Black Conservative Jennifer-Ruth Green Shifts Northwest Indiana Democrat Stronghold to ‘Toss-Up’

Republican candidate for Congress Jennifer-Ruth Green’s campaign has shifted the Democrat stronghold of Indiana’s first congressional district to a “toss-up” election, according to the latest rating by the Cook Political Report.

The Northwest Indiana district, represented by first-term Democrat Rep. Frank Mrvan, has not sent a Republican candidate to Congress since 1932.

Cook Political Report switched the district from “lean Democrat” to a “toss-up” after Green raised more than $275,000 in cash during the campaign’s second quarter. Green raised $561,329.50 from April 1 to June 30, compared to Mrvan’s $355,906.37, Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show.

Mrvan made headlines last month after FEC filings showed he spent thousands of dollars in campaign cash on flights and seat upgrades for his wife.

Green, a U.S. Air Force reservist and Iraq War veteran, would be the only black Republican woman in Congress if elected.

Indiana GOP Chairman Kyle Hupfer praised Green’s momentum in her campaign to unseat Rep. Mrvan. Hupfer said:

National pundits are clearly picking up on what Hoosiers in Northwest Indiana are feeling. The Region has had enough of Frank Mrvan’s embrace of Joe Biden’s disastrous agenda. They want a leader, not a follower. That’s why Jennifer-Ruth Green will win in November.

Green’s congressional campaign was inspired by the moment House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) tore apart a copy of former President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Speech, she told Breitbart News.

“Seeing Speaker Pelosi tear up the State of the Union address on national TV on February 4, 2020, that’s ultimately what led me into this race,” Green said.

Green said she “lost confidence” in Pelosi’s ability to lead and criticized her for contributing to the partisan divide in today’s politics. Green said:

A house divided cannot stand, and that’s very clear, but the legislative body that’s intended to declare war must be responsible to hear everything to make a solid decision and have all the data points. When I saw her tear up the State of the Union address, to me, it said, ‘I will only listen to you if you have the same views as I do.’

In addition to the Cook Political Report, the University of Virginia Center for Politics changed Green’s race from “Leans Democrat” to “Toss-up.”

Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.