Jackie Walorski’s seat will be up for election

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed an executive order Tuesday announcing that the special election for the seat left empty by the death of U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski last week would be conducted on the same day as the regular election on Nov. 8. “The candidate chosen by the people will serve for the balance of the term of office,” which expires on January 3, 2023, according to Holcomb.

Representative Jackie Walorski
On April 3, 2014, Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., talks during a Capitol press conference on legislation that would strengthen the accountability of the Veterans Affairs Department.

On August 3, the 58-year-old Republican congressman was killed in a vehicle collision along with two others, both of whom were members of her congressional staff.

Zachery Potts, Walorski’s district director, was driving the Toyota RAV4 when it crossed into the other lane “for reasons unknown at this time” and collided with an oncoming automobile, Elkhart County Sheriff Jeff Siegel said Thursday. Authorities first blamed the other motorist, who was also killed in the crash.

After three years in the statehouse, Walorski was elected to represent Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District in 2012. She was the House Ethics Committee’s top Republican, and she also served on the Ways and Means Committee. She easily won the Republican primary earlier this year and was widely anticipated to retain her position for a sixth term in November.