J.D. Ford is an Indiana State Senator and candidate for Congress in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, bringing a working-class perspective to Washington.

 

J.D. Ford entered the Indiana Statehouse in 2018 as a rare kind of public servant: an elected official with a part-time job, like many of the people he represents. As a legislator who isn’t independently wealthy, J.D. knows firsthand what Hoosiers face every day: rising healthcare costs, higher grocery bills, and policies too often written for the wealthy instead of working families.

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He flipped a long-held red district—Indiana Senate District 29—by outworking and out-caring the political establishment. Voters chose a leader focused on service, not status—someone willing to fight to lower the cost of lifesaving medication, strengthen public education, and ensure every Hoosier gets a fair shot.

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J.D. grew up in a working-class family, his father a union truck driver, his mother an assisted living administrator. From his grandparents, who served their community as local officials, he learned early that public service is about people, not power. Those values guide him through his nonprofit career and his work in the Senate.

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J.D. is the first, and so far only, openly LGBTQ+ member of the Indiana General Assembly, and one of its youngest. He lives with his dog, Stella, and his cat, Sir Aaron Purr. Outside the legislature, he enjoys sports, reading, and spending time with family and friends.