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2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Indiana House, District 27

Indiana House of Representatives. 2-year term.

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What this office does

Members of the Indiana House of Representatives write and vote on state laws as part of the Indiana General Assembly. The House has 100 members, each representing one district for a two-year term [1].

The job in full — the duties the Indiana Code puts in it, the term, what it pays and who sets that, and what to ask a candidate.

Term
2 years [1]
Term limit
None [1]
Seats
100 [1]
On the 2026 ballot
All 100 [2]
What the law puts in this job (2)
  • Introduces and votes on state legislation as one of the two chambers of the Indiana General Assembly [1].
  • Must be at least 21 years old when taking office and have lived in the district for at least a year [1].

About this race

  • House District 27 covers parts of Lafayette and West Lafayette in Tippecanoe County, according to the Journal & Courier and the House Democratic caucus [5, 3].
  • Klinker, who is 87, has held the seat since 1982 and won in 2024 with more than 61% of the vote over Republican Oscar Alvarez; she told the Journal & Courier this will be her last campaign [5].
  • Republican Tracy Brown, a Tippecanoe County commissioner and former county sheriff, faced Alvarez in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary and is the Republican nominee on the November ballot [5, 11, 2].
  • The two candidates have described each other as longtime friends; Klinker said, "If I had to have an opponent, I would rather it would be Tracy Brown than somebody else," and Brown said, "it doesn't have to be bitter, and it doesn't have to be hateful" [5].
  • No debate or candidate forum for this race was found in available coverage as of October 10, 2026.

Candidates on the ballot

Tracy Brown

Republican

Work
Tippecanoe County commissioner; eight years as county sheriff [5]

Brown is a Tippecanoe County commissioner and former Tippecanoe County sheriff running for the legislature for the first time [5, 11].

Brown's background

  • Serves on the Tippecanoe County Commission (District 1), a term that ends December 31, 2026, according to BallotReady [11].
  • The Journal & Courier reported eight years as Tippecanoe County sheriff and 12 years as a county commissioner [5].
  • BallotReady lists a high school diploma from Delphi Community High School [11].

Brown's positions

Economy & jobs

  • Said of state policy, "What goes on in Indianapolis does impact us here locally," and that he wants to "use the perspective I've gained to serve this district" [5].

How Brown would run the office

  • Said he wants to show a campaign "can do this in the right way" [5].

Brown on the current officeholder

  • Said, "I've learned things from Sheila over the years. The way she shows up. The way she recognizes people," and declined to say whether Klinker has the stamina for another term [5].
  • Said he had considered running against her for years and had discussed it with her [5].

How Brown got on the ballot

  • Ran against Oscar Alvarez, the 2024 Republican nominee, in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary and is the Republican nominee on the general-election ballot [5, 11, 2].

What we could not find about Brown

  • Primary vote totals were not verified.
  • Indiana Capital Chronicle coverage of his candidacy could not be reviewed for this profile; his stated priorities beyond the Journal & Courier interview are not documented.
  • No campaign website or detailed platform was found.
  • No fundraising reports were reviewed.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance figures were found in reviewed sources [11].

Sources for Brown

Sheila J. Klinker

DemocraticIncumbent

Work
Taught in the Lafayette School Corporation for more than 34 years; later outreach liaison for the Purdue School of Education [3]

Klinker is the incumbent, first elected in 1982, and a retired Lafayette teacher who later worked for Purdue's School of Education [3, 4]. She has said this will be her final campaign [5].

Klinker's background

  • Taught in the Lafayette School Corporation for more than 34 years and later spent 15 years as outreach liaison for the Purdue School of Education and its Reading Recovery program, according to the House Democratic caucus [3].
  • Holds a bachelor's degree and graduate degrees in education from Purdue University [3, 4].
  • Lives in Lafayette [3].

Klinker's positions

Economy & jobs

  • In January 2026 she said she would work on the House Democrats' agenda of cutting utility bills, lowering health care costs, making homeownership achievable, reducing child care costs and funding police, fire and EMS [9].

