State Representative Ryan Hatfield of Evansville plans not to run for reelection as a judge

Indianapolis, Indiana – Democratic state representative from Evansville, Indiana, Ryan Hatfield, declared on Thursday that he will not seek reelection in the fall and will instead run for county judge.

Hatfield announced his candidacy for Vanderburgh County Circuit Court judge. Hatfield has served as the representative for House District 77 in southern Indiana since 2016.

“Serving as Circuit Court Judge provides a unique opportunity to directly contribute to the fair and just resolution of legal matters that impact the lives of individuals and families in our community,” Hatfield said in a statement.

Hatfield is the ranking minority member on the Employment, Labor, and Pensions and Judiciary committees of the Indiana House. Before joining the General Assembly, Hatfield worked as a Vanderburgh County deputy prosecutor.

“This decision to run for Judge is deeply personal for me, driven by a profound commitment to fostering a legal system in Vanderburgh County that reflects the values and needs of our community,” Hatfield said in his statement.

Phil GiaQuinta, the leader of the House Democrats, referred to Hatfield’s exit as a “loss.”

“Since his election in 2016, Rep. Hatfield has used his extensive legal expertise to serve the people of Evansville and Hoosiers throughout the state,” GiaQuinta said in a statement.

Hatfield is the most recent state legislator from Indiana to declare that she would not run for office again in 2024. In December, Denny Zent and Randy Lyness, two Republican state representatives, announced individually that they would not be seeking reelection. Republican state representative Bob Cherry, a Greenfield resident, declared his plan to step down after 25 years in November.

Republican representative from Carmel, Rep. Donna Schaibley, declared in October that she will not run for office again, just months after veteran legislator Rep. Jerry Torr—who also represents Carmel—announced his plan to step down from the House after 28 years of service.

Republican state senator from Avon, John Crane, declared in August that he will not run for office again following the 2024 legislative session.

This year, at least three more Republican lawmakers quit. State Senator Jon Ford of Terre Haute announced in September that he would leave his position representing western Indiana on October 16th. Greg Goode, the state director for Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young, was selected by a Republican caucus to serve out the balance of Ford’s term.

Sen. Chip Perfect, a Republican from Lawrenceburg, left his position representing southeast Indiana in late September. Businessman Randy Maxwell was selected by a caucus to serve out Perfect’s term.

State Representative Randy Frye, a Republican from Greensburg, resigned from his position representing southeast Indiana in July citing health concerns. J. Alex Zimmerman, an attorney, was selected to serve out Frye’s term.

Former Inspector General Cyndi Carrasco took the oath of office in November to take over the Indianapolis Senate seat following the untimely death of Republican state senator Jack Sandlin in September.