2024 Democratic Party Candidates
Ninth District United States Congress
Tim Peck, MD, is the Democratic nominee for Ninth District U.S. Congress. A resident of New Washington, Peck is an Emergency Physician and entrepreneur. During the Boston Marathon bombings, he served as the Chief Resident of the Emergency Department in the Harvard Medical School system, treating dozens of victims. He then founded health care technology companies to enhance patient care based on his experiences in the Emergency Department.
Peck’s journey to run for Congress reflects the frustration many of us feel in politics today. With Congress at a stalemate, our leaders are literally fighting on the House and Senate floor, and Congress can't even agree on funding the basic needs of the government. Peck believes we need new voices to lead us to solutions, and if elected, he will work with the people of Indiana to give all of us a voice in DC. Inviting people of all political affiliations - Republican, Libertarians, Independents, and Democrats - to join his campaign, Peck seeks to collaborate with diverse stakeholders to understand and address the challenges facing Indiana.
Peck is married to his wife, Missy, and have one son.
President of the United States
Vice President Kamala Devi Harris is the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. She is the first female vice president, making her the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well as the first African American and first Asian American vice president. An attorney by profession, she served as a U.S. senator from California from 2017 to 2021, and as the Attorney General of California from 2011 to 2017.
As vice president, she’s been a trusted partner to President Joe Biden in their work to take on the powerful and make change for the people — from standing up against extremists to defending reproductive freedom to taking on Big Pharma to bring down prescription drug costs and cap the price of insulin at $35 a month for our seniors. As U.S. Senator, she led on legislation to raise wages and bring down costs for American families — on housing, health care, child care, college, and more.
Vice President Harris is a proud graduate of Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She has been married to husband Douglas Emhoff since 2014 and has a large, blended family including their children, Ella and Cole.
Vice President of the United States
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is a champion for America’s working families. He enlisted in the Army National Guard when he turned 17 and served for 24 years, rising to the rank of Command Sergeant Major. After attending college thanks to the GI Bill, Tim Walz served his community for two decades as a union teacher and coach, including helping lead the Mankato West football team to their first state championship.
Tim became a member of Congress serving six terms in a Republican district by representing the needs of farmers and rural America. As Governor, Tim Walz cut taxes for working families, lowered the cost of insulin and eliminated junk fees, and protected women’s right to choose.
Governor Walz met his wife Gwen teaching high school. They have two children, Hope and Gus.
United States Senator
Dr. Valerie McCray is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator representing the State of Indiana. Born and raised in Indiana, nurtured in Indianapolis K-12 public schools and a graduate of Arsenal Tech High School, McCray has navigated the challenges of being a single mother and earned a BA, MA, and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
With 35 years in the psychology field (25 years as a licensed Psychologist), she’s witnessed how U.S. policies profoundly affect the mental well-being of our people. McCray has worked directly with veterans struggling with PTSD, incarcerated individuals in desperate need of support and rehabilitation, and youth struggling to overcome the effects of violence. It's clear that mental health must be a national priority. That's why she’s running for U.S. Senate.
McCray has one adult son, Ryan, with daughter-in-law Barbara. She is also a proud dog mom of Apollo the German Shepherd and Maya the Husky pup.
Indiana Governor
Jennifer McCormick is a lifelong educator and Indiana native committed to building a state where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. Growing up on a small family farm in New Castle, Indiana, McCormick witnessed the opportunities and challenges facing Indiana. Her dad, an engineer by trade, and her mom, a retail store manager, instilled in her the importance of public service, empowering others, and excellence in hard work. McCormick’s passion for service led her to the classroom where she spent a decade as a special education and language arts teacher before becoming a public school principal and Superintendent for nearly 8 years.
In 2016, Jennifer successfully ran for State Superintendent of Public Instruction to be a champion for Hoosier kids. She campaigned on empowering students, parents, and educators, supporting and guiding schools, and delivering a high-quality public education to every child.
Jennifer’s running for governor of Indiana because she’s tired of the supermajority’s focus on fringe issues that have nothing to do with the challenges everyday Hoosiers are facing. It’s time to stand up to elect a leader that puts Hoosiers first. She will bring common sense and bipartisanship back to the statehouse. Jennifer will stand up to policies that are dismantling public education, stripping Hoosiers of their rights and freedoms, and leaving rural communities behind.
Jennifer and her husband, Trent, have one son, a West Point graduate and a member of the United States Army. She earned her B.A. from Purdue, M.A. from Ball State, and an Ed.S. and Ph.D. from Indiana State.
