Shonkwiler, Hunter Smith, Moed win Indiana 2024 statehouse primary races

This primary election has ushered in some new faces at the Indiana General Assembly.

Across central Indiana, several races did not have incumbents. In the House District 29 race, Alaina Shonkwiler, the former district director for U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, will run against Democrat Chris Hartig to replace Chuck Goodrich, who left his seat in an unsuccessful attempt to run for Congress. In Marion County, Rep. Mike Speedy is vacating his seat to run for U.S. Congress. As of Tuesday night, the House District 90 race was too close to call.

The results of some of these primary elections could determine the results in the general election, especially in areas where voters heavily skew towards one political party.

Here are the results:

House District 29: Alaina Shonkwiler defeated Laura Alerding with about 59% of the vote, with 95% of votes counted.

Alaina Shonkwiler won against Laura Alerding, the former Hamilton East Public Library board president who ushered in a contentious policy that was later rescinded.

Shonkwiler disagreed with Alerding's decision to move thousands of books from the children's to adults' section after the conservative majority on the library board deemed them pornographic and harmful. A more moderate board rescinded the decision and the Noblesville School Board voted not to reappoint Alerding, their representative.

“She went in there to disrupt,” Shonkwiler told the IndyStar. “I am not pro-censorship. That is not the government’s job.”

Shonkwiler said she is a traditional conservative with a track record of aiding economic development. She also said she plans to make education funding a priority, as well as reducing property taxes.

Alerding had said she would focus on health care costs, educational and property tax relief for low and fixed income homeowners.

House District 90: Too close to call with about 99% of votes counted; Andrew Ireland has 38% of votes, Elizabeth Williams, 37%

Marion County has a contested race to fill Speedy's seat.

Candidates include Andrew Ireland, a former deputy attorney general and supporter of charter schools; Tim McVey, a district manager for Public Storage; David Waters, who previously ran against Speedy and lost; and Elizabeth Williams, the CEO and owner of Creative World School-Franklin Township and Expedient Health Services Solutions.

Dominique Davie was uncontested in the Democratic primary.

Senate District 35: Mike Young with 55% of votes has defeated Philip Clay who has 45% of votes. About 99% of the votes are counted

Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, who has served in the chamber for 24 years and the House for 14 years, ran against a 29-year-old real estate investment banker, Philip Clay, positioning himself as a fresh voice in state politics. In his career, Young authored bills to increase penalties for certain crimes, such as obstructing justice and purchasing a human trafficking victim.

“Thirty-five years is a long time,” Clay told the IndyStar of Young’s tenure. “The founding fathers never intended for us to be career politicians. I'm not content to sit on the sidelines. I want to step into the game.”

Young has had a turbulent few years in the state's Republican party. He resigned from the GOP legislative caucus in 2022 after opposing exceptions for rape and incest in the abortion ban. He was then removed from the Senate Judiciary Committee after party leadership accused him of failing to show up for meetings.

No Democratic candidate is on the ballot for that district.

House District 24: Hunter Smith defeated Bill Gutrich with 62% of the votes with 94% of votes counted.

This Hamilton County district is another election with no incumbent. Rep. Donna Schaibley is retiring.

Hunter Smith, a Colts punter for 10 years, won against businessman Bill Gutrich.

Smith, who owns WonderTree Farm in Zionsville, is concerned with protecting the environment as Hamilton County grows. Gutrich, who owns three Pet Supply stores and a small animal feed company, said his business experience would help him make decisions for the fast-growing county. Josh Lowry was uncontested in the Democrat primary.

We're also following:

• House District 95, which includes a slice of northeastern Marion County. Democrat John L. Bartlett, who has 58% of the votes, won against Autumn Carter, a former finance director for the Marion County Democratic Party. She has 42% of the votes with 99% of the votes counted. As of now, there is no Republican on the ballot for the November general election.

• House District 97, which runs across Indianapolis. Incumbent Rep. Justin Moed, the minority whip for the Democrats, won with 80% of the vote. He faced a challenge from Sarah Shydale, a 23-year-old who wants to limit corporate ownership of housing and who won 20% of the vote. About 50% of the votes are counted. He will face Republican Stephen Whitmer in November.

• Senate District 7, which includes Lebanon. Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon, has won with 68% of the votes, with 71% of the votes counted. His opponent Joseph Bookwalter has 32% of the votes. As of now, there is no Democrat on the November ballot.

• Two incumbents also lost to newcomers. Republican Matthew Commons, a veteran and teacher who listed pro-agriculture policies in his campaign website, has won 60% of the vote in House District 13 with 98% of the votes counted. He ousted Republican State Rep. Sharon Negele, who championed increased access to birth control and filed legislation to protect water supply amid a major development project. The district is in the northwestern part of the state. Edward Moyer Jr. was uncontested in the Democratic primary.In Senate District 3 in the northern part of the state, Democratic State Sen. David Vinzant, the President of Vinzant Software, lost to Mark Spencer, a teacher, artist and musician. He will face Will Miller in November.

Binghui Huang can be reached at 317-385-1595 and [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Shonkwiler, Hunter Smith, Moed win in Indiana primary statehouse races