U.S. House, Indiana 8th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Indiana's 8th Congressional District?
Mark Messmer has the strongest record in Indiana's 8th Congressional District. Mark Messmer scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Mary Allen at 57, as of October 6, 2026. Mark Messmer's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Mary Allen's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Mary Allen
57 / 100
Public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- 50
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Mark Messmer
63 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 67
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Mary Allen
- On the record2026-08-12
Publicly charged that Rep. Messmer's TV ad was paid with taxpayer franking funds.
Source: WNIN, Aug. 12, 2026
- On the record2026
Pledged to take no corporate PAC money.
Source: WNIN, Sept. 30, 2026
- Credit2025-09
Worked with Evansville police and AARP to draft a city ordinance requiring scam warnings and limits on cryptocurrency kiosks; the council approved it in September 2025.
Source: 14 News (WFIE), Sept. 11, 2025
Mark Messmer
- On the record2026-08-12
Aired a TV spot in Terre Haute paid with official House franking funds that touted his record; it did not mention his opponent or the election. His office did not answer press questions.
Sources: Courier & Press, Aug. 12, 2026, WNIN, Aug. 12, 2026
- On the record2026-09-30
Did not respond to multiple WNIN requests for a 2026 general election interview.
Source: WNIN, Sept. 30, 2026
- On the record2025-05-06
Held a virtual town hall with screened questions and a moderator; WNIN reported no in-person town hall in his first term.
Sources: WNIN, May 7, 2025, WNIN, Sept. 30, 2026
- On the record2025-03-05
Publicly questioned President Trump's tariffs on Canada and Mexico, saying long-term tariffs would hurt agriculture.
Source: 14 News (WFIE), March 5, 2025
- Credit2021
Authored Senate Enrolled Act 1 of 2021, enacted, protecting businesses that followed COVID-19 safety guidelines from lawsuits.
Source: Indiana Chamber, Sept. 9, 2021
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Mary Allen. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and the House Clerk index lists her candidate financial disclosures for 2025 and 2026. No FEC administrative fine or official finding found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Mark Messmer. His 2025 annual financial disclosure was filed Aug. 12, 2026, under an extension, and the House Clerk index shows no periodic transaction reports for him. No House Ethics matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077191, House Committee on Ethics site search for Messmer, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Mary Allen. No public record found.
Mark Messmer. In March 2025 he publicly questioned the President's tariffs on Canada and Mexico, saying long-term tariffs would hurt agriculture.
Source: 14 News (WFIE), March 5, 2025
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Mary Allen. Took part in an at-large candidate forum in her 2023 council race and gave WNIN a 2026 general election interview. No 2026 general election debate record found.
Sources: WNIN via Indiana Public Media, Aug. 4, 2025, WNIN, Sept. 30, 2026
Mark Messmer. Held one virtual town hall with screened questions in May 2025 and no in-person town hall this term, per WNIN. Did not respond to WNIN's requests for a 2026 interview. No general election debate record found.
Sources: WNIN, Sept. 30, 2026, WNIN, May 7, 2025
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Mary Allen. Five-year U.S. Army veteran and at-large Evansville City Council member since January 2024, serving as council vice president. No conduct finding found.
Sources: Evansville Living, Aug. 5, 2024, Ballotpedia
Mark Messmer. Served 16 years in the Indiana House and Senate, including as Senate majority leader from 2018 to 2022, before entering Congress in 2025. No censure, reprimand or ethics finding found.
Sources: Wikipedia, Mark Messmer, House Committee on Ethics site search for Messmer
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Mary Allen. Took the oath of military service and of the Evansville City Council. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Evansville Living, Aug. 5, 2024, WNIN via Indiana Public Media, Aug. 4, 2025
Mark Messmer. Has held sworn state and federal legislative office since 2008. No vote to reject certified results (no objections were voted on in his House tenure) and no misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Mary Allen. Elected at-large to the Evansville City Council in 2023 as the top vote-getter; owns a sustainable products business, chairs the Enterprise Zone board and served 10 years in a nonprofit ministry.
Sources: 14 News, Nov. 8, 2023, WNIN via Indiana Public Media, Aug. 4, 2025
Mark Messmer. Served in the Indiana House from 2008 to 2014 and the Indiana Senate from 2014 to 2024, and has served in the U.S. House since 2025.
Sources: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide, GovTrack
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Mary Allen. Gives general positions on cost of living, data center moratoriums and corruption in interviews and her Ballotpedia survey.
Source: WNIN, Sept. 30, 2026
Mark Messmer. Sits on the Agriculture, Armed Services and Education and Workforce committees and co-chairs the Congressional Hypersonics Caucus. Former Indiana Senate majority leader. No House chair or ranking post.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, WNIN, Sept. 30, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Mary Allen. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025, gave WNIN an interview, and campaigns through a website and video channel.
Sources: Ballotpedia, WNIN, Sept. 30, 2026, Campaign site
Mark Messmer. Communicates through issue pages and a newsletter on his House site and held one virtual town hall. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and did not give WNIN an interview.
Sources: Office site, WNIN, May 7, 2025, Ballotpedia
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Mary Allen. Lives in Evansville and holds local office there, with local board service. Raised in Cincinnati. FEC by-state totals show about 98 percent of itemized individual contributions from Indiana ($157,528 of $161,067).
Sources: Evansville Living, Aug. 5, 2024, Ballotpedia, FEC contribution totals by state
Mark Messmer. Born in Jasper, his home town in the district, which he represented in the legislature for 16 years. FEC by-state totals show about 84 percent of itemized individual contributions from Indiana ($665,789 of $790,249).
Sources: Wikipedia, Mark Messmer, WNIN, Sept. 30, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Mary Allen. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no administrative fine; owns the business Sixth and Zero.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Mark Messmer. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC administrative fine found. Co-owner of Messmer Mechanical.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, Ballotpedia
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Mary Allen. Worked with Evansville police and AARP to draft a 2025 city ordinance regulating cryptocurrency kiosks, which the council approved.
Source: 14 News (WFIE), Sept. 11, 2025
Mark Messmer. No Center for Effective Lawmaking House score yet (first term). CEL state data rate his Indiana Senate terms Above expectations in 2023 to 2024 and 2021 to 2022, with 6 and 12 bills enacted.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking state legislative data, Indiana Chamber, Sept. 9, 2021
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Mary Allen. No public record found.
Mark Messmer. Missed 13 of 676 roll call votes, 1.9 percent, from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Mary Allen. No public record found.
Mark Messmer. Keeps district offices in Evansville and Jasper and offers casework services. No published casework totals; one virtual town hall this term.
Source: Office site, office locations
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Mary Allen. No public record found.
Mark Messmer. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Mary Allen. No public record found.
Mark Messmer. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Indiana's 8th Congressional District?
Mark Messmer has the strongest record in Indiana's 8th Congressional District. Mark Messmer scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Mary Allen at 57, as of October 6, 2026. Mark Messmer's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Mary Allen's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Indiana's 8th Congressional District in 2026?
Mary Allen (Democratic), Mark Messmer (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Mary Allen a good candidate for Congress?
Mary Allen scores 57 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Mark Messmer a good candidate for Congress?
Mark Messmer scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 67 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Indiana race scored, and the Indiana 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.