Education

  • Authored a 2026 bill to raise the minimum starting teacher salary to $60,000 and one to increase the college savings tax credit, saying, "Many of our students are being priced out of their educational futures" [9].
  • Said SEA 199 "continues to walk Indiana down a dangerous path where the state can dictate what students can study in college" [10].

Health care

  • Said of the 2026 Medicaid and SNAP changes in SB 1, "I don't want fraud in our Medicaid and SNAP programs," but argued the new enrollment requirements would deter eligible people [10].

Energy & utilities

  • Called HEA 1002 "a step towards lowering Hoosiers' energy costs" that does not provide immediate relief, and said she backed amendments including removing the sales tax on residential utility bills [10].

Data centers

  • Criticized "taxpayer-funded corporate handouts to Big Tech data center developers" and said she supported ending state tax breaks for data centers [10].

Elections & redistricting

  • Voted against the 2025 congressional redistricting bill and wrote that many constituents saw redistricting as an "unnecessary, unwanted distraction" [6, 8].

How Klinker would run the office

  • Told the Journal & Courier, "I'll run this time, and then that will be it," and "I do have the energy to do it" [5].

Klinker on the current officeholder

  • Is the current officeholder. Of her opponent she said, "Tracy and I have been friends for a long time. I feel like we're still friends even though we're opponents" [5].

How Klinker got on the ballot

  • Is the Democratic nominee and the only Democrat listed for the seat; BallotReady lists her as a candidate in the May 5, 2026 primary [12, 2].

What we could not find about Klinker

  • Her individual votes on the 2025 state budget (HEA 1001) and 2025 property tax law (SEA 1) were not verified.
  • The Indiana Capital Chronicle's 2026 candidate survey could not be reviewed for this profile.
  • No fundraising reports were reviewed.
  • No endorsements or campaign finance figures were found in reviewed sources.

Klinker's record in office

Indiana House record, District 27 (2023-2026) · compiled from the official record, Oct. 12-13, 2026

Authored
21
0 became law
Co-authored
18
12 became law
Co-sponsored
9
9 became law

Committees, 2026 session

  • Education
  • Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
  • Ways and Means
  • Education, Interim Study Committee on (House Minority Member)
  • Public Safety and Military Affairs, Interim Study Committee on (House Minority Member)
  • State Fair Advisory Committee (House Minority Member)

Floor votes

  • 2023: Yes 441, No 49, Excused 1
  • 2024: Yes 269, No 39, Excused 2
  • 2025: Yes 376, No 83, Excused 45, Not voting 6
  • 2026: Yes 315, No 62
How Klinker voted on 37 selected bills
The 48 bills Klinker carried

  • HB 1233: College savings tax credit.

    2023 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Beginning in taxable year 2024, increases the credit provided for a contribution to a college choice 529 education savings plan against a taxpayer's adjusted gross income from $1,500 to $2,000 (and from $750 to $1,000 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return), subject to other requirements.

  • HB 1234: Rape kits.

    2023 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Requires the superintendent of the state police department (superintendent) to adopt certain guidelines concerning medical forensic examination kits for victims of a sex crime (kits) and to obtain data from law enforcement agencies concerning kits in the agencies' possession.

  • HB 1235: Massage therapist licensure by endorsement.

    2023 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Provides that a massage therapist who is licensed, certified, or registered in another state may receive an Indiana license by endorsement if the other state's credentialing standards are substantially equivalent to or exceed the credentialing standards in effect in Indiana at the time that the individual's license, certification, or registration was granted in the other state.

  • HB 1385: Property tax exemption for qualified veterans.

    2023 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Provides a property tax deduction for an individual or surviving spouse of a veteran who has been rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as individually unemployable.

  • HB 1386: Minimum teacher salaries.

    2023 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Provides that, for each school year beginning after June 30, 2024, a school corporation shall, if the school corporation determines that the school corporation cannot establish a minimum salary of $50,000 for each full-time teacher, submit a report to the department of education explaining the school corporation's inability to meet the minimum threshold requirement.

  • HB 1387: Epilepsy foundation trust license plate.

