HUNTINGTON, Ind. (WOWO) – Second-generation farmer and small business owner Mike Thompson announced Thursday he is running for the Republican nomination in Indiana Senate District 17, launching a direct challenge against incumbent Sen. Andy Zay.

Thompson opened his campaign with sharp criticism, accusing Zay of failing to publicly support former President Donald Trump’s redistricting proposal and aligning himself with “insiders” rather than voters in Northeast Indiana.

“When President Trump needed a strong conservative leader in the Senate, Senator Zay stayed quiet,” Thompson said, arguing the incumbent “cowered behind Senate President Rod Bray” instead of backing the former president’s plan.

Thompson also said rural communities in District 17 are “falling behind,” claiming Zay has focused on casino proposals and “Green New Deal-style” projects rather than issues that affect families, farmers, and small towns.

He pledged to run on a platform centered on protecting farmland from solar projects and carbon sequestration, opposing taxpayer-funded incentives for large corporations, defending the Second Amendment, and promoting local job growth and small-town revitalization.

“I steward the land. I run a business. I live the same everyday struggles Hoosier families face,” Thompson said, positioning himself as a grassroots conservative alternative to the incumbent.

Thompson said his campaign will emphasize “strong families, strong towns,” and an America First-aligned approach that reflects the priorities of voters in Northeast Indiana.

More information about his campaign can be found at Vote4MikeThompson.com.