Ukrainian-born US lawmaker Victoria Spartz loses congressional seat to Democrat
on Google
Ukrainian-born Republican Congresswoman Victoria Spartz lost her reelection bid in Indiana's 5th Congressional District on Nov. 3 to Democrat J.D. Ford, ending her six-year tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Decision Desk HQ called the race for Ford, a Democratic state senator, at 8:28 p.m. Eastern, according to The Advocate.
Spartz, who was born in Ukraine's Chernihiv Oblast, became the first Ukrainian-born member of Congress in 2020, having moved to the United States in 2000.
While she initially supported Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Spartz later became a critic of President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. military assistance to Kyiv.
In April 2024, pushing for stronger oversight of U.S. assistance and a clearer strategy for supporting Kyiv, she voted against a roughly $61 billion Ukraine aid package.
Her position drew ire and from Ukrainians in her hometown, some of whom expressed disappointment that the country's first Ukrainian-born member of Congress not supported the funding.
In April 2025, Spartz said Ukraine should cede territory to Russia and called for Zelensky's resignation.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry hit back at her remarks, when spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said, "Unlike Victoria, all of our land has always been and will always remain Ukrainian."
Parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk accused her of echoing Kremlin narratives.
Spartz has supported U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to negotiate an end to Russia's war against Ukraine, while criticizing the Biden administration's approach to the conflict.
Ford's victory also marks a political milestone in Indiana, making him the state's first openly gay member of Congress, according to The Advocate.