    2023 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Establishes the epilepsy foundation trust license plate as a special group recognition license plate.

  • HB 1056: State veterans' cemeteries.

    2023 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Provides that the Indiana state veterans' cemetery may include more than one physical location.

  • HB 1354: Service animals.

    2023 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Provides that only a dog or miniature horse qualify as a service animal.

  • HB 1382: Robotics programs.

    2023 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Establishes the robotics competition program to provide grants to eligible robotics competition teams (eligible teams) in order to expand opportunities to increase interest and improve skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through participation in competitive robotics programs.

  • HB 1493: Elimination of costs and fees in juvenile court.

    2023 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Provides that a parent is presumed indigent for purposes of parental payment or reimbursement for services provided by the department of child services to a child adjudicated delinquent or a child in need of services.

  • HB 1528: Next generation Hoosier educators scholarship program.

    2023 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Provides that an individual enrolled in a transition to teaching program may apply for a one time scholarship under the next generation Hoosier educators scholarship program.

  • HB 1590: Various education matters.

    2023 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Makes various changes to the education law concerning the following: (1) The science of reading and licensing requirements.

  • SB 168: Statewide assessment results.

    2023 · Co-sponsored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Requires (rather than permits) the department of education to include in a contract with a statewide assessment vendor entered into or renewed after June 30, 2023, a requirement that the vendor provide a summary of a student's statewide assessment results.

  • SB 171: State fair advisory committee.

    2023 · Co-sponsored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Specifies that the state fair advisory committee (committee) is required to report to the legislative council before December 1 following its annual review of the budgets and accounts of the state fair commission and the state fair board.

  • SB 4: Public health commission.

    2023 · Co-sponsored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Defines "core public health services" for purposes of public health laws.

  • SB 404: Access to transcripts.

    2023 · Co-sponsored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Provides that a state educational institution or private postsecondary educational institution operated for profit (institution) in Indiana may not: (1) refuse to provide a transcript for a current or former student of the institution on the grounds that the student owes a debt to the institution; (2) charge a higher fee for obtaining a transcript or provide less favorable treatment of a request f

  • SB 72: Reporting on school curriculum.

    2023 · Co-sponsored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Provides the following: (1) Not later than October 1, 2023, each public elementary school and state accredited nonpublic elementary school shall provide to the department of education (department) information regarding whether the school provides instruction on cursive writing to students and, if cursive writing instruction is provided, the grade level of students to whom the instruction is provid

  • HB 1037: Minimum teacher salaries.

    2024 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Provides that, for each school year beginning after June 30, 2025, a school corporation shall, if the school corporation determines that the school corporation cannot establish a minimum salary of $60,000 for each full-time teacher, submit a report to the department of education explaining the school corporation's inability to meet the minimum threshold requirement.

  • HB 1038: Property tax exemption for qualified veterans.

    2024 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Provides a property tax deduction for an individual or surviving spouse of a veteran who has been rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as individually unemployable.

  • HB 1039: College savings tax credit.

    2024 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Beginning in taxable year 2025, increases the credit provided for a contribution to a college choice 529 education savings plan against a taxpayer's adjusted gross income from $1,500 to $2,000 (and from $750 to $1,000 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return), subject to other requirements.

  • HB 1040: Medical forensic examination kits.

    2024 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Repeals and relocates the statute requiring the superintendent of the state police department (superintendent) to adopt guidelines to establish a standard medical forensic examination kit for victims of sex crimes (kits).

  • HB 1041: Epilepsy foundation trust license plate.

    2024 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Establishes the epilepsy foundation trust license plate as a special group recognition license plate.

  • HB 1004: Pension matters.

    2024 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Provides that a state employee may affirmatively elect to enroll in the deferred compensation plan prior to the auto enroll date on day 31 of the state employee's employment.

  • HB 1042: Transition to teaching scholarships.

    2024 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Provides that an applicant for a transition to teaching scholarship after June 30, 2024, must be a member of a household with an annual income of $100,000 or less.

  • HB 1233: Robotics competition program.

