Indiana New Members 2025

Sen.-elect Jim Banks (R-Ind.)

Date of Birth / July 16, 1979 
Residence / Columbia City, Ind. 
Occupation / Representative serving Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District 
Education / B.A., Indiana University; MBA, Grace College 
Family / Married to Amanda with three daughters: Lillian, Elizabeth, Joann 

Jim Banks will replace Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) representing the Hoosier State. The three-term House lawmaker was backed by Braun and former President Trump during his campaign. 

Banks was elected in 2016 to represent Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District, which is based in Fort Wayne and encompasses much of northeast Indiana. He has served on three House committees: the Armed Services Committee, the Education and the Workforce Committee and the select committee focused on China. He also chairs the Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee. 

According to his website, he is committed to “common-sense, conservative Hoosier values.” 

From 2021-23, he also served as the chair of the Republican Study Committee. 

Prior to serving in the U.S. House, Banks was an Indiana state senator from 2010-16. He also began serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve in 2012, and later took leaves of absence from the Legislature to deploy to Afghanistan in 2014 and again in 2015. 

Banks is also a past president of the Columbia City Rotary Club and former chair of the Whitley County Republican Party. 

—  Steff Danielle Thomas 

Rep.-elect Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.-3)

Date of Birth / Aug. 31, 1976 
Residence / Howe, Ind. 
Occupation / Managing partner at the Stutzman Group, co-owner of Show Hauler RV and former congressman 
Education / Trine University; Glen Oaks Community College 
Family / Married to Christy with two sons 

Rep.-elect Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.), who defeated Democrat Kiley Adolph, is no stranger to Congress. Stutzman served in the House from 2010-17. He opted against running for reelection in 2016 to instead vie for the Senate, later losing during the GOP primary to Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.). 

Stutzman succeeds Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who represents the northeastern Indiana House seat and includes Fort Wayne. Banks left his House seat to run for Senate, succeeding Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.). Braun left his Senate seat to run for governor. 

Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District went handily for President-elect Trump in 2020 by 30 points, making Stutzman the heavy favorite against Adolph, a former professor, to win in the general election. 

Prior to his time in the House, Stutzman served in both chambers of Indiana’s state Legislature. 

Marlin is a managing partner at the private equity and consulting firm, the Stutzman Group, and a co-owner of Show Hauler RV. 

— Caroline Vakil 

Rep.-elect Jefferson Shreve (R-Ind.-6)

Date of Birth / Sept. 24, 1965  
Residence / Perry Township, Ind.
Occupation / Founder of Storage Express  
Education / Bachelor of Political Science, Indiana University; M.A., University of London; Master of Business Administration, Purdue University
Family / Married to Mary with no children (has a dog named Shelby) 

Jefferson Shreve was a Republican member of the Indianapolis City Council’s 23rd District from 2013 to 2016 and again served on the council from 2018 to 2020, representing the 16th district. He served as a district-level delegate at the 2016 Republican National Convention for Indiana. He ran for mayor in 2023, arguing for the need to address crime.  

Shreve credits his skills in serving in public office and business to a summer job as a paperboy delivering newspapers and collecting subscriptions that he had when was 12 years old. He pursued a Master of Arts in international diplomacy from the University of London after getting a bachelor’s degree in political science from Indiana University. He later earned a Master of Business Administration in agribusiness from Purdue.  

Through an internship in Washington, D.C., during college, he discovered an interest in real estate, later becoming the founder of Storage Express, a self-storage business.   

Shreve and his wife, Mary, live with their dog, Shelby, in Perry Township, Ind. In their free time, they enjoy outings with their fellow Indiana University alums, including alumni trips abroad and university athletics road trips. 

— Juliann Ventura 

Rep.-elect Mark Messmer (R-Ind.-8)

Date of Birth / Dec. 16, 1967 
Residence / Jasper, Ind. 
Occupation / Former state senator, co-owns plumbing and heating company Messmer Mechanical  
Education / B.S., Purdue University
Family / Married to Kim with four children 

Republican Mark Messmer is replacing retiring Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) to represent Indiana’s 8th Congressional District, situated in the southwestern corner of the state. 

Messmer, a former state senator who co-owns plumbing and heating company Messmer Mechanical, beat out a crowded field of GOP candidates for the Republican nod, including former Rep. John Hostettler (R-Ind.). 

The GOP primary notably saw outside spending from several groups, including the Republican Jewish Coalition and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, as Hostettler’s record on Israel became a flashpoint during the primary. 

Messmer defeated Democrat Erik Hurt, a local movie theater manager, for the seat in November — a district that went handily for President-elect Trump in 2020 by 33 points. 

Messmer has served in both chambers of Indiana’s state Legislature, including as the state Senate majority leader. Other roles he held in Indiana’s state Senate included helming the Committee on Joint Rules and Committee on Environmental Affairs. 

— Caroline Vakil