Jim Tomes
Indiana State Senator, District 49 since 2010. Ran in 6 elections between 2004 and 2022, winning 5. Ran for re-election in 2026; the count goes on.
Indiana State Senator, District 49Born 1948
- In office
- 16 yrs
- Since 2010
- Bills became law
- 15
- 51 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 0.1%
- Chamber median 2.2%
- With party
- 71%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +27.9
- Won 2018
- Elections
- 7
- 2004–2026
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Homeland Security and Transportation · ranking republican member
- Public Safety and Military Affairs Interim Study · vice chair
- Veterans Affairs and The Military · chair
- Agriculture
- Agriculture and Natural Resources Interim Study
- Local Government
- Natural Resources
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS; Charitable Organizations and Nonprofits · Became law Mar 2026
AGENCIES; Department of Agriculture (ISDA) · Became law Mar 2026
CIVIL LAW AND PROCEDURE; Liabilities, Damages, and Penalties · Became law Mar 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Tomes sits in the Indiana State Senate
Tomes is closer to the center than 95% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Ron Alting, Mike Bohacek, Sue Glick
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:50 PM ET
With Tomes’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans71%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills32%
Black tick: the average of Republicans in the Indiana State Senate.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Tomes’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Tomes | Rep. majority | Dem. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 27, 2026 | HB 1266: Department of education and education matters. | No | Yes | No | Passed 28–19 |
| Feb 26, 2026 | SB 285: Housing matters. | No | Yes | No | Passed 28–22 |
| Feb 26, 2026 | SB 27: Stadium authority. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Passed 45–4 |
| Feb 25, 2026 | SB 277: Indiana department of environmental management. | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 26–21 |
| Feb 24, 2026 | HB 1004: Various education matters. | No | Yes | No | Passed 28–20 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Tomes was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin | Seat | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Indiana State Senate, District 49 | Counting | R+3.2 | R+22.1 | −18.9 |
| 2022 | Indiana State Senate, District 49 | Won | — | R+15.4 | — |
| 2018 | Indiana State Senate, District 49 | Won | R+27.9 | — | — |
| 2014 | Indiana State Senate, District 49 | Won | — | — | — |
| 2014 | Indiana State Senate, District 49 (primary) | Won | — | — | — |
| 2010 | Indiana State Senate, District 49 | Won | R+3.4 | — | — |
| 2004 | Indiana House of Representatives, District 76 | Lost | D+9.1 | — | — |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: Indiana Election Division (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Seats Tomes has held
- Indiana State Senate, District 49 · since 2010
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Tomes has run against
- Cindi Clayton (D) · 2026 election
- Edie Hardcastle (D) · 2018 election, won
- Patricia S. Avery (D) · 2010 election, won
- William Trent Vanhaaften (D) · 2004 election, lost
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: Indiana Election Division (unofficial)
How we know Tomes
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/c2c98fe8-fef2-4d38-93f6-9eff4d591bed
- Wikidata Q6198530
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET