The Winner

Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN) will represent Indiana’s 8th Congressional District for a second term after defeating Democrat Mary Allen), according to an Associated Press race call published by WTOP. Messmer has 117,503 votes (55.2%) to Allen’s 95,206 (44.8%), a margin of about 10 points, with about 98% of precincts reporting in unofficial results. ​

That margin is much smaller than his 2024 result, when he beat Democrat Erik Hurt 68.0% to 29.5%. Messmer, a former Indiana Senate majority leader, won the seat in 2024 after Rep. Larry Bucshon (R) retired.

The Race

Allen, an Army Reserve veteran, small-business owner and at-large member of the Evansville City Council, won a four-way Democratic primary on Tuesday, May 5, with 66.7% of the vote. Messmer was unopposed in his primary. She campaigned on protecting Medicaid and Medicare, keeping rural hospitals open and lowering everyday costs.

Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Republican, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Republican, according to Ballotpedia’s race page. Republicans have held the seat since 2010.

The district covers southwestern Indiana, with 20 full counties plus part of Fountain County, including Vanderburgh, Vigo and Dubois, according to Mirror Indy. That takes in Evansville, Terre Haute and Messmer’s hometown of Jasper.

About 755,800 people live in the district, the median age is about 40 and the typical household earns about $65,100 a year. About 23% of adults hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Residents are about 89% white, 4% Black, 3% Hispanic and 1% Asian, unemployment is about 3.8%, and about 13% live below the poverty line.

What’s Next

Messmer’s second term begins Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, and the results stay unofficial until Indiana certifies them. He has pushed for the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the House version of the farm bill, which passed the House 224 to 200 on April 30.

When the bill passed, Messmer said “Hoosier farmers, ranchers, and rural communities will benefit greatly” and urged the Senate to act quickly, his office said. The Senate hasn’t passed the bill. If it doesn’t act before the current Congress ends on Jan. 3, the bill dies and the process has to start over.

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