
Ryan M. Dvorak
Jump toSnapshot
Contact
| Website | indianahousedemocrats.org/members/ryan-dvorak |
| X / Twitter | x.com/ryandvorak |
| facebook.com/Ryan.M.Dvorak/ | |
| instagram.com/ryan.m.dvorak/ | |
| Ballotpedia | Ballotpedia profile ↗ |
Snapshot
| Fiscal responsibility | Oppose |
| Limited government | Oppose |
| Second Amendment | Support |
| Pro-life issues | Oppose |
| Family values | Oppose |
Background
Rep. Ryan M. Dvorak has represented Indiana House District 8, which covers portions of South Bend and northern St. Joseph County including the campuses of the University of Notre Dame, St. Mary's, and Holy Cross Colleges, since first being elected in 2002 (Source 1)(Source 2). He currently serves as a member of the Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee, the Natural Resources Committee, and the Judiciary Committee (Source 1). He serves as Assistant Minority Floor Leader and is among the most senior Democrats in the chamber (Source 2). District 8 had no Republican filing for 2026, making Dvorak's primary uncontested (Source 13).
Positions
Fiscal responsibility
OpposeDvorak voted **No** on SB 1 (2025), the property-tax relief and levy-cap bill, on the House third-reading vote of 65-29 (Source 5). He voted **No** on SB 1 (2026), the Medicaid/SNAP eligibility bill, which passed 62-31 with all Democrats opposed (Source 6). His Freedom Index 2025-2026 session score is 40% and his 2023-2024 score was 33% (cumulative 29%), indicating consistent opposition to most fiscal-restraint measures tracked by that index.
Limited government
OpposeDvorak voted **No** on HB 1032 (2025 special session), the mid-cycle redistricting bill, which passed 57-41 with all Democrats in opposition. His Freedom Index scores (40% in 2025-2026 session, 29% cumulative) reflect opposition to the majority of limited-government measures tracked by the Freedom Index.
Second Amendment
SupportDvorak voted **Yes** on HB 1084 (2024), the 2A Privacy Act restricting firearms merchant category codes (Source 7). He also voted **Yes** on HB 1296 (2022), constitutional carry — the House passed HB 1296 with Dvorak in the Yea column per the official roll call PDF (Source 7). These two documented Yes votes on 2A bills distinguish his record from the Democratic caucus majority on this issue. Note: Per the IFI 2025 scorecard, his overall score is 33%; the IFI did not track a standalone 2A-specific bill in 2025.
Pro-life issues
OpposePer the Indiana Family Institute 2025 scorecard, Dvorak scored 33% overall and voted **No** on all IFI family/values-tracked bills except HB 1102 (religious liberty in early childhood programs, Yes) (Source 3). SB 236 (2026), the abortion-inducing drug ban, passed the Senate but died in the House Public Health Committee without a floor vote, so no record exists for that bill (Source 11). No public statement supporting pro-life legislation found.
Family values
OpposePer the Indiana Family Institute 2025 Legislative Scorecard, Dvorak scored 33% (2 out of 7 votes with IFI's position). He voted Yes on HB 1102 (religious liberty in early childhood programs), was Excused on SB 289 (DEI prohibition), and voted No on HB 1041 (Save Women's College Sports), HB 1348 (homeschool diploma recognition), SB 143 (Parental Rights), SB 287 (school board transparency), and SB 442 (school sexuality instruction transparency) (Source 3).
Voting record
| Bill | Session | Title | Vote | Lens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB 1296 | 2022 | Constitutional carry (permitless handgun carry) | Yea | Second Amendment |
| HB 1084 | 2024 | 2A Privacy Act (firearms merchant codes) | Yea | Second Amendment |
| SB 1 | 2025 | Property tax relief / levy cap | Nay | Fiscal responsibility |
| HB 1041 | 2025 | Save Women's College Sports | Nay | Family values |
| SB 143 | 2025 | Parental Rights | Nay | Family values |
| SB 289 | 2025 | DEI prohibition | Excused | Family values / Limited gov |
| SB 1 | 2026 | Medicaid/SNAP immigration verification | Nay | Fiscal responsibility |
Sources
- 1.Ryan Dvorak — Indiana House Democratic Caucushttps://www.indianahousedemocrats.org/members/ryan-dvorak
- 2.Ballotpedia — Ryan Dvorakhttps://ballotpedia.org/Ryan_Dvorak
- 3.Indiana Family Institute 2025 Legislative Scorecardhttps://hoosierfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Legislative-Scorecard-22x17-2025-PROOF4.pdf
- 5.IGA — SB 1 (2025) roll callhttps://open.pluralpolicy.com/vote/3e747de2-1442-4429-af30-11db2a57570b/
- 7.IGA — HB 1084 (2024) vote listhttps://legiscan.com/IN/votes/HB1084/2024
- 8.IGA — HB 1041 (2025) bill pagehttps://legiscan.com/IN/bill/HB1041/2025
- 9.IGA — SB 143 (2025) bill pagehttps://legiscan.com/IN/bill/SB0143/2025
- 10.IGA — SB 289 (2025) bill pagehttps://legiscan.com/IN/bill/SB0289/2025
- 11.IGA — SB 236 (2026) statushttps://www.aclu-in.org/legislation/abortion-ban-expansion-targeting-medication-abortion-sb-236/
- 12.Citizens Action Coalition — Ryan Dvorakhttps://www.citact.org/rep-ryan-dvorak-d-south-bend-district-8
- 13.Indiana Capital Chronicle / WFYI — 2026 candidate listhttps://indianacitizen.org/2026-indiana-primary-candidate-list/