Michael A. Delph (born January 12, 1970) is a former Republican member of the Indiana State Senate representing the 29th district from 2005 to 2018. He is considered to be a "socially conservative Republican," who has courted support from the Tea Party movement.
Delph is known for his immigration legislation and his support for an Indiana Constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriages and civil unions. He is frequently mentioned and has shown interest in representing Indiana in statewide office or in US Congress. On November 6, 2018, Delph lost reelection in the State Senate to J. D. Ford.
Personal details
Mike Delph is the son of David W. Delph, who was an Indianapolis-based executive for Iowa Beef Processors, and Sharon Delph, who worked at a bank, and he has three brothers, Jamie, Stephen and John. His parents were divorced. Delph attended Carmel High School and was a member of the class of 1988. Delph was educated at Indiana University and holds four degrees from the institution. He received his BA in 1992, MS in Environmental Science and Masters of Public Affairs in 1996, and his JD from Indiana University School of Law in 2010.
In 2011, Delph passed his Indiana State Bar exam. He is a fluent speaker of Spanish. He married Beth (née Frankel) in 1993 and they have five daughters, who are home schooled.
Delph and his family are members of the non-denominational Central Christian Church in Carmel, Indiana.
After working as a Congressional staffer, Delph represented Comcast Cable as regional director of government affairs. In 2012, Delph joined CarDon & Associates as general counsel.
Delph is a major in the United States Army Reserve. He has served since 2001.
Political career
Congressional staffer
From 1996 to 2004, Delph worked as a Congressional staffer for US Representative Dan Burton, a Republican who at the time represented , although Burton would end his career in .
Delph has served as Burton's district director and chief of staff. During this time, Delph was a Republican precinct committee leader.
Republican nomination for Indiana Secretary of State
Delph competed and lost the Republican nomination for Indiana Secretary of State in 2002. He was running against then Marion County Coroner Dr. John McGoff, Vanderburgh County Commissioner Richard Mourdock and Deputy Secretary of State Todd Rokita.
NBA basketball player Kent Benson briefly competed but dropped out in March and well before the June Republican convention in Indianapolis. Representative Burton introduced Delph before the Republican state convention delegates.
Richard Mourdock's campaign made a controversial move when it issued a vote appeal handout to delegates inferring Delph had withdrawn when Delph was still in competition for the nomination. The flier read: Even though Mourdock had the most votes on the initial ballot, Rokita won the nomination and later the general election in November against then-Democratic opponent Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez.
State Senator, District 29, 2005
In December 2005, Delph replaced retiring State Senator J. Murray Clark, who retired with one year remaining in his term. Delph won the Republican Caucus vote, a special election, against his competitor Dan Gammon, who was at the time a Wayne Township trustee.
The state senator of District 29 represents a section of Marion and Hamilton counties. Boone County was added later in 2011. His top supporters were Bill Schneider, a former Indianapolis City-County Council member; Paul Shoopman, a real estate businessman; and his employer US Representative Burton.
First full term S-29 2006
During his first general election in 2006, Delph won unopposed. The Democrats had nominated Mennonite minister Jennifer "Jeni" Umble but her filing was not validated because the submission occurred past deadline.
Indiana State Senate, District 29, Election Results, November 7, 2006
Second full term S-29 2010
In 2010, Mike Delph ran for re-election and won in a race where he faced Democrat Robin Shackleford. She ran against Delph's immigration legislation modeled after Arizona state's. After the 2010 election, the Indiana Republicans held a supermajority in the House and Senate, 37 Republican senators and 13 Democratic senators.
