Results roll in for Indiana US House, state House races

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The polls have closed and the results are coming in for Indiana's U.S. House and State House races.

Two local Congressional Districts in Indiana were on the ballot, and several seats for the Indiana House of Representatives were up for grabs in this year's general election.

You can watch election results in real time via The Associated Press on WDRB's Election Results page by clicking here.

U.S. House Races:

District 8:

Republican Mark Messmer was chosen as the next representative for Indiana's 8th Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race just after 7 p.m. Tuesday, with Messmer holding 74% of the vote.

Messmer came out on top of a crowded field of candidates to secure the Republican nomination in the May primary election. He garnered 38% of the vote over seven challengers.

He beat Democratic candidate Erik Hurt in Tuesday's general election. Hurt came out on top over three competitors with about 45% of the vote in the May primary.

Larry Bucshon, who has held Indiana's 8th Congressional District seat since 2011, announced in January that he would not be seeking reelection.

Indiana's 8th Congressional District covers the southwest and the western part of central Indiana. Local counties include Orange, Crawford, Perry, Spencer, and Dubois and the remaining western counties. It continues north and ends in Fountain County.

District 9:

Republican Rep. Erin Houchin won reelection for Indiana's 9th Congressional District, securing 64% of the vote over her Democratic challenger, Timothy Peck.

Houchin won the May primary election with nearly 80% of the vote over her challenger, Hugh Doty.

Peck secured the nomination in the May primary with 66% of the vote over D. Liam Dorris.

Indiana's 9th Congressional District includes Harrison, Floyd, Crawford, Clark, Orange, Washington, part of Scott, Lawrence, Jackson, Monroe, Brown, Johnson, and part of Morgan counties in the southern part of the state.

State House of Representatives:

District 62:

Republican Dave Hall is hoping to keep his position as the representative for Indiana's 62nd District.

The incumbent was uncontested in the May primary election. Hall was elected in a tight race during the 2022 general election, with 13,037 (50.1%) votes over his Democratic challenger, Penny Githens, who had 12,963 (49.9%) votes.

Democratic candidate Thomas Harrocks was also uncontested, so he also secured 100% of the vote, with 3,955 votes.

District 62 covers Brown County, some of Monroe County, and part of Jackson County, which is south of Indianapolis.

District 66:

Republican Zach Payne was reelected to serve Indiana's 66th district for the state House of Representatives, defeating Democrat Jennifer David with 69% of the vote.

Payne has held the seat since 2020, when he beat Democratic incumbent Terry Goodin with 55.8% of the vote. He was uncontested for the Republican primary election in 2022, and beat Democratic challenger Nancy McDevitt with nearly 70% of the vote.

In this year's primary, Payne secured the Republican nomination with 76% of the vote over his challenger Jim Baker.

District 66 covers Clark County and part of Jefferson and Scott counties in southern Indiana.

District 68:

Republican Garrett Bascom won Indiana's 68th district seat in the statehouse, defeating Democrat Lisa Barker.

Bascom was uncontested in the May primary election, so he secured 100% of the vote for the race. He secured 81% of the vote in Tuesday's general election.

Republican Randy Lyness, the incumbent for Indiana's 68th district, did not run for reelection. He was uncontested in the 2022 general election and was reelected to the seat he has held since 2015.

District 68 covers Dearborn, Ohio, and Switzerland counties, as well as a portion of Jefferson County.

District 69:

Republican Jim Lucas was reelected to serve Indiana's 69th district seat in the statehouse, defeating Democrat Trish Whitcomb.

Lucas secured the Republican nomination in the May primary over challenger Brian Savilla with 57% of the vote.

In Tuesday's primary election, he secured 69% of the vote for the seat he has held since 2012.

Democrat Trish Whitcomb was uncontested in the May primary election.

District 69 covers part of Washington, Jackson, Scott and Bartholomew counties.

District 70:

Republican Karen Engleman was reelected to the District 70 seat in Indiana's statehouse with 73% of the vote, defeating Democrat Sarah Blessing.

Engleman, who has held the seat since 2016, secured the Republican nomination in the May primary with more than 68% of the vote over challenger John Colburn.

There was no Democratic primary election in May.

District 70 includes Harrison, part of Floyd, part of Clark, and part of Washington counties.

District 71:

Democrat Wendy Dant Chesser is the incumbent for District 71, having taken office in June after Democrat Rita Fleming, who held the seat since 2018, resigned to focus on her family. Fleming was the incumbent and uncontested in the May primary election.

Scott Hawkins secured the Republican nomination for the state House seat in the May primary over James McClure with 78% of the vote.

Fleming beat Hawkins for the seat in the 2022 general election in a close race with 50.6% of the vote. Hawkins had 49.4% of the votes.

District 71 covers a portion of Clark County and a very small portion of Floyd County.

District 72:

Republican Rep. Ed Clere was reelected to the District 72 seat in Indiana's statehouse with 57% of the vote. He has held the seat since 2008. He was uncontested in the May primary election.

Democrat Jason Applegate was uncontested when he won the May primary election, but lost the general election.

District 72 covers a majority of Floyd County.

District 73:

Republican Rep. Jennifer Meltzer has been reelected to serve Indiana's 73rd District in the statehouse. The Associated Press called the race at 7:14 p.m., with Meltzer holding almost 77% of the vote.

Meltzer assumed office in 2022 and secured the Republican nomination in this year's May primary election with nearly 75% of the vote over challenger Edward Comstock II.

Democratic candidate Hollie Payton was uncontested in the Democratic May primary election.

District 73 covers part of Decatur, Jennings, Bartholomew, and Shelby counties.

District 74:

Republican Stephen Bartels was reelected to serve Indiana's 74th district seat in the statehouse, defeating Democrat Bob Compton with 69% of the vote.

Bartels has held the seat since 2017 and was uncontested in the May primary. He was uncontested in the 2020 and 2022 general elections.

Democrat Bob Compton was also uncontested in the May primary election.

District 74 covers Perry, Crawford and Spencer counties, as well as a portion of Dubois and Orange counties.

Watch election results in real time via The Associated Press on WDRB's Election Results page by clicking here.

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