Robby Slaughter

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Robby Slaughter

Independent

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Personal

Birthplace

Dallas, Texas

Religion

Christian

Profession

Consultant

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Robby Slaughter (independent) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Indiana's 5th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Slaughter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Robby Slaughter was born in Texas. His career experience includes running a small business, working in IT, and serving as an adjunct faculty member at IUPUI.

Elections

2024

See also: Indiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2024

Indiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 7 Republican primary)

Indiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 7 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Indiana District 5

Incumbent Victoria Spartz defeated Deborah A. Pickett, Robby Slaughter, and Lauri Shillings in the general election for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Victoria Spartz (R)	56.6	203,293
		Deborah A. Pickett (D)	38.0	136,554
		Robby Slaughter (Independent)	2.7	9,790
		Lauri Shillings (L)	2.7	9,567

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 359,204
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5

Deborah A. Pickett defeated Ryan Pfenninger in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on May 7, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Deborah A. Pickett	59.5	11,858
		Ryan Pfenninger	40.5	8,082

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 19,940
= 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

• Jeremy Lee Edom (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on May 7, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Victoria Spartz	39.1	31,674
		Chuck Goodrich	33.2	26,865
		Max Engling	9.7	7,841
		Raju Chinthala	7.1	5,742
		Mark Hurt	5.5	4,431
	Submit photo	Larry L. Savage Jr.	1.9	1,569
		Matthew Peiffer	1.7	1,379
		Patrick Malayter	1.0	800
		Lonnie Powell	0.9	729

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 81,030
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Scott King (R)
• Scott Goad (R)
• Rodney Cummings (R)
• Jonathan Brown (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Slaughter in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Robby Slaughter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Slaughter's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm an independent. That means not here to be influenced by political parties or special interests. I've lived in the area for two decades. I owned a small business, I taught college courses, and I've delivered pizzas and waited tables. My wide-ranging experiences have allowed me to interact with people from all walks of life. This is crucial when representing all of the people in the district.

Half of all members of Congress are millionaires, which is not representative of the typical American. Nearly all members of Congress are active, lifelong members of their political party. The plurality of Americans (47%) identify as independent. And most members of Congress are career politicians; I am not.

I'm a lot more like you then most people who seek this office, which is my greatest strength. Congress is supposed to be the people's house; I am one of the people.

More: https://robbyslaughter.com/about-me/?

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• **The greatest crisis we face is trust.** We no longer trust our elected officials or our government. Without trust, nothing meaningful is possible. And the only way to restore trust is to do the opposite of what campaigns have done: spend time mostly with real people, not rich donors; give up power by instituting term limits, financial reform, and radical transparency in Congress.
• **Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.** We've been voting for partisan candidates as long as anyone can remember, and it's only led to more corruption and incompetence. It's long past time to put people in office who aren't part of the broken system and who are dedicated to serving our country---not special interests.
• A bad system will defeat a good person every time. There are a lot of good people in the Republican and Democratic parties, but the nature of our political system is that party candidates spend most of their time navigating the party and their donors instead of serving the people.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Government waste, incompetence, and corruption.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

None of our heroes are perfect people. I look up to the founders of our country, despite their flaws. I look up to leaders in business and industry, despite their greed and misdeeds. I look up to athletes and entertainers, despite their moral failings. I think rather than idolizing someone it is better to express their traits and acts that one admires. I revere Jefferson for his writing and ingenuity; Hamilton for his genius and passion, Washington for his humility and steadfastness.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The West Wing, because it's full of characters from all political perspectives who genuinely care about public service, about the rule of law, and about the people our country.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

**Integrity.** That means to be whole and undivided; to have an absolute loyalty to the cause which one professes to uphold. It means to be a person of consistent, upright character. One who is reliable and honest, who is focused on doing what is right and not what is merely popular at the moment or self-serving.

• • Humility.** We must think of others, because public service is for serving the public. Too many elected officials develop an ego that makes them think of themselves as important. It is the work that is important, not the person in the role.
    
