J.D. Ford

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J.D. Ford
Democratic Party
Candidate, U.S. House Indiana District 5
Indiana State Senate District 29
Tenure
2018 - Present
Term ends
2026
Years in position
7
Predecessor: Mike Delph (R)
Compensation
Base salary
$33,032
Per diem
$213/day
Elections and appointments
Last election
May 5, 2026
Next election
November 3, 2026
Education
Bachelor's
The University of Akron, 2005
Bachelor's
University of Akron
Graduate
Purdue University, 2010
Personal
Profession
Nonprofit professional
Contact
Official website
Official Facebook
Official X
Official Instagram
Campaign website
Campaign Facebook
Campaign X
Campaign Instagram
Campaign YouTube
Campaign TikTok
Personal Facebook
Personal X
Personal Instagram
Personal LinkedIn

J.D. Ford (Democratic Party) is a member of the Indiana State Senate, representing District 29. He assumed office on November 7, 2018. His current term ends on November 4, 2026. Ford is not running for re-election to Indiana State Senate District 29 in 2026.

Ford (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Indiana's 5th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. He advanced from the Democratic primary on May 5, 2026.

Ford completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

J.D. Ford lives in Wayne Township, Indiana. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science and criminal justice from the University of Akron and a master's degree in education from Purdue University. Ford's career experience includes working as the senior director of recruitment and expansion with Theta Chi Fraternity, Inc.[1]

Committee assignments

2025-2026

Ford was assigned to the following committees:

2023-2024

Ford was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Ford was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Ford was assigned to the following committees:


The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Elections

2026

See also: Indiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2026

Indiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 5 Democratic primary)

Indiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 5 Republican primary)

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Indiana District 5

Incumbent Victoria Spartz (R) and J.D. Ford (D) are running in the general election for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Victoria Spartz
Victoria Spartz (R)
Image of J.D. Ford
J.D. Ford Candidate Connection (D)

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = 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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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on May 5, 2026.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of J.D. Ford
J.D. Ford Candidate Connection
 
42.5
 
17,608
Image of Jackson Franklin
Jackson Franklin Candidate Connection
 
17.0
 
7,023
Image of Deborah A. Pickett
Deborah A. Pickett
 
14.1
 
5,840
Image of Tara Nelson
Tara Nelson Candidate Connection
 
13.5
 
5,573
Image of Dylan McKenna
Dylan McKenna Candidate Connection
 
7.5
 
3,098
Image of Phil Goss
Phil Goss
 
3.0
 
1,240
Image of Steven Avit
Steven Avit Candidate Connection
 
2.5
 
1,022

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 41,404
Candidate Connection = 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

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5

Incumbent Victoria Spartz (R) defeated Scott King (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 5 on May 5, 2026.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Victoria Spartz
Victoria Spartz
 
59.9
 
33,695
Image of Scott King
Scott King Candidate Connection
 
40.1
 
22,526

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 56,221
Candidate Connection = 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.

Endorsements

See also: Our approach to covering endorsements

J.D. Ford received the following endorsements and voter guide recommendations. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

Ratings

Ford received ratings or grades from the following organizations. To send us additional ratings, click here.

  • MADVoters Indiana

2022

See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Indiana State Senate District 29

Incumbent J.D. Ford defeated Alexander Choi in the general election for Indiana State Senate District 29 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of J.D. Ford
J.D. Ford (D)
 
51.7
 
22,670
Image of Alexander Choi
Alexander Choi (R)
 
48.3
 
21,200

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 43,870
Candidate Connection = 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 29

Incumbent J.D. Ford advanced from the Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 29 on May 3, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of J.D. Ford
J.D. Ford
 
100.0
 
4,148

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 4,148
Candidate Connection = 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 29

Alexander Choi advanced from the Republican primary for Indiana State Senate District 29 on May 3, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Alexander Choi
Alexander Choi
 
100.0
 
5,107

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 5,107
Candidate Connection = 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.

Campaign finance

2018

See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for Indiana State Senate District 29

J.D. Ford defeated incumbent Mike Delph in the general election for Indiana State Senate District 29 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of J.D. Ford
J.D. Ford (D)
 
56.7
 
31,974
Image of Mike Delph
Mike Delph (R)
 
43.3
 
24,403

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 56,377
Candidate Connection = 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 29

J.D. Ford advanced from the Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 29 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of J.D. Ford
J.D. Ford
 
100.0
 
6,955

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 6,955
Candidate Connection = 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 29

Incumbent Mike Delph defeated Corrie Meyer in the Republican primary for Indiana State Senate District 29 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mike Delph
Mike Delph
 
57.6
 
6,070
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Corrie Meyer
 
42.4
 
4,463

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 10,533
Candidate Connection = 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.

2014

See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for the Indiana State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 7, 2014. J.D. Ford was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while incumbent Mike Delph was unopposed in the Republican primary. Delph defeated Ford in the general election.[2][3]

Indiana State Senate District 29, General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngMike Delph Incumbent 54.3% 15,140
     Democratic J.D. Ford 45.7% 12,744
Total Votes 27,884

Endorsements

Ford was endorsed by The Victory Fund and the College Democrats of Indiana.[4]

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

J.D. Ford completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ford's responses.

Expand All
Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
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?
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

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.

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

J.D. Ford did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Candidate Connection

J.D. Ford participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on April 9, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and J.D. Ford's responses follow below.[5]

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

“ 1) Education

2) Election Reform
3) Economy[6][7]

”

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?