    2024 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Amends the robotics competition program (program) definition of "allowable expenses" to allow a robotics competition team to use grant funds on expenses associated with a robotics competition.

  • HB 1337: HOA regulation of beekeeping.

    2024 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Provides that a homeowners association may regulate the number and location of beehives on properties.

  • SB 205: Collaborative brewing.

    2024 · Co-sponsored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Allows a small brewery to manufacture beer for another small brewery if certain requirements are met.

  • SB 216: Agriculture and pesticides.

    2024 · Co-sponsored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Requires the dean of agriculture of Purdue University to submit certain annual reports to the legislative council and the budget committee as well as to the governor.

  • HB 1255: Property tax exemption for qualified veterans.

    2025 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Provides a property tax deduction for an individual, or the surviving spouse of an individual, who has been rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as individually unemployable.

  • HB 1256: College savings tax credit.

    2025 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Beginning in taxable year 2026, increases the credit provided for a contribution to a college choice 529 education savings plan against a taxpayer's adjusted gross income from $1,500 to $2,500 (and from $750 to $1,250 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return), subject to other requirements.

  • HB 1257: Epilepsy foundation trust license plate.

    2025 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Establishes the epilepsy foundation trust license plate as a special group recognition license plate.

  • HB 1258: Teacher compensation.

    2025 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Provides that, after June 30, 2026, a school corporation shall expend an amount for teacher compensation that is not less than an amount equal to 70% (instead of 62%) of the state tuition support distributed to the school corporation during the state fiscal year.

  • HB 1291: Rape kits.

    2025 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Requires the superintendent of the state police department to: (1) obtain data from law enforcement agencies concerning medical forensic examination kits in the agencies' possession; and (2) report a summary of the data to the legislative council.

  • HB 1201: Education matters.

    2025 · Co-authored · passed the House only; did not pass the Senate (not reported from Senate committee)

    Defines "chronically absent".

  • HB 1413: Rape kits.

    2025 · Co-authored · passed the House only; did not pass the Senate

    Establishes the rape kit backlog fund to provide funding for assisting law enforcement agencies and testing labs in eliminating the backlog of untested rape kits.

  • HB 1499: Education matters.

    2025 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Provides that certain students have the opportunity to retake the determinant evaluation of reading skills at least twice in the summer before grade 3 retention requirements apply.

  • HB 1500: Teacher appreciation grants.

    2025 · Co-authored · passed the House only; did not pass the Senate (not reported from Senate committee)

    Establishes a new teacher appreciation grant program.

  • HB 1539: Education matters.

    2025 · Co-authored · passed the House only; did not pass the Senate (not reported from Senate committee)

    Requires a public school to do the following: (1) Notify a parent of a student not later than 24 hours after the student makes an allegation that an employee of the public school engaged in misconduct.

  • HB 1670: Assistance in obtaining veteran benefits.

    2025 · Co-authored · passed both chambers in some form; final version not enacted

    Provides veteran empowerment protections.

  • SB 259: Law enforcement procedures.

    2025 · Co-sponsored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Requires an affidavit for probable cause, or a person testifying at a probable cause hearing, to make certain disclosures relating to a possible conflict of interest.

  • SB 74: Extension of lifeline law immunity.

    2025 · Co-sponsored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Provides that an individual who is: (1) reasonably believed to be suffering from a health condition which is the direct result of alcohol consumption; and (2) assisted by a person who requested emergency medical assistance for the individual; is immune from prosecution for certain crimes.

  • HB 1168: Property tax exemption for qualified veterans.

    2026 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Provides a property tax deduction for an individual, or the surviving spouse of an individual, who has been rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as individually unemployable.

  • HB 1169: College savings tax credit.

    2026 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Beginning in taxable year 2027, increases the credit provided for a contribution to an Indiana529 savings plan against a taxpayer's adjusted gross income from $1,500 to $2,500 (and from $750 to $1,250 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return), subject to other requirements.

  • HB 1170: Teacher compensation.

