state house districtIndiana 71st State House District
presidential margin
2004–2024 · Democratic minus Republican
2004R+4.4
2008D+4.8
2012D+4.7
2016R+5.3
2020D+0.4
2024R+0.3
net swing · 2004→2024D+4.0R+4.4 → R+0.3
vs. U.S. · 2024D+1.2R+0.3 vs R+1.5
presidential returns
2024 turnout 56.1% of 52,868 citizens 18+
Year
Democrat
Republican
Others
Total
CVAP
Turnout
2024
14,422
14,515
699
29,636
52,868
56.1%
2020
14,984
14,858
635
30,477
49,859†
61.1%
2016
12,435
13,916
1,756
28,107
48,306†
58.2%
2012
13,516
12,283
569
26,368
45,995†
57.3%
2008
14,228
12,907
300
27,435
44,458†
61.7%
2004
11,450
12,502
177
24,129
42,920†
56.2%
† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles from the constituent-county ACS trend anchored to the current figure. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupIN HD 71IndianaUnited States
German17.8%19.5%12.5%
English12.4%11.3%9.5%
Irish12.2%10.1%9.4%
American5.7%6.9%5.3%
Italian2.6%2.4%4.8%
Scottish2.2%1.5%1.3%
French1.4%1.3%1.6%
Polish1.4%2.6%2.2%
African American†11.2%7.7%9.9%
African0.7%0.5%0.5%
Mexican5.5%5.7%11.3%
Puerto Rican0.8%0.8%1.8%
Cuban0.5%—0.7%
Salvadoran0.2%0.2%0.7%
Asian Indian0.3%0.8%1.4%
Chinese0.2%0.4%1.3%
Korean0.2%—0.4%
Filipino0.2%0.2%0.9%
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
IN HD 71
Indiana
United States
Median age
39.9
38.2
39.1
Age 18–24
7.6%
9.6%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
16.7%
16.7%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
IN HD 71
Indiana
United States
Median household income
$63,992
$71,957
$84,427
Poverty rate
14.0%
12.4%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
27.8%
29.7%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
IN HD 71
Indiana
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
6.2%
10.4%
22.3%
Spanish
4.5%
5.5%
13.6%
Religious landscape
Measure
IN HD 71
Indiana
United States
Catholic
—
11.5%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
18.0%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
57.9%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
Indiana 71st State House District
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
−4.4%
2008
+4.8%
2012
+4.7%
2016
−5.3%
2020
+0.4%
2024
−0.3%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
R
48.7%Harris14,422
49.0%Trump14,515
2.4%
R+0.3
R+0.7
D+1.2
29,636
D
49.2%Biden14,984
48.8%Trump14,858
2.1%
D+0.4
D+5.7
R+4.0
30,477
R
44.2%Clinton12,435
49.5%Trump13,916
6.2%
R+5.3
R+9.9
R+7.4
28,107
D
51.3%Obama13,516
46.6%Romney12,283
2.2%
D+4.7
R+0.1
D+0.8
26,368
D
51.9%Obama14,228
47.0%McCain12,907
1.1%
D+4.8
D+9.2
R+2.5
27,435
R
47.5%Kerry11,450
51.8%Bush12,502
0.7%
R+4.4
—
R+1.9
24,129
current representation
Current officeholders
DWendy Dant ChesserState House · 71
State legislative officeholder from OpenStates nightly current-legislator data.
With a 2024 presidential margin of R+55.3, this rural Indiana district ranks among the state's most partisan, where statewide Republican candidates routinely post landslide tallies and competitive general elections are rare.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 4.8 points in 2008 and a Republican high of 5.3 points in 2016. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 0.7 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 0.3 points.
A population of 67,915, a 71% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $63,992 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of State House District 7 and State House District 118.
Akashic
Political twins — state-house districts
The state-house districts whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Indiana 71st State House District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-lower/18071/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
How did Indiana 71st State House District vote in 2024?
In 2024, Indiana 71st State House District voted a near-tie (R+0.3), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 29,636 votes cast, 14,422 went Democratic and 14,515 went Republican.
When did Indiana 71st State House District last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Indiana 71st State House District voted Democratic was 2020.
How many people live in Indiana 71st State House District?
Indiana 71st State House District has a population of 67,915 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Indiana 71st State House District?
Median household income in Indiana 71st State House District is $63,992 — below the national median of $80,734. The Indiana state median is $71,957.
What is the political history of Indiana 71st State House District?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Indiana 71st State House District from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 3 went Democratic and 3 went Republican.
