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Voting is not a choice, it is an act of survival and survival is not a choice. The issues that confront our nation and communities transcend partisanship. Safety, security, the health and general welfare of our nation and our shared quality of life are shared concerns among all citizens. I am a pragmatic candidate who self-identifies as an American first and foremost. I recognize and will consider all points of view but will agree to disagree when ideas conflict with my values. These are: freedom, human rights, pluralism, security, the rule of law and democracy. My patriotism is expressed by my commitment to know the issues of the day and to be able to speak to them. I have taken on this responsibility as the price of freedom.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Indiana District 8 in 2024.

Michael Talarzyk

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "The question here, who am I?…I am you! I’m an everyday citizen from Evansville, Indiana hoping to be your next representative to the U.S. congress to help make things just a little bit better for all. I’m married and a father of 3 boys ages 19, 16 & 2. I am a school bus driver where I get to see and hear about all sorts of things while I’m out and about. I’m a good listener and on the fly problem solver. That in itself has encouraged me to run for office. "

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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I’m purple! The best Democrat candidate choice to put up in the General Election that could win in a primarily red district. Yes I’m running as a Democrat the party I was born and raised in but I’m more middle of the road and see both sides of issues.

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I believe in Bi-Partisanship. Not working for “The Party Affiliation” but instead working for you and the best outcome that may be achieved working alongside members of both parties.

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Let’s get back to the basics of just doing the right thing! Enough of the extreme positions! Time to use some common sense!

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Indiana District 8 in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Indiana

Election information in Indiana: May 7, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: April 8, 2024
• By mail: Received by April 8, 2024
• Online: April 8, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: April 25, 2024
• By mail: Received by April 25, 2024
• Online: April 25, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: May 7, 2024
• By mail: Received by May 7, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

N/A

What were the early voting start and end dates?

April 9, 2024 to May 6, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (CST)

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Erik Hurt	Democratic Party	$23,917	$22,719	$1,198	As of November 25, 2024
Peter Priest II	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Edward Upton Sein	Democratic Party	$13,821	$21,349	$0	As of October 15, 2024
Michael Talarzyk	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	As of April 24, 2024
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

• District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
• Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2024 U.S. House elections in the state.
• Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
• State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.

• District map
• Competitiveness
• Presidential elections
• State party control

Below was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2024

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Indiana.

Indiana U.S. House competitiveness, 2014-2024
Office	Districts/ offices	Seats	Open seats	Candidates	Possible primaries	Contested Democratic primaries	Contested Republican primaries	% of contested primaries	Incumbents in contested primaries	% of incumbents in contested primaries
2024	9	9	3	63	18	6	8	77.8%	4	66.7%
2022	9	9	1	49	18	8	4	66.7%	3	37.5%
2020	9	9	2	78	18	9	6	83.3%	4	57.1%
2018	9	9	2	71	18	8	7	83.3%	4	57.1%
2016	9	9	2	51	18	8	8	88.9%	7	100.0%
2014	9	9	0	49	18	7	6	72.2%	6	66.7%

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Indiana in 2024. Information below was calculated on March 19, 2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Sixty-three candidates ran for Indiana’s nine U.S. House districts, including 18 Democrats and 45 Republicans. That’s seven candidates per district, higher than the 5.6 candidates that ran in 2022, but lower than the 8.7 candidates who ran in 2020.

Three districts—the 3rd, the 6th, and the 8th—were open, meaning no incumbents ran. That’s the most open districts in an election cycle this decade.

Rep. Jim Banks (R-3rd) did not run for re-election in order to run for the U.S. Senate, while Reps. Greg Pence (R-6th) and Larry Bucshon (R-8th) retired from public office.

Twelve candidates—four Democrats and eight Republicans—ran for the open 8th Congressional District, the most candidates to run for a seat in 2024.

Fourteen primaries—six Democratic and eight Republican—were contested in 2024. Twelve primaries were contested in 2022, 15 primaries were contested in 2020, and 15 were in 2018.

Four incumbents—one Democrat and three Republicans—faced primary challengers in 2024. That's higher than in 2022, when three incumbents faced challengers, but the same as in 2020 and 2018.

Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in all eight districts, meaning no seats were guaranteed to either party.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+19. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 19 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Indiana's 8th the 48th most Republican district nationally.

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in Indiana's 8th based on 2024 district lines
Joe Biden	Donald Trump
32.7%	65.5%

Inside Elections Baselines

See also: Inside Elections

Inside Elections' Baseline is a figure that analyzes all federal and statewide election results from the district over the past four election cycles. The results are combined in an index estimating the strength of a typical Democratic or Republican candidate in the congressional district. The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.

Inside Elections Baseline for 2024
Democratic Baseline	Republican Baseline	Difference
35.0	62.4	D+27.4

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Indiana, 2020

Indiana presidential election results (1900-2020)

• 5 Democratic wins
• 26 Republican wins

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020
Winning Party	R	R	R	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	R	R	R

See also: Party control of Indiana state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Indiana's congressional delegation as of May 2024.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Indiana
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	0	2	2
Republican	2	7	9
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	9	11

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Indiana's top four state executive offices as of May 2024.

State executive officials in Indiana, May 2024
Office	Officeholder
Governor	Eric Holcomb
Lieutenant Governor	Suzanne Crouch
Secretary of State	Diego Morales
Attorney General	Todd Rokita

State legislature

Indiana State Senate

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	10
	Republican Party	40
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		50

Indiana House of Representatives

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	30
	Republican Party	70
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		100

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

Indiana Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas  •  Sixteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Indiana in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Indiana, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Indiana	U.S. House	Ballot-qualified party	N/A (only declaration of candidacy required)	N/A	2/6/2024	Source
Indiana	U.S. House	Unaffiliated	2% of total votes cast for the secretary of state in the district in the last election	N/A	7/1/2024	Source

See also

• Indiana's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 7 Republican primary)
• Indiana's 8th Congressional District election, 2024
• United States House elections in Indiana, 2024 (May 7 Democratic primaries)
• United States House elections in Indiana, 2024 (May 7 Republican primaries)
• United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
• United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2024
• U.S. House battlegrounds, 2024

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[show]

Indiana's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Jim Banks (R)

Todd Young (R)

Representatives

District 1

Frank Mrvan (D)

District 2

Rudy Yakym (R)

District 3

Marlin Stutzman (R)

District 4

Jim Baird (R)

District 5

Victoria Spartz (R)

District 6

Jefferson Shreve (R)

District 7

André Carson (D)

District 8

Mark Messmer (R)

District 9

Erin Houchin (R)

Republican Party (9)

Democratic Party (2)

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