    2026 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Provides that, for each school year beginning after June 30, 2027, a school corporation shall, if the school corporation determines that the school corporation cannot establish a minimum salary of $60,000 (instead of $40,000 under current law) for each full-time teacher, comply with certain requirements.

  • HB 1171: Epilepsy foundation trust license plate.

    2026 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Establishes the epilepsy foundation trust license plate as a special group recognition license plate.

  • HB 1172: Rape kits.

    2026 · Authored · not reported from House committee

    Requires the superintendent of the state police department to: (1) obtain data from law enforcement agencies concerning medical forensic examination kits in the agencies' possession; and (2) report a summary of the data to the legislative council.

  • HB 1023: Deduction for surviving spouses of WW I veterans.

    2026 · Co-authored · not reported from House committee

    Restores the property tax deduction available to a surviving spouse of a World War I veteran that was limited to property taxes imposed for an assessment date before January 1, 2025, by SEA 1-2025 (P.L.

  • HB 1266: Department of education and education matters.

    2026 · Co-authored · enacted: signed by the Governor

    Makes various changes to education provisions concerning the following: (1) Creating a teaching and learning framework for the implementation of mathematics academic standards.

How this record was put together, and what it does not show

What we list: 28 bills chosen by a rule that does not look at topic: both state budgets, four bills named in advance, the 2025-26 redistricting bill, and in each session and chamber the 3 bills whose final-passage vote drew the most “nay” votes.

  • Votes reflect party caucus dynamics. Indiana has Republican supermajorities in both chambers, and many floor votes split along party lines; a single vote says little without the bill and its context.
  • Bills often die for procedural reasons, such as no committee hearing or a deadline, and a bill marked “not reported from committee” may have become law inside another bill.
  • A third-reading vote is on the version in front of the chamber at that time; the final version can be very different.
  • Authoring and co-authoring are different: co-authors sign on, often in large numbers, and usually did not write the bill.
  • Attendance counts roll calls on bills and joint resolutions (about 89% of numbered roll calls). “Excused” is an absence the chamber approved; “not voting” means no vote was recorded.

Where Klinker's record came from

Klinker's campaign website

Sources for Klinker

Key points

  • House District 27 covers parts of Lafayette and West Lafayette in Tippecanoe County, according to the Journal & Courier and the House Democratic caucus. (Lafayette Journal & Courier (via Yahoo News))
  • The two candidates have described each other as longtime friends; Klinker said, "If I had to have an opponent, I would rather it would be Tracy Brown than somebody else," and Brown said, "it doesn't have to be bitter, and it doesn't have to be hateful". (Lafayette Journal & Courier (via Yahoo News))

Sources

Researched Saturday, October 10, 2026

  1. Indiana House of Representatives (Wikipedia)
  2. 2026 General Election Candidate List (Indiana Election Division)
  3. Sheila Klinker (Indiana House Democratic Caucus)
  4. Sheila Klinker (Wikipedia)
  5. Indiana Rep. Klinker faces friend Tracy Brown in her last election (Lafayette Journal & Courier (via Yahoo News))
  6. Legislator Detail: Sheila Klinker (BillTrack50)
  7. Redistricting in Indiana Fails: Your Voice was Heard (Rep. Sheila Klinker newsletter (Substack))
  8. Keeping Up With Klinker: January Update (Rep. Sheila Klinker newsletter (Substack))
  9. 2026 Session Wrap-Up: The Wins, The Draws and The Losses (Rep. Sheila Klinker newsletter (Substack))
  10. Tracy Allen Brown (BallotReady)
  11. Sheila J. Klinker (BallotReady)
What's included
the U.S. House, statewide offices, every Indiana House and Senate district on the ballot, Indiana's statewide public questions and judicial retention questions, and county, township, city, town and school board races from the Indiana Election Division's candidate list.
Everything else
Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: IndianaVoters.in.gov.
Candidate lists
As of Sunday, October 18, 2026.
At the polls
Indiana law lets you bring a list of candidates and public questions into the polling place, including one stored on your phone, as long as you don't electioneer. IC 3-11-8-18.5

This is not an official ballot. Confirm your registration, polling place and ballot with your election office through vote.gov.