Jim Tomes
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Contact
| Website | indianasenaterepublicans.com/tomes |
| facebook.com/Sen.JimTomes | |
| Ballotpedia | Ballotpedia profile ↗ |
Snapshot
| Fiscal responsibility | Support |
| Limited government | Support |
| Second Amendment | Support |
| Pro-life issues | Support |
| Family values | Support |
Background
Jim Tomes has represented Senate District 49 (Warrick, Spencer, and Perry counties; portions of Vanderburgh County) since 2010, making him the most senior incumbent in this batch (Source 1)(Source 3). He is a staunch Second Amendment advocate and has authored firearms-related legislation across multiple sessions (Source 2). His Freedom Index lifetime score of 71% is the highest among the four incumbents in Districts 45-49, reflecting a stronger record on limited-government votes than his Trump-endorsed colleagues (Source 4). He voted YES on HB 1032 (redistricting) despite having earlier signaled he would not support it, stating he did so out of loyalty to "Commander in Chief Donald J. Trump" (Source 14)(Source 16). He voted NO on the final 2025 property tax relief bill (SB 1), joining a bloc of Republicans who felt the compromise did not go far enough (Source 17).
Positions
Fiscal responsibility
SupportVoted NO on SB 1 (2025) final property tax compromise (27-22), which Republicans who opposed it said failed to deliver sufficient relief; his NO vote aligned with the more fiscally conservative bloc that found the bill inadequate rather than excessive (Source 17). Co-authored SB 1 (2026) Medicaid/SNAP reform. Freedom Index lifetime score of 71% — highest in this batch — reflects a strong limited-spending voting record (Source 4).
Limited government
SupportFreedom Index lifetime score of 71% indicates above-average fidelity to constitutional limited-government principles (Source 4). Co-authored SB 12 (2026) to ban ranked-choice voting. Voted YES on HB 1032 (redistricting) as part of Trump alignment (Source 14).
Second Amendment
SupportVoted YES on HB 1296 (2022, permitless carry, 30-20 Senate). Voted YES on HB 1084 (2024, firearms financial-transaction privacy, 39-9 Senate). Long record of Second Amendment advocacy documented in his annual legislative summaries (Source 2)(Source 8)(Source 9).
Pro-life issues
SupportCo-authored and voted YES on SB 236 (2026) abortion-medication civil enforcement (35-10) — Tomes is listed individually in the YES votes and as co-author (Source 7). Voted YES on SB 143 (2025) parental rights (Source 10).
Family values
SupportVoted YES on SB 143 (2025) parental rights; SB 289 (2025) DEI ban passed 34-13 with full Republican support; HB 1041 (2025) women's college sports passed 42-6. Tomes co-sponsored HB 1562 (2025) farm/home food sales deregulation and co-authored SB 12 (2026) banning ranked-choice voting (Sources 11-13). IFI 2025 scorecard covers these bills positively (Source 6).
Voting record
| Bill | Session | Title | Vote | Lens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB 1296 | 2022 | Permitless carry | Yea | Second Amendment |
| SB 1 | 2025 | Property tax relief / local government finance | Nay | Fiscal responsibility |
| SB 289 | 2025 | DEI ban in education / state government | Yea | Family values / Limited government |
| HB 1041 | 2025 | Women's college sports eligibility | Yea | Family values |
| SB 143 | 2025 | Parental rights | Yea | Family values |
| HB 1084 | 2024 | Firearms financial-transaction privacy | Yea | Second Amendment |
| HB 1032 | 2026 session | Congressional redistricting | Yea | Limited government |
| SB 236 | 2026 | Abortion-medication civil enforcement (co-author) | Yea | Pro-life issues |
| SB 1 | 2026 | Medicaid/SNAP welfare eligibility reform (co-author) | Yea | Fiscal responsibility |
Endorsements
- source ↗President Donald Trump (March 24, 2026, Truth Socialin connection with redistricting support)
Sources
- 1.IGA member page (2026 session)https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2026/legislators/legislator_james_tomes_1
- 2.Indiana Senate Republicans — Tomes 2025 Summary of New Lawshttps://cdn.zephyrcms.com/193c580f-a613-499f-8dff-81ed5b3252ce/-/inline/yes/tomes-summary-of-new-laws-2025.pdf
- 3.Ballotpedia — Indiana State Senate District 49https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_State_Senate_District_49
- 4.Freedom Index (The New American) — lifetime score 71%https://thenewamerican.com/us/politics/trump-endorses-indiana-senators-despite-low-and-mediocre-freedom-scores/
- 5.Freedom Index — Indiana state scorecard (Tomes listed)https://freedomindex.us/in/
- 6.Indiana Family Institute 2025 Legislative Scorecardhttps://hoosierfamily.org/news/ifi-releases-2025-legislative-scorecard-20250903/
- 7.IGA — SB 236 (2026, abortion medication, Tomes co-author and YES vote)https://fastdemocracy.com/bill-search/in/2026/bills/INB00015433/
- 8.IGA — HB 1296 (2022, permitless carry)https://legiscan.com/IN/bill/HB1296/2022
- 9.IGA — HB 1084 (2024, firearms privacy)https://legiscan.com/IN/rollcall/HB1084/id/1406024
- 10.IGA — SB 143 (2025, parental rights)https://legiscan.com/IN/bill/SB0143/2025
- 11.IGA — SB 289 (2025, DEI ban)https://legiscan.com/IN/bill/SB0289/2025
- 12.IGA — HB 1041 (2025, women's college sports)https://legiscan.com/IN/bill/HB1041/2025
- 13.IGA — SB 1 (2025, property tax / local government finance)https://legiscan.com/IN/rollcall/SB0001/id/1491378
- 14.IGA — HB 1032 (2026 session, redistricting): Yahoo News confirmed Tomes voted YEShttps://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/tomes-becker-split-redistricting-fails-215052912.html
- 15.WFYI — Trump endorsements, redistricting (March 2026)https://www.wfyi.org/public-affairs/2026-03-25/trump-issues-endorsements-for-indiana-republicans-who-supported-redistricting
- 16.WNIN News — Tomes faces new challenger (Pugh), Feb. 2026https://news.wnin.org/2026-02-06/tomes-hostettler-face-new-challengers
- 17.Daily Journal — SB 1 (2025) final vote; Tomes voted NO (listed as one of 12 Republicans who voted no on final concurrence)https://dailyjournal.net/2025/04/15/indiana-senate-sends-finalized-local-property-income-tax-plan-to-governor/