State

State Representative, 38th District

Vote for: 1
Term: 2 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A state representative votes on Indiana laws and the state budget in the Indiana House of Representatives.

Candidates Compare by issue

Nate Stout

Democratic

Owner, Stout Consulting · Russiaville

The gist

Opposes continuing the private school voucher experiment
Opposes giving the state more power over local development
Supports creative solutions for rural health care access
Supports mandatory quarterly town halls for state representatives
Supports protecting people and wildlife from data center pollution
Supports using federal food aid such as Sun Bucks

More about Nate

View sources (1)

Opposes continuing the private school voucher experiment
2026 Voter Guide: Indiana House District 38
Candidate questionnaire · WFYI Public Media · Sep 22, 2026 · wfyi.org
“We've given this experiment 15 years and I don't see any improvements.”
Opposes giving the state more power over local development
2026 Voter Guide: Indiana House District 38
Candidate questionnaire · WFYI Public Media · Sep 22, 2026 · wfyi.org
“Bills like 2026's HB1333 lay the groundwork for giving even greater power to the state, and that should all give us pause.”
Supports creative solutions for rural health care access
2026 Voter Guide: Indiana House District 38
Candidate questionnaire · WFYI Public Media · Sep 22, 2026 · wfyi.org
“We need to look for creative solutions to ensure our most vulnerable can get care without a 45 minute drive.”
Supports mandatory quarterly town halls for state representatives
2026 Voter Guide: Indiana House District 38
Candidate questionnaire · WFYI Public Media · Sep 22, 2026 · wfyi.org
“These should be mandatory for every state representative”
Supports protecting people and wildlife from data center pollution
2026 Voter Guide: Indiana House District 38
Candidate questionnaire · WFYI Public Media · Sep 22, 2026 · wfyi.org
“we must protect our people and wildlife from noise, light, water and any other pollution we see from similar projects”
Supports using federal food aid such as Sun Bucks
2026 Voter Guide: Indiana House District 38
Candidate questionnaire · WFYI Public Media · Sep 22, 2026 · wfyi.org
“Federal programs are available for a reason and it's irresponsible to not use them when hungry kids are on the line.”

Heath R. VanNatter

RepublicanIncumbent

State representative; home builder · Kokomo

The gist

Authored a bill legalizing the production and sale of cannabisIn office
Authored a bill freezing homestead property tax billsIn office
Authored a bill removing the cap on disabled veterans' deductionIn office
Authored a bill favoring maximum parenting time for both parentsIn office
Voted for the 2025 mid-decade congressional redistricting billIn office

In office = from the candidate's own official statements or legislation as an officeholder, not their campaign.

More about Heath

View sources (5)

Authored a bill legalizing the production and sale of cannabis
House Bill 1630 (2025 session), "Cannabis legalization" — bill text and digest (HB1630.01.INTR)
Government record · Indiana General Assembly · iga.in.gov
“Establishes a procedure for the lawful production and sale of cannabis in Indiana.”
Authored a bill freezing homestead property tax bills
House Bill 1146 (2026 session), "Homestead property tax freeze" — bill text and digest (HB1146.01.INTR)
Government record · Indiana General Assembly · iga.in.gov
“Freezes an individual's property tax liability attributable to the individual's homestead”
Authored a bill removing the cap on disabled veterans' deduction
House Bill 1156 (2026 session), "Veterans property tax deduction" — bill text and digest (HB1156.01.INTR)
Government record · Indiana General Assembly · iga.in.gov
“Eliminates the assessed value cap that applies to the property tax deduction for a veteran who: (1) has a total disability”
Authored a bill favoring maximum parenting time for both parents
House Bill 1157 (2026 session), "Maximum practical parenting time" — bill text and digest (HB1157.01.INTR)
Government record · Indiana General Assembly · iga.in.gov
“promote continuity of relationship by both parents with the child through maximum practical parenting time with each parent”
Voted for the 2025 mid-decade congressional redistricting bill
House Roll Call 28: House Bill 1032 (Redistricting), third reading, Dec. 5, 2025
Government record · Indiana House of Representatives · Dec 5, 2025 · iga.in.gov
“Roll Call 28: Bill Passed HB 1032 - Smaltz - 3rd Reading”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 7 issues covered in this race.