During Progressive Indiana Network’s Portraits and Perspectives event, I had the opportunity to sit down with Jackson Franklin, candidate for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District. He’s running against six-year Republican incumbent Victoria Spartz, and from the start, he made clear his intention to replace what he sees as ineffectual leadership that has misrepresented the district.
When I asked about his inspiration for running, Jackson shared multiple experiences that shaped his decision—none more powerful than his work as a paramedic. He’s transported people from hospitals back to their homes to die because they lacked health insurance and refused to burden their families with medical bankruptcy. That radicalizing experience, combined with his decade-long commitment to progressive politics since Bernie Sanders won Indiana and all six counties of the Fifth District, set him on a path of volunteer organizing that eventually led to this congressional run. His motivation is clear: give voice to working class people and fight back against what he calls “the Epstein class”—his term for the wealthy elite who dominate our politics.
We also discussed the personal side of candidacy. Jackson opened up about living with ADHD and how it’s meant working harder to achieve the same outcomes in EMT school, college, and paramedic school. He turned that conversation toward a policy critique, noting how for-profit pharmaceutical companies make necessary medications prohibitively expensive for millions of Americans. It was a powerful example of how personal struggles inform his political vision.
The conversation took a lighter turn when I asked about fictional characters. Jackson, a self-described sci-fi nerd and huge Halo fan, chose Aragorn from Lord of the Rings—the king who fights forces of darkness and leads his people to a golden age. He praised Aragorn as a model of positive masculinity and chivalrous leadership that he believes too many young men today are lacking.
We explored questions about interpersonal relationships in Congress, how to balance civility with principled opposition, and what it means to hold colleagues accountable for votes that harm millions. Jackson made clear that respect is earned and can be lost—especially when legislators vote to fund genocide overseas or strip away healthcare from 18 million people.
When I asked about legacy, Jackson invoked Fred Hampton: “If you dare to struggle, you dare to win.” His hope is to be remembered for fighting for the working class, for giving hope that we can actually affect change, and for organizing people to sustain that fight beyond single protests. He compared the journey to the civil rights movement’s decades-long struggle to desegregate the nation—a reminder that transformative change requires relentless commitment.
This wasn’t just an interview about positions on issues. It was a conversation about what kind of leadership we need—leadership rooted in lived experience, sustained organizing, and an unwavering commitment to working people. Jackson Franklin is making the case that Democrats win when they fight like Democrats are supposed to: for working class values, not corporate compromise.
Check out Jackson’s interviews with Derrick Holder and Brianna Newhart, and all of our interviews with other candidates from this event at progressiveindiana.net.
