2 candidates come forward for 2026 Republican primary against U.S. Rep. Jim Baird
Chad Elwartowski, a Zionsville software engineer, said in a release Wednesday that he opposes current redistricting efforts in Indiana, after Baird posted to X that he supports President Trump's desire for redistricting.
"Hoosiers are fed up with our voice being drowned out by partisan gerrymandering in liberal states like Illinois," Baird said in a post on X. "Trump won Indiana by nearly 19 points — our congressional map should reflect that. I stand with President Trump on redistricting to bring fairness back to the process and ensure Indiana's representation truly matches the will of its voters."
Elwartowski said redistricting efforts are unnecessary and set a dangerous precedent that could invite federal overreach to erode state sovereignty.
"If I win the Republican primary, I'll work with neighbors in Districts 1 and 7 to flip them red through hard work and strong candidates, not gerrymandering," Elwartowski said in the release. "I call on all Republican candidates to join this pledge: Let's unite to mobilize resources and voters, securing all nine Indiana House seats for conservatives who earn every vote."
A self-proclaimed AI innovator and "world's first seasteader," Elwartowski said in the release that braving the open ocean in pursuit of liberty to serving as a defense contractor in war zones, has prepared him to fight for Hoosier families against Washington overreach.
Seasteading, according to The Seasteading Institute, is the means of building startup communities that float on the ocean with any measure of political autonomy.
"As the first seasteader, I ventured into the middle of the ocean, beyond any nation's territorial waters, to live out the American ideal of self-reliance and freedom from excessive government control," Elwartowski said. "It wasn't about escaping laws or building nations — it was about exploring innovative ways to expand personal liberty in a world where bureaucracy too often stifles the individual. But after facing threats and relocating my efforts, I realized the real battle for freedom is right here at home."
Individual liberty, tech innovation, constitutional governance, financial and physical freedom, and "America First Defense" are Elwartowski's priorities, the release said. If elected, Elwartowski said he pledges to serve no more than three terms, not to vote for any tax increases and to support wars only if America is attacked.
While supportive of most of Trump's executive orders, Elwartowski said he emphasizes codifying them into law to protect against reversal.
"They're one stolen election away from being overturned — we must secure them in the House," he said. "But I won't blindly follow anyone; I'll hold firm to small government principles."
After working for 20 years as a defense contractor who spent years in Iraq and Afghanistan, Elwartowski said he witnessed how American tax dollars and the inflated dollar are wasted lining the pockets of insiders, rather than protecting our homeland.
"I saw corruption and inefficiency up close, the kind that drains resources from hardworking Hoosiers while failing to secure our nation," he said. "That's why I'm running: to shift power from D.C. elites back to individuals, empowering citizens as the constitutional militia with an arms and arms training tax cut of $250 per adult. It's time to put military might in the hands of the people, not the rich men north of Richmond."
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: 2 candidates come forward for 2026 primary against U.S. Rep. Jim Baird
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