Martin County House Race: Open Seat in Solid Republican Territory

Martin County is entirely contained within House District 63, which also includes portions of Daviess, Dubois, and Pike counties. The seat is open this cycle after longtime Republican Shane Lindauer announced his retirement. That creates a clean contest between two local figures with deep roots in the region.

The Republican: Amy Kippenbrock

Amy Kippenbrock is the Dubois County Clerk (term-limited) and current Dubois County Republican Party chair. Born in Martin County and raised in Jasper, she and her husband Kevin (a second-generation small business owner) raised three sons in the area and are now grandparents.

Her public service record centers on modernizing local government and strengthening election administration—she oversaw the shift to vote centers and received statewide recognition as Indiana Clerk of the Year. Campaign themes emphasize election integrity, support for small businesses and family farms, strong local schools, conservative values, and practical representation for southern Indiana communities. Kippenbrock won the Republican primary comfortably (77 percent).

The Democrat: Tiffanie Arthur

Tiffanie Arthur is a small business owner, Daviess County Democratic Party chair, farm wife, and former preschool teacher. She presents herself as a community-focused candidate rather than a career politician, stressing that rural residents often feel overlooked in Indianapolis.

Her platform prioritizes cost-of-living relief (utilities, property taxes, groceries), strengthening public schools in rural districts, and giving working families a stronger voice at the Statehouse. Arthur won the Democratic primary with about 64 percent against two other contenders.

Likelihood and Tone

District 63 is reliably Republican territory. Lindauer routinely won by wide margins, and the presidential numbers in the area reflect the same lean. Kippenbrock starts with the advantages of local government experience, party infrastructure, and a résumé that aligns with the district’s small-town, agricultural character. Arthur will need to run a strong grassroots campaign focused on kitchen-table issues to make it competitive.

For Martin County voters, this is a straightforward open-seat choice between a proven local Republican administrator and a Democrat emphasizing affordability and rural advocacy. The district’s overall political character continues to favor continuity on the conservative side.