State

State Senator, 47th District

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A state senator votes on Indiana laws and the state budget in the General Assembly.

Candidates Compare by issue

Ethan Sweetland-May

Democratic

Former sanitation worker

The gist

Opposes additional Medicaid work requirements.
Supports fully funding Pre-K and early learning.
Proposes capping child care costs at 7% of family income.
Proposes restricting corporate bulk purchases of single-family homes.
Proposes a Reproductive Privacy Act protecting abortion access.
Supports statewide LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections.

More about Ethan

View sources (1)

Opposes additional Medicaid work requirements.
Priorities | Sweetland-May for Indiana Senate District 47
Campaign website · Friends of Ethan Sweetland-May · ethanforstatesenate.com
“on Medicaid that cut people off from care and have been proven to harm health outcomes without increasing employment”
Supports fully funding Pre-K and early learning.
Priorities | Sweetland-May for Indiana Senate District 47
Campaign website · Friends of Ethan Sweetland-May · ethanforstatesenate.com
“Fully funding Pre-K and early learning programs.”
Proposes capping child care costs at 7% of family income.
Priorities | Sweetland-May for Indiana Senate District 47
Campaign website · Friends of Ethan Sweetland-May · ethanforstatesenate.com
“Lowering childcare costs so no family spends more than 7 % of income.”
Proposes restricting corporate bulk purchases of single-family homes.
Priorities | Sweetland-May for Indiana Senate District 47
Campaign website · Friends of Ethan Sweetland-May · ethanforstatesenate.com
“Restricting the ability of corporate bulk purchases of single-family homes to keep ownership local.”
Proposes a Reproductive Privacy Act protecting abortion access.
Priorities | Sweetland-May for Indiana Senate District 47
Campaign website · Friends of Ethan Sweetland-May · ethanforstatesenate.com
“guaranteeing that medical decisions stay between patients and providers”
Supports statewide LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections.
Priorities | Sweetland-May for Indiana Senate District 47
Campaign website · Friends of Ethan Sweetland-May · ethanforstatesenate.com
“for LGBTQ+ Hoosiers in housing, healthcare, employment, and public life”

Gary Byrne

RepublicanIncumbent

State senator; satellite company owner · Byrneville

The gist

Sponsored a 2025 law limiting diversity training in public bodies.In office
Sponsored the 2025 law nominating school board candidates in primaries.In office
Sponsored making masks at public assemblies a crime.In office
Sponsored a right-to-food bill protecting home food production.In office
Sponsored elected-officials' review of appointed library boards' budgets.In office

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

More about Gary

View sources (7)

Sponsored a 2025 law limiting diversity training in public bodies.
Senate Bill 289: Unlawful discrimination (2025 session), introduced version
Government record · Indiana General Assembly · iga.in.gov
“or an employee to affirm, adopt, or adhere to certain beliefs or concepts”
Senate Bill 289: Unlawful discrimination (2025 session): bill page
Government record · Indiana General Assembly · iga.in.gov
Sponsored the 2025 law nominating school board candidates in primaries.
Senate Bill 287: School board matters (2025 session), introduced version
Government record · Indiana General Assembly · iga.in.gov
“Requires candidates for school board offices to be nominated in the same manner as candidates for all other elected offices are nominated.”
Senate Bill 287: School board matters (2025 session): bill page
Government record · Indiana General Assembly · iga.in.gov
Sponsored making masks at public assemblies a crime.
Senate Bill 73: Masks at public assemblies (2026 session), introduced version
Government record · Indiana General Assembly · iga.in.gov
“Makes wearing a mask at a public assembly a Class C misdemeanor”
Sponsored a right-to-food bill protecting home food production.
Senate Bill 14: Vegetable gardens and livestock (2025 session), introduced version
Government record · Indiana General Assembly · iga.in.gov
“Provides that an individual has the right to grow, raise, produce, harvest, and consume the food that the individual chooses”
Sponsored elected-officials' review of appointed library boards' budgets.
Senate Bill 8: Library budgets (2026 session), introduced version
Government record · Indiana General Assembly · iga.in.gov
“Requires the county, city, or town fiscal body (as applicable) to review the proposed budget and property tax levy of a public library”

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; 6 issues covered in this race.