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Republican Jennifer-Ruth Green on Tuesday announced plans to run for Congress in a northwest Indiana district that has been a Democratic stronghold but could soon be redrawn to favor conservatives.
Green was appointed the state’s public safety secretary by Gov. Mike Braun in January but abruptly resigned in early September amid an ethics complaint from the Office of Inspector General.
Green announced her campaign for Indiana’s 1st Congressional District in a social media post touting her experience as a veteran of the armed forces. She previously ran for the same seat in 2022, losing to Democrat Frank Mrvan.
Mrvan is still the incumbent in that seat, but Indiana Republicans could significantly alter the borders of the district as part of President Donald Trump’s mandate for Republican-led states to redraw Congressional districts mid-decade to help Republicans keep control of the U.S. House in the 2026 midterm elections.
Braun on Monday called a special legislative session to consider redistricting. The session is set to start Nov. 3.
Green graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and was deployed to Iraq, according to a press release announcing her appointment to Braun’s cabinet. She served as the state’s public safety secretary for less than nine months before she resigned.
The Office of Inspector General accused Green of using state vehicles and property for her political campaign. It also said she ordered state employees to work on social media pages for her campaign during business hours.
Investigators say Green met with representatives from the National Republican Congressional Committee during business hours and used a state conference room for the meeting.
In addition, the inspector general’s office alleges Green retaliated against an employee who cooperated with the investigation.
“After nearly winning a Biden district in 2022, I’m ready to finish the mission, flip northwest indiana red for the first time in almost a century, and fight for the America we love,” Green wrote in her social media post announcing her candidacy.
Green won just over 47% of the vote in the 2022 general election to Mrvan’s 53%.
The official date for candidates to file for the 2026 primaries is Jan. 7.
The 1st District is one of two districts out of nine in Indiana that have been controlled by Democrats in recent years. The other is the 7th District, which includes most of Indianapolis.
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