Indiana state flagIndiana Candidates 2026
Karen Whitney — portrait

Karen Whitney

DemocratChallengerState House District 28· Brownsburg, IN
Photo: via Ballotpedia (public profile)
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Contact

Contact information verified 2026-04-22.

Snapshot

Fiscal responsibilityNo public position found
Limited governmentMixed
Second AmendmentOppose
Pro-life issuesOppose
Family valuesNo public position found

Background

Karen Whitney is a Democrat challenger who ran against Thompson in 2024 and is seeking the nomination again in 2026. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Houston (1982), an M.A. in Public Administration (1990), a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Texas (2003), and a Certified Executive Coach credential. Whitney is currently serving as President Emerita of Clarion University, works with The Registry and Academic Search as a leadership consultant, and serves as president of her homeowner's association in Brownsburg (Sources 2, 3). Her campaign site was endorsed by "Our Choice Coalition," the Indiana PAC dedicated to reproductive healthcare access, and carries a "Gun Sense Voter" designation. No Democratic primary opponent has filed.

Positions

Fiscal responsibility

No public position found

No public position found on fiscal responsibility. Her campaign site references creating "citizen-led initiatives" and term limits but does not address state spending, tax policy, or specific budget legislation.

Limited government

Mixed

Whitney's campaign states support for term limits and "citizen-led initiatives" as structural limits on government. However, she also calls for a "complete review" of healthcare policies and references expanding reproductive healthcare access as a priority, implying a preference for expanded government role in those areas. No direct statement on any specific government-limiting legislation was found.

Second Amendment

Oppose

Whitney's campaign page carries a "Gun Sense Voter" designation, which is awarded by Moms Demand Action to candidates who support gun safety regulations. No direct statement on specific 2A legislation found.

Pro-life issues

Oppose

Whitney's campaign website was endorsed by Our Choice Coalition, described as "the only Indiana political action committee dedicated to electing candidates who will fight to promote and prioritize Hoosiers' rights and access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion". This endorsement constitutes a direct alignment with abortion access. Her 2024 Q&A response called for "trusting women to fully determine their own healthcare choices, including reproductive choices".

Family values

No public position found

No public position found on family values as defined by this lens (parental rights, transgender policy, DEI legislation, religious liberty). No IFI scorecard data available for a non-incumbent.

Endorsements

  • Our Choice Coalition (reproductive healthcare PAC) – endorsed
    source ↗
  • Gun Sense Voter (Moms Demand Action aligned) – endorsed
    source ↗

Sources

  1. 1.
    Indiana Secretary of State — 2026 Primary Candidate List
    https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/files/Primary-Candidate-List-3.25.26.xlsx
  2. 2.
    Indiana Citizen — 2026 Primary Candidate List
    https://indianacitizen.org/2026-indiana-primary-candidate-list/
Last researched: 2026-04-16