Democratic candidate James Pittsford III is challenging Republican incumbent Bob Heaton for Indiana House District 46 in the Nov. 3 general election. Pittsford is a retired union steamfitter running for public office for the first time, while Heaton has represented the district since 2010.
Indiana House District 46 includes all of Owen County and portions of Clay, Monroe and Vigo counties.
Pittsford said he has lived in Monroe County his entire life in an interview with the Indiana Daily Student. He is a retired union steamfitter and was a 40-year member of Plumbers and Steamfitters United Association Local 136 — a labor union representing plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters based in Evansville, Indiana.
He also served three terms as an elected officer of the union. He is an active member of Bethel Baptist Church in Owen County, according to his website.
Areas of interest listed on his campaign website include education, highway funding, utility reform and public corruption. Pittford said he aims to eliminate the 7% state sales tax on residential utility bills, which he says would reduce household costs. He also told the IDS he hopes to put more funding toward rural roads to shorten emergency response times and make roads safer.
“I found out that you need to be the kind of person that people can bring bad news to,” Pittsford said in an interview with the IDS. “Because when you’re a supervisor, you need the bad news more than you need the good news, so that you can address the problem. If a person is a state representative and is not willing to hear bad news, they’re not going to be a very good representative.”
Pittsford said he is concerned about the governor’s proposed upgrades on I-70, citing the cost and potential safety concerns for traffic redirected to other U.S. highways. The proposed upgrade would place tolls costing passenger vehicles about 10 cents per mile, and semi-trailers about $84 for a cross-state trip, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported.
Pittsford also supports eliminating state-subsidized vouchers for higher-income residents. Indiana removed income requirements for its Choice Scholarship Program in July, allowing Indiana students to receive state-funded scholarships to attend participating private schools regardless of their household income, according to WFYI.
If Pittsford wins, he would enter the Indiana House as a first-time legislator and would replace Heaton, who served as District 46 representative for over 15 years.
Incumbent republican candidate Bob Heaton has held a state representative position since 2010. According to Indiana House Republicans, he grew up in Clay County, Indiana, and graduated from Indiana State University.
Heaton did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the IDS.
The platforms on Heaton’s campaign website include tax relief on state income and property taxes and removing financial pressures faced by homeowners, seniors and families.
Some priorities included in his campaign are pro-life legislation, supporting K-12 education and stronger communities and infrastructure.
According to Indiana House Republicans, Heaton serves as chair of the Higher Education Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, which reviews bills with a significant financial impact.
Heaton co-authored legislation that lowered Indiana’s state income tax, including House Enrolled Act 1002 in 2022, which lowered income tax and helps lower utility bills, according to Indiana House Republicans.
Heaton also co-authored House Enrolled Act 1608 in 2023, which required schools to notify a dependent minor student’s parent if the student requests changes to their name, title or pronouns. The legislation also says schools may not provide any instruction to a student in prekindergarten through grade 3 on human sexuality.
In 2024, Heaton co-authored legislation that expanded work- based learning, according to a press release.
