The Official Website of the Elkhart County Republican Party
Your State Legislative Republican CandidatesYour local Elkhart County Republican delegation is working for you at the Indiana State House. Learn more about the Republican nominees seeking election in this 2026 election cycle.
Dr. Brian Schmutzler is a physician, husband, father, and lifelong Hoosier running for Indiana State Senate in District 11. He is not running to become a career politician. He is running to fight for the families who live and work across Elkhart County and the rest of this district — and to put affordability, rural healthcare access, and real accountability back at the center of Statehouse decisions. Brian practices as an anesthesiologist and regional anesthesia expert at Unity Physicians Hospital in Mishawaka, where he serves as chief anesthesiologist and medical director of the operating room. He is also executive vice president of Medical Affairs for CCI Anesthesia and the owner-operator of JEBS Anesthesia Consultants. That work keeps him close to what families actually face: rising costs, hard choices, and a government that too often spends freely while asking Hoosiers to do more with less. A Christian conservative by conviction, Brian puts faith first. He and his wife, Alicia, have been married 20 years and are raising their sons, Robby and Cole, in the Granger–Mishawaka area. They hybrid-homeschool, and Brian coaches youth football. He knows what it means when property taxes climb, gas prices sting at the pump, and utility bills eat into a fixed income — especially for seniors who already raised their families and paid their dues. Brian’s agenda starts at the kitchen table. He will work to reduce property taxes, with a special focus on relief for seniors who should not be taxed out of the homes they built. He supports a lower gas tax so working Hoosiers keep more of what they earn. He will push for lower utility costs, because heat, power, and water are not luxuries — they are basics families and retirees cannot escape. And as a doctor who cares for patients every week, he will fight for affordable, accessible healthcare, especially in rural communities where a clinic, a hospital bed, or a specialist can feel a county away. Just as important is accountability. Government should answer for how it spends your money and what it actually does with it. Brian will demand clear priorities, honest budgeting, and results — not more bureaucracy and blank checks. Voters in District 11 already chose a different kind of representation when they nominated him over a longtime incumbent. On November 3, they can send a doctor to Indianapolis who still works in the real world and will fight to lower costs, expand rural care, and hold government to account.
1. Lower the cost of living — property taxes, gas, and utilities. Families and seniors in Elkhart County and across District 11 are squeezed by costs they cannot avoid. I will work to reduce property taxes, with particular relief for seniors so they can stay in the homes they have paid for over a lifetime. I support decreasing the gas tax so it costs less to get to work, church, and the grocery store. And I will push to bring down utility costs, because electricity, heat, and water should not be a monthly crisis for working households or people living on a fixed income.
2. Make healthcare more affordable and accessible — especially in rural Indiana. As a practicing physician, I see what happens when care is delayed, denied, or too far away. Hoosiers deserve affordable care without insurance middlemen and bureaucracy standing between patients and doctors. Improving access in rural communities will be a top priority — keeping physicians in charge of medicine, strengthening local access to care, and fighting policies that drive up costs or hollow out care close to home.
3. Hold government accountable for your money and its results. Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is spent and what government is actually doing with it. I will vote for budgets and bills that live within our means, cut waste, and put results ahead of politics. Accountability means showing up for this district, telling the truth about tradeoffs, and measuring every proposal against whether it helps the families who sent me — not the special interests lining the halls in Indianapolis.
My priorities in life, in order, are Faith, Family and Service to others. I am a husband, father of four and grandfather of six. Upon graduation from Concord High School, I married my high school sweetheart and this year we celebrate 51 years of marriage. Growing up in a family of homebuilders and developers, I was blessed to spend four and one half decades developing homesites and building homes for Hoosiers across Northern Indiana.
As a small business owner I know well the challenges of meeting a payroll, providing Healthcare insurance, balancing a budget and navigating ever changing political and economic environments. As a member of a number of trade organizations, i learned early on the value of advocacy not only to add value to your work but to create opportunities for Hoosiers to improve their life. I have literally built communities. To do that, I understand the value of building bridges, sharing a vision and working diligently to bring a project to fruition and concepts to reality.
As a member of the general assembly, I currently serve as chair of the government and regulatory reform Committee.
I believe this is one of the most underrated committees. In the last six years, with the help of the members, we’ve brought legislation to the House floor that has helped to right-size government and improve customer service. Public service is customer service: I’m committed to that perspective and look forward to continuing serving house district 48.
1st; support increased funding for K-12 education and expanding work-based learning in high schools. Indiana makes things. Teachers and trade instructors need resources to prepare students for lifelong learning and training.
2nd; continue to fight for housing Hoosiers can afford. We have an affordability gap for the next generation of Hoosiers. I will partner with local government and state agencies to create an environment to reduce cost by lessening regulations.
3rd; Property taxes. Look for common sense, financially sound solutions that reduce significantly the tax burden while always ensuring public safety is prioritized and local government is served.
I am married to Levi King and together we have raised a family of four during our 36 year marriage. We our owners of King Corporation which has businesses in Elkhart and LaGrange counties in the food and retail sector. I have served on the Middlebury School Board for 14 years prior to being elected to the Indiana General Assembly in 2020. I serve as the Deputy Speaker Pro Tem and on three committees. Additionally, I am the co-chair of the Indiana Veterans Day at the statehouse. It is an honor to serve and I ask for your continued support and vote on or before November 3.
I am married to Levi King and together we have raised a family of four during our 36 year marriage. We our owners of King Corporation which has businesses in Elkhart and LaGrange counties in the food and retail sector. I have served on the Middlebury School Board for 14 years prior to being elected to the Indiana General Assembly in 2020. I serve as the Deputy Speaker Pro Tem and on three committees. Additionally, I am the co-chair of the Indiana Veterans Day at the statehouse. It is an honor to serve and I ask for your continued support and vote on or before November 3.
My priorities are first and foremost to represent my constituents with an open door and conversation about important issues in my district. Listening to families will remain my top priority. As an example to this, last session I authored the social media language after talking with many parents who were concerned about the effects that social media and algorithms were having on their children. Additionally I will work to make sure Elkhart County remains in the forefront of discussions in the upcoming budget cycle. Taxpayers deserve to have an advocate for their needs and I am committed to being their voice in Indianapolis. Finally I will continue to look for ways to bring meaningful tax relief to our district.
