1-minute voter guide: Indiana's 5th Congressional District

• U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz is seeking her fourth term representing the district that covers Indy's northern suburbs and a sizable chunk of central Indiana, including Kokomo and Muncie.
• Democrat J.D. Ford, Indiana's first openly gay state senator, is challenging Spartz after winning a seven-person primary.

Why it matters: Congressional representatives introduce new legislation, vote on bills and have a lot of latitude in what else they may (or may not) do for you — from constituent services to securing federal funding for local projects.

• That includes helping access federal benefits including Social Security and Medicare, fixing passport problems and hosting job fairs.

State of play: Spartz is one of the GOP's most unpredictable members of Congress.

• She previously said she wouldn't seek reelection, would self-impose a three-term limit and discussed resigning from Congress at various times.
• She's known to spar with her GOP colleagues, particularly over spending and the federal debt, though she generally ends up voting with the party line.

Ford is in his second term in the state Senate.

• A poll conducted for his campaign over the summer had him within the margin of error — with Spartz at 48% and Ford at 46%.
• His top issues are affordability, health care and government accountability, according to his campaign website.

👀 The intrigue: Both campaigns have launched attack ads.

Reality check: The region hasn't elected a Democrat since 1990 and the Cook Political Report still has the seat classified as "solid" for Republicans.

• The district went for President Trump 57-41 in 2024.

What's next: Early voting is underway and Election Day is Nov. 3.