Equality PAC has endorsed Indiana State Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, in his campaign for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District seat, which includes Fishers and most of Hamilton County.

Democrat Ford is challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz. If elected, Ford would become the first openly LGBTQ person to represent Indiana in Congress.

“J.D. Ford knows what it takes to win in tough places,” the PAC said in a statement. “He flipped a long-held Republican state Senate seat by putting people first, listening to his community, and building a campaign that reaches voters where they are.”

The organization said it is working to “expand the map” and compete in districts where LGBTQ candidates have not traditionally run well.

“I’m honored and grateful to receive this endorsement,” Ford said. “Representation and visibility matter, and I’m running to make sure that we continue to have a seat at the table in Congress so our voices are part of every decision.”

Ford said he wants to “make life easier for every Hoosier” and pledged to listen to 5th District residents if elected.

According to the PAC, Ford grew up in a working-class family. His father was a union truck driver and his mother was an assisted living administrator. In the Indiana Senate, Ford has focused on lowering prescription drug costs and supporting public education.

Equality PAC was founded in 2014 by U.S. Rep. Mark Takano of California and Jared Polis, then a congressman and now governor of Colorado. Its goal is to elect LGBTQ candidates and allies to Congress. The group says it raised and spent $23.4 million during the 2023-24 election cycle and has already passed that total for the 2025-26 cycle.

The PAC has also endorsed Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss, who won the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 11th District, and congressional candidates in Arizona, California and New York.

Spartz, a Noblesville Republican, was first elected to the 5th District seat in 2020.