Biography
Philip Gift is a registered nurse and the Democratic candidate for Indiana House of Representatives District 35 in the November 3, 2026 general election, where he faces incumbent Republican Elizabeth Rowray.[1][2] He retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs after 17 years and ran for the seat in 2024.[2][3]
Philip Gift was born in Muncie, Indiana.[2] He earned an associate degree from Vincennes University in 1975, a bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1981, and a bachelor's degree from Ball State University in 1992.[2] In a Ballotpedia survey, he said he is a registered nurse who retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs after 17 years of service and could not run for office earlier because of Hatch Act restrictions on federal employees.[3]
Gift was the Democratic nominee for District 35 in 2024, when Rowray won with 71.0% of the vote to his 29.0%.[2] He advanced from the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary.[2] He named support for abortion rights, ending the school voucher system, and legalizing cannabis for medical and recreational use among his key messages.[3]
- 1.Indiana House of Representatives elections, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Philip Gift - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Philip Gift - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey responses (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Indiana House District 35
Philip Gift is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Indiana House District 35 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
