MUNCIE, Ind. — More than 100 people showed up at the Universalist Unitarian Church on Monday evening to hear what seven candidates had to say about the authoritarian rule of President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans. The event was part of a series of candidate forums sponsored by Muncie Resists, this week featuring the “Congressional and Secretary of State Panel.”

Jackson Franklin, a paramedic and veteran, led the discussion, talking about policies of Bernie Sanders and the importance of grassroots campaigning. Tara Nelson, a Carmel business executive who worked in government, loudly condemned President Trump as a war criminal. Steve Avit, a Carmel chiropractor, got into the congressional race as a Hoosier fed up about what going on in the country. Most of the Democrats running are from Hamilton County, as is Republican Representative Victoria Spartz, that has three times the people than Delaware and Madison county.

Other Democrats include Deborah Pickett, a policy researcher, who ran against Spartz in 2024 and received 38 percent of the vote. Pickett was unable to appear at the event, as was businessman Phil Goss, who ran for another congressional seat in 2024. Congressional candidates Dylan McKenna and State Senator J.D. Ford also did not attend.

In 2018, J.D. Ford flipped the Senate District 29 seat in both Hamilton and Marion County, and has recently used Indiana’s congressional redistricting fight as a platform to run. Franklin of Muncie started his grassroots campaign in the beginning of 2025 and spoke out about the federal government ignoring everyday people while billionaires profit.

Besides taxing the rich to pay down the deficit and keep Social Security solvent, he also wanted the government to pitch in on affordable health care and higher education.
As a combat veteran, Franklin said the war with Iran was unjust while Israel continues genocide leveled at Gaza, and has now invaded Lebanon.
Nelson earned an MBA from Purdue, and hammered the President over the war besides recent action to deploy the military in American cities. Avit agreed with the other two, emphasizing affordable health care and public education.

Spartz was present at the event and has not responded to questions about the war, higher oil or fuel prices or even bills she recently filed to help ranchers and farmers in Indiana. She did appear before a Joint Economic Committee a couple weeks ago talking about the impact of automation on the labor market, and how illegal immigration created waste and fraud through welfare. Ukrainian born, Spartz came to the country over 25 years ago. She holds an MBA from Indiana University and was a state senator before elected to Congress in 2020.

Early voting for the May 5 primary begins April 7 at the Delaware County Building. Video of the panel is available here.