Jamiesfeast – Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz surprised many on Monday by announcing her decision to seek re-election in Indiana in 2024. This comes as a reversal of her previous statement last year, where she had declared that she would not be running again.
Spartz, an immigrant from Ukraine, currently represents a suburban district in Indiana. She has completed two terms in Congress and initially stated that she would not run for a third term in order to prioritize spending time with her family.
In a statement, Spartz expressed her doubts about being able to effectively address the nation’s crucial issues due to the current ineffective leadership in Washington, D.C. She mentioned that her constituents have also been urging her to reconsider her position. This announcement is likely to shake the nine Republican candidates who have already filed to succeed her in Indiana’s fifth congressional district.
Spartz mentioned her Ukrainian heritage as one of the factors that drive her to run for re-election.
“I have a deep understanding of the importance of these difficult times for our Republic, having grown up under tyranny myself. If my fellow Hoosiers and God permit, it would be a great honor for me to continue fighting for them,” expressed Spartz.
Spartz, a Ukrainian immigrant who arrived in the United States in 2000 and became a U.S. citizen in 2006, holds the distinction of being the sole Ukrainian member of Congress. Throughout the nearly two-year conflict between Ukraine and Russia, she has consistently advocated for providing aid to her home country, even as her own party’s stance on funding for the war has become less favorable.
Less than 24 hours after the Senate released the full text draft of a high-stakes spending bill, which includes $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel, and various provisions aimed at managing immigration at the southern border, she made her announcement to seek re-election.
Months have passed, and the aid to Ukraine has faced obstacles as Republicans seek to incorporate stricter immigration restrictions into the spending package. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has categorically dismissed the Senate bill, labeling it “dead on arrival” in the House. Unfortunately, this development is likely to further delay the much-needed funds for our allies in Ukraine.