2024 Elkhart County Republican Candidates | State Representative & State Senate

About the Indiana General Assembly

“The two houses of the General Assembly (House and Senate) were created at the time Indiana became a state in 1816. The current makeup of the General Assembly, consisting of 100 Representatives serving 2-year terms and 50 Senators serving 4-year terms, was established in the Constitution of 1851. The General Assembly met in alternate years until 1972, when it began meeting annually.” [Source]

Constitutional Requirements

Creation

“The powers of the Government are divided into three separate departments; the Legislative, the Executive including the Administrative, and the Judicial” Article 3, Section 1

Authority

“The Legislative authority of the State shall be vested in a General Assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives” Article 4, Section 1

“Each House shall have all powers, necessary for a branch of the Legislative department of a free and independent State” Article 4, Section 16

Membership

“The General Assembly elected during the year in which a federal decennial census is taken shall fix by law the number of Senators and Representatives” Article 4, Section 5

“The Senate shall not exceed fifty, nor the House of Representatives one hundred members; and they shall be chosen by the electors of the respective districts into which the State may, from time to time, be divided” Article 4, Section 2

Term of Office

“Senators shall be elected for the term of four years, and Representatives for the term of two years, from the day next after their general election” Article 4, Section 3

Qualifications

“No person shall be a Senator or a Representative, who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States; nor any one who has not been for two years next preceding his election, an inhabitant of this State, and, for one year next preceding his election, an inhabitant of the district whence he may be chosen. Senators shall be at least twenty-five, and Representatives at least twenty-one years of age” Article 4, Section 7

Sessions

“The sessions of the General Assembly shall be held at the capitol of the State, commencing on the Tuesday next after the second Monday in January of each year in which the General Assembly meets unless a different day or place shall have been appointed by law. But if, in the opinion of the Governor, the public welfare shall require it, he may, at any time by proclamation, call a special session. The length and frequency of the sessions of the General Assembly shall be fixed by law” Article 4, Section 9

Rules

“Each House, when assembled, shall choose its own officers, the President of the Senate excepted; judge the elections, qualifications, and returns of its own members; determine its rules of proceeding, and sit upon its own adjournment” Article 4, Section 10

Ryan Mishler / State Senate – District 9

Over 30 years of business experience has provided Ryan with tremendous insight into fiscal affairs and the budgeting process. This is essential to help the General Assembly continue to maintain strong fiscal responsibility. Ryan is a lifetime resident of Marshall and Kosciusko Counties. He represents the 9th Senate which consist of portions of Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph Counties.

Ryan is president of Mishler Funeral Homes and Mishler Memorials, which own and operate funeral homes, crematories and monument companies in Indiana and Michigan. He attended Lalumiere School in LaPorte and graduated from Bremen High School. Ryan went onto receive a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.

Since elected to the State Senate in 2004, Ryan has served as the Majority Whip, chairman of Natural Resources, ranking member of Appropriations, Health, Utilities and chair of the School Funding Sub-Committee.

Currently, Ryan serves as Chairman of Appropriations and is a member of the Health and Tax & Fiscal Committees. He also serves on the State Budget Committee.

Ryan’s father, Gregory E. Mishler as a State Representative from 1982-88. He spends most of his free time with his active teenageson, Grant.

[Learn more about Ryan on his website.]

mishler-website

Blake Doriot / State Senate – District 12

Senator Blake Doriot was first elected to the Indiana State Senate in 2016 and previously served as the elected Elkhart County Surveyor. He serves on the Pensions and Labor, Agriculture, Commerce and Technology, Homeland Security and Transportation, Natural Resources, Utilities, Veterans Affairs and The Military committees. He is the owner of B Doriot & Associates Land Surveying.

[Learn more about Blake on the Senate GOP Website.]

David H. Abbott / State Representative – District 18

State Rep. David Abbott was born and raised in Fort Wayne. He graduated from Elmhurst High School and attended Indiana University.

Abbott served Noble County for 30 years in various local government positions. He was on the Rome City Town Council for 27 years, served as a Noble County commissioner for three years; and has been on a number of boards, commissions and committees throughout the county. Abbott strives to work for his constituents by maintaining fiscal responsibility, smaller government and greater local control.

Abbott and his wife, Lori, live in Rome City and have five children (Jennifer, Ryan, Elise, Justin and Nicholas) and 15 grandchildren. He and his wife are members of the South Milford Church of Christ.

[Read more about David on the House GOP Website.]

David Abbott

Timothy Wesco / State Representative – District 21

State Rep. Timothy Wesco was born and raised in Northern Indiana, where he grew up on land once farmed by his great grandfather, Virgil Culp. In high school, Wesco got his first job making minimum wage at the family piano building business, Walter Piano Co., in Elkhart.

At age 19, Wesco did what so many others from Elkhart have done; he got a job working in a RV factory. Along the way, he joined his township fire department and become involved in public service with the Young Republicans as an outlet for his passionate beliefs in limited government, personal responsibility and fiscal integrity.

Wesco has served as state representative since 2010. He has remained true to the principles of limited government, personal responsibility and fiscal integrity upon which he was elected.

Wesco is a graduate of Bethel College with a BS degree in organizational management.

In 2013, Wesco married his wife, Kathryn, and they reside just outside the town of Osceola.

[Read more about Timothy on the House GOP Website.]

Tim Wesco

Doug Miller / State Representative – District 48

State Rep. Doug Miller joined the Indiana House of Representatives in 2014. He is a lifelong resident of Elkhart County where he attended Concord High School and Goshen College.

During the mid-1970s, Miller began his career as a homebuilder, working for a family owned company until he was able to go into business for himself. He owns Creekside Realty, LLC and White Pines Properties, LLC.

Miller is seated on the board of directors for the Builders Association of Elkhart County and holds a life directorship at the Indiana Builders Association. He is also a member of the National Association of Realtors and serves as the state representative for Indiana on the board of directors for the National Association of Homebuilders. He was also a member of the Area Plan Commission and the Plat Committee in Elkhart County, in addition to serving as chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Miller and his wife, Linda, have four children and reside in Elkhart.

[Read more about Doug on the House GOP Website .]

Doug Miller

Joanna King / State Representative – District 49

King is a long-time resident of Elkhart County with strong community roots and business experience. After graduating high school, King started her first business. JoJo’s Pretzels would become the first of several small tourism and hospitality businesses King and her husband, Levi, would own as part of King Corporation.

As a well-respected entrepreneur in the region, King is passionate about representing the needs of Hoosier families small businesses and local manufacturers.

Over the years, King has also been involved with many area organizations and non-profits and served on a number of their boards, including as president of the Middlebury Community School Board for a time.

Today, she and her husband live in Middlebury and have four grown children and two grandchildren. They are active members of Maple City Chapel.

[Read more about Joanna on the House GOP Website.]

Joanna King

Make Your Voice Heard

Visit IndianaVoters.com to Register to Vote, Check Your Voting Status, Apply to Vote via Mail, Find Your Voting Location and learn more about Election Security. Make your voice heard during this crucial 2024 election!

Upcoming election: November 5, 2024.

Deadline to register to vote is October 7, 2024.