    
  • Consistency.** When we behave predictably, we give others comfort and confidence. An elected official should be accessible, responsible, and reliable. When citizens reach out to their office they should get a reply. The officials views should not change without significant new information. Their voting and administrative records should reflect a commitment to doing what they said they would do.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Caring about people, public speaking, and hard work.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Serve the people, which also means to NOT serve the special interests. Vote with honor and integrity, speak for the voiceless, and be open and accessible to all.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That anyone can do run for public office, and that everyday people should.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember a lot of things vaguely, such as the Iran-Contra affair. But the most significant event is the 1986 explosion of the Challenger. We watched the launch live from my fourth-grade classroom. It was a time where the work of space exploration was a shared endeavor by all Americans. The event is clear in my mind to this day.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

After high school I worked a summer for a small legal consulting company. The firm provided expert advice in the semiconductor industry for patent lawsuits. My job was to run a microscope, take pictures, and put together collages for the attorneys and engineers. I certainly learned quite a bit about microelectronics, but more importantly about small business culture and operations. Part of my innovation there was to determine ways to automate the software to save time in data retrieval and analysis.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I've always come back to Steven Levy's Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution. It's obscure yet excellent. Levy is a masterful storyteller and the characters fascinate me.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Sherlock Holmes, except for a few of his vices.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

People who do not communicate. I can accept any situation you might be in and any amount of time you need, but if you do not respond to messages, I don't know what to do. Communication is vital in our society, and I want to expand communication with constituents.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

These are listed in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States. The expressed, limited powers of Congress are what make it unique. It is the opportunity for the people to work together through their representatives to create a more perfect union.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, in fact I think it is detrimental. Government is not a profession, it is an activity of civil society. The best representatives are those that have lived among the people in ways that are consistent with the people. Career politicians are a disservice to the country.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The continued decline of trust in leadership. This is already a devastating issue, but it will be even worse as technology makes it impossible to tell if a person actually said or did what was claimed. In the near future, virtually anyone will be able to deepfake virtually anything in seconds. So why would we believe anything? We must rebuild trust.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes, but the ever-expanding campaign cycle is breaking this term length. Members of the House of Representatives start campaigning for their next election almost immediately. This is bad for the country.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

We must have term limits. They are a terrible idea, but not doing them is even worse. https://robbyslaughter.com/its-not-about-issues/

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Here are three: Sam Rayburn, Margaret Chase Smith, and Charlie Wilson. In the case of Rayburn, I find myself impressed by his personal integrity. He wouldn't allow anyone to give him money or gifts. He wouldn't even let lobbyists buy him a meal! Smith was the first person to stand up to Joseph McCarthy. She also advocated for women---especially in the military. Wilson gets credit from me despite his many shortcomings as an avid partier and scoundrel, best shown by his mantra that he could "take his job seriously without taking himself seriously." Wilson worked hard, knew his stuff, and was skilled negotiator.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Hundreds of stories. I am cataloging these on Twitter with the hashtag #peopleonthetrail. People tell me no politician has ever knocked on their door before, much less a candidate for Congress. People tell me about their children, their families, their careers. They mention their time in military service or their work with their church.

One particular woman in Fairmount, Indiana, told me about her brother---who once owned the house where I met her. He had passed away and she was the one who found him. She and her son had moved into the place to try and get back on their feet, but all of the problems in the property and the estate made it difficult. And she told me she felt like his ghost was around every corner in the creaky old home.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I can't resist a good pun. Or a bad pun, I congress.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Of course it is. Compromise is how all decisions get made when more than one person is involved.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

We absolutely must radically reform the budgeting process. Today, most spending is automatically reauthorized without any review by Congress. Agencies make their own decisions and shift funding around to meet their needs without sufficient oversight. The way our government spends money is broken and the American taxpayer suffers as a result.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

The problem today is that investigations are political instead of purposeful. The work of Congress should be to do investigations that existing judicial and executive bodies cannot do internally because of problems or limitations in their power. But once Congress determines a meaningful structure for investigation, it should be delegated---with frequent oversight---to the appropriate institution within the government.

Today, too much of investigation is a form of campaigning instead of getting to the truth.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I have not sought nor accepted endorsements. We are experiencing a crisis of trust, and key endorsements reinforce the division in our society. To regain trust, candidates for public office must earn the endorsement of voters, not institutions.

What committees interest you?

All of them, of course, but Appropriations, Ethics, House Administration, Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and
Rules in particular.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

We need 100% absolute financial transparency for elected officials. All areas of government should have all transactions online and searchable, with a possible delay in availability only for matters of national security. Redactions should only be permissible under court order.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Slaughter's campaign website stated the following:

“	Why I’m Running You probably want to know why I am running for Congress. It’s because we no longer trust our elected leaders. It used to be the case that Democrat or Republican, we believed that good people could put aside differences and work together to hammer out solutions for our country. But the political parties and special interests have killed common sense in Washington. We need new, independent thinkers who aren’t under the thumb of big money or extremist groups. Somebody has to do something. And this is America, and standing up to do the right thing —- even when it’s hard—-is what Americans do.	”
—Robby Slaughter's campaign website (2024)

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Robby Slaughter campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Indiana District 5	Lost general	$0	N/A**
Grand total			$0	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

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Candidate

U.S. House Indiana District 5

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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)