Beto O’Rourke Spotlights Indiana’s 5th District During Indy Rally

Frustrated swing voters join energized Democrats at rousing event

Former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke responds to an audience question about public education in Indianapolis on August 3.

On August 3, 2025, former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke energized local voters with a resounding call to fight the "growing authoritarianism" of the Trump Administration. Held at VisionLoft Stutz in Indianapolis, O'Rourke channeled the outrage and fear of the approximately 300 attendees with a plain-language message: Trump and the Republican Party have left no doubt that they care about the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of the working class and downtrodden. If Republicans are willing to commit unlawful, unethical, and immoral acts to retain control, he argued, it is incumbent on all democracy-loving citizens to fight the GOP at every turn.

Visiting Indy as part of his nationwide tour, O’Rourke particularly excited attendees from Hamilton County when he proclaimed that Indiana’s 5th Congressional District—currently held by Republican Victoria Spartz—is firmly “in play.” Joined by Representative André Carson (D‑Indianapolis), O’Rourke emphasized that this moment calls for collective action to achieve our electoral and policy goals:

“Don’t you look for somebody to come and rescue you. We’re going to rescue each other. Don’t wait for the revolution; the revolution is here.”

O’Rourke’s Vision: Beyond Resistance, Toward Shared Responsibility and Inclusive Well‑Being

O’Rourke opened his remarks by reaffirming some bedrock principles of the progressive movement: Diversity and inclusion, respect for universal human rights, responsibility for our environment, safeguarding the American people from the excesses of unconstrained capitalist greed, and support for the basic needs of all people.

He then presented a damning case against the Trump Administration and elected Republicans that they cannot be trusted to lead. Specifically, he discussed the federal budget bill, attacks on public P-12 and higher education, wanton lawbreaking and personal profiteering among GOP leaders, rejection of science, constant lying to the public, and comprehensive gaslighting about the January 6 insurrection as examples. In a particularly urgent call to action, he described how current attempts to gerrymander an additional 5 Republican seats into the Texas Congressional delegation prove the GOP's self-knowledge that their actions will lead to massive losses in the 2026 midterm elections.

However, he did not just condemn Republicans in his speech. He also urged Democrats to offer something better to the American people to earn our trust and our vote. He acknowledged that Democrats have not done enough to create equal opportunity in our society. He validated voter concerns about education, health care, employment, the economy, and human rights. He agreed that Democrats did not use their power during the Biden Administration to sufficiently shore up the guardrails of democracy and prevent the current authoritarian slide.

Given the highly enthusiastic reactions of the crowd, his vision for a more generous, responsible, fact-based, and inclusive future clearly landed well.

Spartz’s Record vs. Indiana Voter Priorities: A Policy Gap Emerges

While O’Rourke successfully rallied Indiana voters behind progressive ideals, Congresswoman Victoria Spartz’s recent voting record reflects a different set of priorities—one that is at odds with Indiana’s poll-tested concerns in key areas.

• Health care: Spartz has consistently opposed universal coverage and champions private insurance, even as many Indiana voters express concern over healthcare affordability and access. She has introduced bills aiming to rein in hospital monopolies, which aligns with cost concerns but falls short of the much more urgent need to expand coverage. And most appallingly, she voted for the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" despite nonpartisan projections that thousands of Hoosiers will lose health coverage because of it.

  
  

• The economy & fiscal responsibility: A self‑declared fiscal hawk who points to her training in accounting as the basis for her positions, she voted against the Debt Ceiling compromise and initially opposed - then later supported - the aforementioned Republican budget resolution. While Hoosiers lean towards fiscal conservatism, the tax cuts for wealthy people and corporations included in that bill exploded its cost and will add over $3 trillion to the national debt. These wasteful expenditures on borrowed cash did not seem to bother Spartz in the least - hardly the hallmarks of a minimally-adequate accountant.

  
  

• Education & child care: Indiana polling generally shows growing concern for K‑12 funding, affordability of college, and childcare supports. Spartz, however, has repeatedly embraced the Trump Administration and declined to stand up against the President's dismantling of funding and student/family protections previously championed by the Department of Education.

  
  

Beyond Indiana’s 5th District

O'Rourke may have astutely pointed to Victoria Spartz in Indiana's 5th Congressional District as a vulnerable elected Republican in the next cycle, but we must not overlook any opportunity in Indiana (at the local, state, and federal levels) to bring greater balance to our political context. We urge you to stay engaged by visiting local Democratic club meetings, joining us at volunteer events and trainings, and supporting Democratic candidates in their pursuit of victory.

We are fighting for everyone, so let's fight together! See our Events page for upcoming opportunities to engage.