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Mike Delph — portrait

Mike Delph

RepublicanChallengerState Senate District 29· Carmel, IN
Photo: via Ballotpedia (public profile)
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Contact

Contact information verified 2026-04-22.

Snapshot

Fiscal responsibilitySupport
Limited governmentSupport
Second AmendmentNo public position found
Pro-life issuesSupport
Family valuesSupport

Background

Mike Delph served four terms as the Indiana State Senator for District 29 from 2005 to 2018 (Source 1). A conservative Christian Republican and U.S. Army Reserve captain, he describes himself as "Pro-Trump, Pro-Life" and identifies as an attorney, business owner, and executive (Source 1). He was the lead author of Indiana's original illegal immigration enforcement bill, SB 590 (2011), which passed and took effect before being partially struck down in federal court (Source 6). He lost his 2018 general election to Democrat J.D. Ford by a narrow margin (Source 7). He is now running to reclaim the SD-29 seat (Source 4).

Positions

Fiscal responsibility

Support

Delph's 2026 campaign site states "Honestly balanced budget, no tax increases" as a priority (Source 1). He also states he opposed the governor's tolling of I-70 as double taxation of road users (Source 2). These are direct statements.

Limited government

Support

Delph's campaign site lists "Support President Trump" and "Strong Indiana National Guard" as priorities; his opposition to I-70 tolling as a form of double-taxation is a direct limited-government statement (Source 1)(Source 2).

Second Amendment

No public position found

Delph's 2026 campaign site mentions Second Amendment-adjacent platform items (Source 1), but no direct statement, vote on a specifically Second Amendment bill, or signed pledge was located. HB 1296 (2022 constitutional carry) post-dates his Senate tenure (2005–2018).

Pro-life issues

Support

Delph explicitly self-identifies as "Pro-Life" on his campaign site and states it as a core identity (Source 1). This is a direct candidate statement.

Family values

Support

Delph identifies as "Conservative, Christian" and lists pro-family, pro-legal immigration, and national security priorities on his campaign site (Source 1)(Source 2). His six-year effort to pass SB 590 immigration enforcement is consistent with a family/community-stability values frame (Source 6).

Endorsements

  • None confirmed in available sources for the 2026 cycle.

Sources

  1. 1.
    Mike Delph 2026 campaign site
    https://www.mikedelph2026.com
  2. 2.
    Mirror Indy — Delph candidate Q&A profile
    https://mirrorindy.org/govpack_profiles/mike-delph/
  3. 3.
    Ballotpedia — (Indiana State Senate elections 2026)
    https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_State_Senate_elections,_2026
  4. 4.
    Indiana Insight — "A primary like no other" (2026-02-19)
    https://www.indianainsight.com/2026/02/20/a-primary-like-no-other/
  5. 5.
    IGA archived member page
    https://iga.in.gov/legislative/
  6. 6.
    LegiScan — SB 590 (2011) immigration enforcement
    https://legiscan.com/IN/bill/SB0590/2011
  7. 8.
    Citizens Action Coalition — Delph voting record summary
    https://www.citact.org/senator-mike-delph-r-carmel-district-29
  8. 9.
    IndyStar — "Sen. Mike Delph and Sen. John Ruckelshaus…lost their last elections" (2026-04-15)
    https://www.facebook.com/indianapolisstar/posts/sen-mike-delph-and-sen-john-ruckelshaus
Last researched: 2026-04-15