May Wins Reelection in Indiana House District 65
Republican incumbent Chris May defeated Independent Sean Steele to retain his seat representing District 65 in the Indiana House.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Incumbent Republican State Representative Chris May of Bedford won reelection to the Indiana House of Representatives District 65 seat, defeating Independent candidate Sean Steele of Heltonville. The race was decided in the November 3, 2026 election.
Why it matters
May's win returns him to a seat he has held since 2016, giving continuity to District 65 voters across Lawrence County and surrounding portions of southern Indiana. His new two-year term keeps him in the General Assembly, where he chairs the House Local Government Committee.
In Lawrence County, May took 6,777 votes (54.77%) to Steele's 5,596 votes (45.23%), with preliminary returns confirming the district-wide result. The new term runs two years, and the extraction does not give the district-wide vote totals.
The players
Chris May
Chris May is an incumbent Republican State Representative from Bedford who chairs the House Local Government Committee and previously served three terms as a Lawrence County Commissioner.
Sean Steele
Sean Steele is an Independent candidate from Heltonville who ran against May in the District 65 race.
The details
Chris May, who works in sales for Whitney Tool Company and operates a residential housing business, previously served three terms as a Lawrence County Commissioner and chaired the Lawrence County Insurance Steering Committee. He has represented District 65 in the General Assembly since 2016.
Timeline
2016: May first took office in the General Assembly.
November 3, 2026: May won reelection on Tuesday.
Legal Context
May's reelection extends his continuous service representing District 65 in the Indiana General Assembly, a seat he has held since 2016. The result continues the district's existing representation rather than changing it.
For District 65 voters, May's new two-year term keeps the same state representative in place through the next legislative session. Residents of Lawrence County and surrounding areas will continue to be represented in the General Assembly by May.
The takeaway
Continuity in a state house seat often reflects voter familiarity with an incumbent's record, and May's win extends his tenure in District 65. Readers following Indiana politics can track how the General Assembly's committee assignments shape local government policy.
Further reading
For more on how state legislative races are decided, see Elections coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WBIW.
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