Northwest Indiana's District 1 Senate seat is up for grabs this November, pitting Republican newcomer Trevor De Vries of St. John against Democrat Scott Houldieson, a longtime United Auto Workers leader from Highland, in a race shaped by a bitter refinery lockout and deep anxiety over school funding. The seat opened up after a stunning primary upset earlier this year ousted a sitting Republican senator, setting the stage for a contest that blends national political currents with hyper-local labor and budget fights.
A Primary Upset Rooted in a Redistricting Revolt
De Vries's path to the general election began with a landslide primary win over incumbent Senator Dan Dernulc, who had broken with his party by voting against Indiana's attempted mid-census congressional redistricting push, according to the Wikipedia entry on Dernulc. President Donald Trump targeted lawmakers who opposed the redistricting effort, and his endorsement of De Vries helped the challenger win the May 5 primary, as reported by WTHR. The Wikipedia entry on Dernulc gives De Vries's share as 75.1%. Dernulc was one of 21 Indiana Republican state senators who opposed the redistricting effort. According to the Chicago Tribune, De Vries also defeated financial analyst Nader Liddawi in the primary and has since picked up endorsements from Governor Mike Braun, Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith, and Attorney General Todd Rokita.
De Vries has no prior experience in public office, having served previously as a precinct committeeman, per the Tribune's reporting. He has said the endorsements matter less to him than presenting himself as an ordinary, family-focused candidate — he is a father of four. De Vries believes Northwest Indiana residents are overlooked by state legislators and has pledged to make government live within its means while avoiding higher costs for taxpayers.
A Union Veteran Steps Into Electoral Politics
Houldieson, who won his Democratic primary unopposed in May, brings 37 years of membership in UAW Local 551 to his first run for public office. He co-founded and chaired Unite All Workers for Democracy in 2019, a national reform movement that established direct one-member-one-vote elections for top UAW officers following a federal corruption scandal in union leadership, according to his campaign site, Scott For State Senate. That reform effort paved the way for the UAW's 2023 leadership election. Houldieson says he is seeking the seat to give working families a voice in Indianapolis, and the Tribune reports he has four children, two stepchildren, and 13 grandchildren.
The district itself has been politically volatile. Dernulc's 2022 win over Democratic incumbent Michael Griffin made him the first Republican to represent the Northwest Indiana district since 1999, per Wikipedia's account of his career, flipping a seat that had been a Democratic stronghold in Lake County for more than two decades.
The BP Whiting Lockout Looms Over Both Campaigns
Both candidates have been forced to address the ongoing labor standoff at the BP Whiting refinery, where roughly 800 United Steelworkers Local 7-1 members have been locked out since midnight on March 19, after 98.3% of voting union members rejected the company's final contract proposal, according to video reporting from Reuters. The Whiting plant processes about 440,000 barrels of crude oil daily, according to bp. De Vries supports ending the lockout, while Houldieson says he plans to advocate for the locked-out workers if elected, as reported by Chicago Tribune.
De Vries has made utility affordability and consumer choice central to his campaign, arguing for a competitive electricity market. He has also called for property-tax relief for homeowners alongside lower income taxes for people who do not own property, and says the state should reduce spending he considers unnecessary. He has pledged to post explanations of his votes online and to oppose bills that do not receive at least 24 hours of advance notice, according to the Tribune.
School Funding and Unemployment Benefits Take Center Stage
Houldieson has pointed to Senate Enrolled Act 1, the 2025 property tax reform law, as a source of added pressure on public safety, school, and library budgets. The state's Legislative Services Agency projects the law will reduce public school operational funding statewide by $744.4 million across three years starting in 2026, according to the Indiana Coalition for Public Education. Houldieson has said budget shortfalls passed down to municipalities contribute to repeated school funding referendums, and he supports greater investment in public schools and municipalities.
A Local School Budget Example
The statewide projection does not specify the effect on each district, but Crown Point Community School Corporation says SEA 1 will reduce the revenue it expected from its May 2025 referendum renewal. The district says the renewal remains essential, though it does not quantify the local shortfall, according to Crown Point Community School Corporation.
Houldieson has also said Indiana's unemployment benefits rank among the nation's lowest, and he supports increasing them. Houldieson also supports repealing Indiana's right-to-work law, enacted in 2012 when the state became the 23rd in the nation to ban mandatory union membership or dues as a condition of employment, as well as enacting prevailing-wage laws and raising the minimum wage.
Money and Star Power Enter the Final Stretch
Campaign finance filings through mid-2026 show De Vries has outraised his opponent, pulling in $60,534.18 for the general election compared to Houldieson's $31,712.76, according to Transparency USA. Ousted incumbent Dernulc, by contrast, spent $156,184 in his losing primary effort.
Democrats have brought in heavier national firepower to close the gap. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Representative Frank Mrvan headlined a get-out-the-vote event in Schererville this month in support of Houldieson's campaign, according to a Facebook post from the Indiana Democratic Party. Voters in District 1, in Northwestern Indiana, will decide the race on November 3.