Indiana Lt. Governor
Raised in rural Scott County, Terry Goodin is the Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor and has served Indiana as a teacher, school superintendent, State Representative, and USDA Director for over 25 years. A graduate of Austin High School, he earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Eastern Kentucky University and received his Doctor of Education degree from Indiana University. Terry served as superintendent of Crothersville Community Schools and also raises beef cattle on the family farm.
Goodin was formerly served as State Representative, representing the 66th District from 2000 to 2020. During his tenure, Goodin was a member of the influential House Ways and Means Committee, the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, and the Elections and Apportionment Committee. He also served as the Minority Leader of the House for a partial term following the resignation of Scott Pelath.
In February 2022, President Joe Biden appointed Goodin as the USDA’s Indiana state director for rural development. In June of 2024, Goodin officially resigned his position and was endorsed by the Democratic nominee for Governor of Indiana, Jennifer McCormick, to be the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Indiana.
Goodin is married to Darcie and they have three children: a daughter, Grace; and two sons, Berley and Brown.
Indiana Attorney General
Destiny Wells grew up in a blue-collar family in Morgan County, where she learned the importance of the values that small-town Hoosiers hold dear: family, freedom, and progress. The daughter of eight generations of farmers, she was taught to appreciate hard work and love for working the land even through hardship.
Wells left home to attend Indiana University as a first-generation college student. In the throes of 9/11, she enlisted in the Army National Guard at the age of 19 and later joined Army ROTC. In the military she found what many of us are looking for: a steady paycheck, health care, a path toward retirement, and the ability to serve her country and community.
20 years later, Wells is a U.S. Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel and has served in multiple government litigation positions. She is running for Indiana Attorney General to return the State to serving Hoosiers. Her experience spans all levels of government—local, state, federal, and multinational, including with NATO. As an attorney, Wells has held roles such as Associate Corporation Counsel for the City of Indianapolis and Marion County, and Deputy Attorney General for Indiana. As a military intelligence officer, she has witnessed democracy across the world.
In the service she met her husband, Oliver, a military intelligence Lieutenant Colonel in the Indiana Army National Guard. They are raising two sons, Owen (12) and Harrison (4), in downtown Indy.
State Representative, District 70
Sarah Blessing is the Democratic candidate for State House District 70, representing portions of Clark, Floyd, Harrison, and Washington Counties. An educator with 18 years of experience as a fifth-grade teacher at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in New Albany, she holds a bachelor's in education from Indiana University and a master’s in education from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Active in the community, Blessing volunteers with the Town of Palmyra, serves on the leadership team of the Harrison County Democratic Party, and has previously been a candidate for Harrison County Council.
Blessing has been endorsed by Madvoters, the Our Choice Coalition, and is part of the Indiana Rural Summit focusing on rural issues.
Blessing lives in Palmyra and has been married to her husband, Chris, for nine years. They have three children: Adaline, Asher, and Micah.
State Representative, District 71
Wendy Dant Chesser is the Democratic candidate for State House of Representatives in State House District 71, representing portions of Clark and Floyd County.
Raised in Jeffersonville and a graduate of Jeffersonville High and Indiana University Southeast, Dant Chesser joined the O'Bannon/Kernan administration in 1997. She served in various roles before becoming the Executive Director of the Indiana Rural Development Council. She later returned to Jeffersonville in 2012 to become President and CEO of One Southern Indiana, where she collaborated with community partners to help create 10,000 new jobs focused on higher-paying opportunities for Southern Indiana workers.
Dant Chesser now works for an economic development partner in Clark County and has served on several boards, including the YMCA of Greater Louisville Board, Ivy Tech-Sellersburg Board, the Louisville Zoo Foundation, and the Kentucky Derby Festival. She currently lives in Jeffersonville with her 16-year-old daughter and her partner Eric.
State Representative, District 72
Jason Applegate is the Democratic candidate for State Representative for District 72, representing portions of Floyd County.
A small business owner and community leader, Applegate is the founder of Extol Media and a former New Albany City Council member. Having studied at the University of Louisville as a former student athlete, he is deeply invested in Indiana’s education system, workers' rights, and supporting a living wage. He also prioritizes equipping small businesses for success and looks forward to further serving his community in the State House.
Jason has served on the Caesar Foundation Board of Directors, the River Hills Economic Development District and Regional Planning Commission, the Art Alliance of Southern Indiana, Maker13, and the Floyd Memorial Foundation.
Married to his wife Angie, they have one daughter, Olive.