Ford campaign poll claims toss-up in 5th District as national Democrats target Spartz
A new internal poll released Wednesday by Democrat J.D. Ford’s congressional campaign portrays Indiana’s 5th District as a dead heat, a striking claim in a district that has been reliably Republican since it was redrawn after the 2020 census — and one that comes just a day after national Democrats formally added the race to their target list.
The survey, conducted July 16-20 by Impact Research, a Democratic polling firm working for the Ford campaign, shows incumbent Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz leading Ford, a state senator from Indianapolis, 48 percent to 46 percent — within the poll’s margin of error.
The poll paints a difficult picture for the three-term congresswoman. According to the campaign’s summary, 51 percent of district voters view Spartz unfavorably, against 34 percent favorable. A majority, 53 percent, see her as “part of the problem in Washington,” and 49 percent consider her ineffective. The survey also found President Trump, who carried the district by 17 points in 2…