“ Education has always been important in my family. I currently hold a Master of Science in Education from Purdue University. I know that a solid system of public education is the bedrock for creating successful citizens. As a state legislator, it will be my duty to ensure that our public schools are strengthened and students have all the resources they need to excel.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[7] ”

Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. J.D. Ford answered the following:

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

“ I am passionate about improving the lives of my fellow Hoosiers. Every day I walk onto the State Senate floor, I will be thinking about the people I serve. The qualities I believe I can bring to the office and to the legislature are:

• Honesty and Integrity
• Pragmatic problem-solver
• Strong Work Ethic
• Accessible to Constituents[7]

”
What process do you favor for redistricting?
“ For re-destricting reform, I would like to see a non-partisan committee of experts who remove the interests of politicians and truly put people first. For far too long, our politicians have been drawing the maps and choosing the people they'd like to serve. Many districts in Indiana, including State Senate District 29, are drawn in a way that does not serve the public interests and, frankly, disenfranchises voters. I believe that every issue Indiana faces stems directly from gerrymandered districts.[7] ”
Both sitting legislators 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?
“ One of the most impactful stories I can share is about a family who lived in Senate District 29 who had complained about a dangerous grate located in their backyard. This family, for years, had been trying to get this issue fixed as it was a serious safety hazard to their small children. After knocking on this family's door and becoming aware of this issue, I stayed persistent to help them cut through bureaucratic red-tape, which too many people experience. I wanted to make sure we achieved a resolution for this family so they could have peace of mind. Voters in my district can expect a strong work ethic from me, paying attention to detail, and staying persistent.[7] ”

2014

Ford's website emphasized the following campaign themes:[8]

Education

  • Excerpt: "Our youth are our future. If elected, I will advocate tirelessly for Hoosier children. As education constitutes over half of our state's budget, I believe we ought to spend more time talking about it."

Veteran's

  • Excerpt: "We owe our active duty servicemen and women and veterans a debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice. When they are finished, I want to make sure that Indiana has jobs waiting for them upon their safe return. I will tirelessly work for them as they have worked for us."

Mass Transit

  • Excerpt: "Simply put, improving our public transportation options would make Central Indiana more attractive for potential businesses, which is a long-term investment for the economy of Indiana."

Economy and Jobs

  • Excerpt: "I believe that this process starts with providing more education opportunities for the people who need jobs the most. Indiana currently ranks 40th out of 50 states in terms of workforce education- let's support our workers with more opportunities to learn."

Mental Health Services

  • Excerpt: "I do not believe that mental health is an area that is addressed well at the government level, and I would like to change that if elected. I will continue to work with mental health professionals to ensure that we are doing everything we can."

Marriage Equality/HJR-3

  • Excerpt: "I believe LGBT rights are the civil rights movement of our time and will work hard to provide equality to all Hoosiers. However, before we can accomplish this important goal, we must reject HJR-3, an amendment to our state's constitution that would require the state to recognize only marriages between one man and one woman as valid."

Women's and Reproductive Issues

  • Excerpt: "I am pro-choice and believe that a woman should make decisions about her body-not government. I also support equal pay for equal work."

Campaign finance summary

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.

J.D. Ford campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2026* U.S. House Indiana District 5On the Ballot general$1,266,361 $772,691
2022Indiana State Senate District 29Won general$433,666 $432,871
2018Indiana State Senate District 29Won general$525,026 N/A**
Grand total$2,225,053 $1,205,562
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election 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.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards, State legislative scorecards in Indiana

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Indiana General Assembly in 2025.

  • ACLU of Indiana — Legislators are rated based on their votes related to civil liberties.
  • Christian Employers Alliance — Legislators are scored on "how consistently their votes support limited government" and "whether their decisions protect or restrict freedom in the marketplace."
  • Indiana Chamber of Commerce — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
  • Indiana Family Institute — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to social issues.
  • The Freedom Index — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Indiana General Assembly in 2024.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Indiana General Assembly in 2023.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Indiana General Assembly in 2022.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Indiana General Assembly in 2021.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Indiana General Assembly in 2020.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Indiana General Assembly in 2019.

See also

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External links

Candidate

U.S. House Indiana District 5
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    		•

    Officeholder

    Indiana State Senate District 29
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    Personal

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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ JD Ford for Indiana State Senate District 29, "About JD," accessed April 14, 2018
    2. ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "Official primary election candidate list," accessed February 10, 2014
    3. ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed June 12, 2014
    4. ↑ jdforindiana.com, "Endorsements," accessed August 28, 2014
    5. ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
    6. ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "J.D. Ford's responses," April 9, 2018
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    8. ↑ jdforindiana.com, "Issues," accessed August 28, 2014

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Mike Delph (R)     		Indiana State Senate District 29
    2018-Present    		 Succeeded by
    -


    Indiana's current delegation to the United States Congress
    Senators
    Jim Banks (R)
    Todd Young (R)
    Representatives
    District 1
    District 2
    District 3
    District 4
    Jim Baird (R)
    District 5
    District 6
    District 7
    District 8
    District 9
    Republican Party (9)
    Democratic Party (2)



    Current members of the Indiana State Senate
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    Majority Leader:Chris Garten
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    Liz Brown (R)
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    J.D. Ford (D)
    District 30
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    Eric Koch (R)
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