Flashback: ex-Sens. Delph, Ruckelshaus set to clash in SD 29
If there’s ever been a primary race for the Senate involving a pair of former senators, we’re fairly confident that you’d have to reach back a good 50 years or so to find one . . . but that’s what’s shaping up for May in SD 29, where two prominent former GOP senators will be part of the field vying for a seat open because the Democratic senator who held the seat for two terms is seeking higher office, a run in CD 05.
Former Sens. Mike Delph (R) and John Ruckelshaus (R) will wage respective comeback attempts in this district covering parts of Indianapolis (portions of Wayne Township and Pike Township) as well as extending into Carmel and Zionsville. Both are well-known to local voters, and each has had to fend off criticism over the years for perhaps being a bit too far on (opposite ends of) the spectrum for some Hoosier Republicans. Both have also won legislative races and lost them across different decades, and are well-versed in the highs and lows of campaigning and service. Both are truly unique in their approach to the job, effective fundraisers and communicators, and tireless campaigners.
And they will also be facing off with a third candidate in the contest, V. Roni Ford (R), a longtime member of the M.S.D. Pike Township school board, who has been a constituent outreach staffer for U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R). If elected, we believe that she would become the first black female Republican senator in state history. As of Thursday, she was the only candidate from Indianapolis in the race; Delph and Ruckelshaus both live in Carmel. While Sen. Ford has defeated Carmel Republicans in his last two successful races in this demanding district, he lost to Delph in 2014.
Delph is back eight years after he lost his 2018 race to Ford. He will square off with Ruckelshaus, who lost his seat in 2022 to now-Sen. Fady Qaddoura (D) in a Washington Township-centered district before moving north a few miles. They offer a strong contrast in ideology within the local Republican party; Delph is proud of his strong social conservative credentials, while Ruckelshaus flaunts his ability to work with Democrats and forge moderate solutions as a winning framework for him politically.
Delph has been virtually invisible on the political scene over the past two cycles until he and Ruckelshaus both participated in a January 28 Wayne Township GOP event with the Governor – a gathering intended to help rebuild political confidence in a west side Republican cadre decimated by many hits over the past several election cycles.
Indeed, Delph had not set foot in the State House since his 2018 defeat until he filed for his old seat on Wednesday. While he’s been out of the arena, he’s also chosen not to criticize any votes or policy decisions made by his Democratic successor, which may help him in a general election.
Delph has spent much of his time since leaving office building up his singing and song-writing (he’s a rock star in Brazil!) and his military (he’s a rock star at the National War College!) careers, while practicing some law and enjoying family time (the youngest of his five daughters just headed off to Purdue last fall, spoiling a long Delph family Indiana University lineage). He’s been hearing about affordability concerns from his daughters, most of whom have settled down and are raising their families in the metro donut. The affordability message is probably the most relevant issue in Pike and Wayne.
Ruckelshaus has not been far from the State House, working on behalf of physicians for the Indiana State Medical Association, but stepping back from lobbying before the session started in anticipation of his own Senate run, and, more recently, making a complete break from ISMA. He’ll be ready to talk about healthcare concerns and property taxes, two of the biggest issues in the northern part of the district. Delph, who worked in the healthcare industry as well, will also be prepared to talk about improvements that he believes are needed in the system.
This will be a fascinating campaign. Singer-songwriter Delph is working to get his old (political) band back together after winning runs in 2006, 2010, and 2014, counting on his former grassroots organizing network coalescing for him, complemented by his old finance team led by developer Paul Shoopman – who will prove a worthy fundraising adversary to Ruckelhaus’ Chuck Schalliol. Delph’s 2025 annual report shows that he comes into 2025 with $37,917 in cash on hand vs. $151,984 for Ruckelshaus, but Delph will likely ramp up to six-figures in fundraising quickly out of the gate (we’re hearing that he has some major early pledges that will guarantee this), but raising money will not be a problem for the establishment-favored Ruckelshaus who has strong ties to the Indianapolis business and statewide association and lobbying communities.
Like Ruckelshaus, who was actively on paid Indianapolis television extensively in 2018 and 2022, Delph has strong ballot ID in the district – having run four times – and both candidates live in Carmel, where Delph grew up (and his wife’s family lives in Zionsville).
Delph has to count on the GOPrimary turnout favoring the base, while Ruckelshaus looks to disaffected Republicans hoping to make a change here, in addition to banking on Republican voters outside of Wayne Township being more moderate than in virtually any other red or purple district outside the northern collar of the donut.
Look for Delph, who is being assisted by his predecessor, former Sen. Scott Schneider (R), as well as west side denizen Sen. Mike Young (R), to eschew big name endorsements. A former thorn in the side of Senate Republican leadership, he’s certainly not as close to leaders and key caucus members as Ruckelshaus is, but expect the Senate Majority Campaign Committee to spend more attention to protecting incumbents targeted by the President than formally playing in this primary race – until the general election, when they see this as a strong pickup prospect.
Speaking of the President and his MAGA-affiliated network . . . you might assume that this amalgamation will sit out the SD 29 primary race in favor of targeting incumbents who opposed mid-decade redistricting, but that may not be the case. Ruckelshaus made his personal opposition to the remap process public last year, and, we’re told, Team Trump is well aware of where he stood. You should not be surprised to see the White House (and Turning Point USA, we hear in particular), playing in this race on behalf of Delph. Recall that the third Repub in the race, Roni Ford, has direct ties to Sen. Young, who is anathema to the President.
This is certainly a purple district, and electability in a general election will likely be a big selling point dangled by Ruckelshaus, but Delph has won this seat three times even as it was characterized as a left-of-center district. He has been able to build coalitions, has deep relationships throughout the district, and knows the territory – and its people – well, having grown up min the Home Place neighborhood of old Carmel . He can make a strong case for why he can be an effective candidate in the fall, and you’ll likely hear him suggest that he was a victim of what was simply a bad cycle in 2018.
Neither candidate will be outworked in this contest, which features different sets of issues of importance to the Wayne Township/Pike Township vs. Hamilton County and Boone County components.
In short, this will be a clash of the titans, and will be a marquee May race. Like a car crash you see coming, you won’t be able to look away, even as you know you need to be aware of the other traffic in the area.