Democrat Fady Qaddoura ousts Indiana state Sen. John Ruckelshaus
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An incumbent state senator was defeated in District 30, which covers parts of the northeast side as well as Carmel and Fishers.
The Associated Press shortly after 8:45 p.m. Wednesday declared Democrat Fady Qaddoura the winner over John Ruckelshaus by 52% to 48%. Qaddoura led by more than 3,800 votes with 98% of the vote counted Wednesday night.
Qaddoura says he will be the first Muslim to serve in the Indiana Senate.
Ruckelshaus was first elected to the Indiana Senate in 2016. He was the only incumbent senator to lose in Tuesday’s election based on Associated Press projections. He previously was a state representative from 1990-1992.
Qaddoura issued a statement on his Facebook page on Wednesday night:
“We did it! Only in America can someone immigrate to this country, work hard, and earn the trust of tens of thousands of voters to become the first Muslim State Senator in Indiana’s history. I will work hard every day to represent all Hoosiers – including the ones who did not vote for me.
“I want to thank my opponent, Senator Ruckelshaus, for his service to our district over the last four years. Our state faces great challenges in the coming year, and I look forward to working with Senators from both parties to face this moment.
“I have so many people to thank tonight, but first and foremost, I want to thank my wife and our two daughters for their love and support from day one. This victory is only possible thanks to the tireless dedication of my campaign staff and the hundreds of volunteers who helped us make phone calls, do literature drops, send text messages and share our message of hope and change throughout the district. I could not have done this without you. Thank you!”