Representative John Nathan Hostettler - Contact Information

John Nathan Hostettler (born July 19, 1961) is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2007, representing Indiana’s 8th congressional district for six consecutive terms. His twelve years in Congress coincided with a period of significant political change, including the advent of the first Republican House majority in four decades, contentious debates over foreign policy, and major national discussions on social and constitutional issues. A consistent social and fiscal conservative, he became known for his independent voting record, his focus on immigration and religious liberty, and his close alignment with conservative grassroots activists in southern Indiana.

Hostettler was born in Evansville, Indiana, on July 19, 1961, and grew up in a large family as one of ten children. Southern Indiana, and particularly the 8th congressional district, historically leaned Democratic but had a strong social conservative tradition that would later shape his political base. His family background played a central role in his later political life, with numerous siblings actively participating in his campaigns and public activities. Details of his early schooling and higher education are not extensively documented in public sources, but his formative years in Evansville and the surrounding region helped root him in the cultural and religious conservatism that would define his public career.

Hostettler entered national politics in the 1994 election cycle, running as a Republican in Indiana’s 8th congressional district during the wave that brought the Republican Party to power in the House for the first time in 40 years. He signed the Contract with America, the Republican policy agenda of that year, but immediately distinguished himself by publicly stating to an Evansville Courier & Press reporter that he did not support two of its provisions: a balanced budget amendment and term limits. In March 1995, he was one of 40 House Republicans to vote against a proposed constitutional amendment that would have imposed 12-year term limits on members of the House of Representatives. His 1994 campaign was notable for its highly visible grassroots character, built around what became known as the “Red Army” or “Army of Red Volunteers,” in which supporters of varied backgrounds appeared at parades and public events wearing red T‑shirts emblazoned with “Hostettler for Congress.” His siblings and other family members were deeply involved, with his sister Karen Hammonds serving as office manager and campaign coordinator. Commentators credited this family-centered, volunteer-driven operation as a key factor in his ability to win and then hold a traditionally Democratic seat for six straight elections.

Taking office in January 1995 as part of the 104th Congress, Hostettler quickly aligned himself with the conservative wing of the Republican Party. He served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Judiciary Committee throughout much of his tenure. In 1999, during the 106th Congress, he was appointed vice chairman of the Armed Services Committee’s Research and Development Subcommittee, giving him a role in oversight of defense technology and military modernization. In 2003, he was appointed chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims, a position from which he became an outspoken advocate for stricter enforcement of immigration laws. He also served as chairman of the Congressional Family Caucus and was a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee, reinforcing his profile as a leading social conservative in the House.

Hostettler’s congressional career was marked by a series of high-profile legislative initiatives and controversial stands. On July 15, 2003, he sponsored an amendment to the State Department’s “Foreign Relations Authorization Act” for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005 that required tighter regulation of consular identification cards issued by foreign governments, including Mexico’s matrícula consular cards, within the United States; the House approved the amendment by a vote of 226–198, though corresponding legislation did not ultimately pass the Senate in the 108th Congress. Also in 2003, he successfully amended the Commerce, State, and Justice appropriations bill to bar the use of federal funds to enforce an Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruling ordering the removal of a Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama Supreme Court building, a monument placed there by Chief Justice Roy Moore in 2001. In 2004, the House passed the Hostettler-sponsored Marriage Protection Act, which sought to strip federal courts of jurisdiction to rule on same-sex marriage licenses in response to a February 3, 2004, decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court striking down that state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Despite his sponsorship of that jurisdiction-stripping measure, in 2006 he voted against a proposed constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage nationally as between a man and a woman, underscoring his frequent preference for federalism and limits on federal power even in areas where he held strong social conservative views.

Throughout his time in Congress, Hostettler was involved in contentious debates over social policy, religious liberty, and foreign affairs. He repeatedly introduced legislation in five consecutive Congresses to prevent organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union from collecting attorneys’ fees when they prevailed in lawsuits challenging religious symbols on public land or religious uses of government property. In a February 2006 speech, he argued that his proposal would “restore legal balance in this country, and it will protect us from being the victims of this assault on our religious liberties.” Critics contended that such a change would make it difficult for individuals of limited means to challenge unconstitutional religious practices, since monetary damages and attorneys’ fees would be unavailable and only injunctive relief could be sought. In 2002, during a meeting in Washington with eleven breast cancer survivors from Indiana who were seeking increased research funding, participants reported that Hostettler spent part of the discussion outlining what he viewed as possible links between abortion and breast cancer, a connection that has not been accepted as established by the broader medical community. In June 2005, during House debate on a measure introduced by Democratic Representative David Obey to express opposition to “coercive proselytizing” at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Hostettler declared on the House floor that “Like a moth to a flame the Democrats can’t help themselves when it comes to denigrating and demonizing Christians.” After Democrats objected and threatened censure, debate was suspended until he withdrew the remark about 20 minutes later. Following the June 2006 arrests of 17 alleged terrorist bomb-plotters in and around Toronto, he warned that Toronto was a “breeding ground for Islamic terrorists” and argued that the United States would remain at risk so long as passports were not required of all Canadians crossing the border.

Hostettler also took positions that sometimes set him apart from both parties on fiscal and foreign policy questions. In September 2005, he was one of only 11 representatives to vote against a $51.8 billion aid package for relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. His spokesman, Matt Faraci, explained that Hostettler opposed the bill because it contained provisions he believed were vulnerable to fraud and abuse, while emphasizing that the congressman supported assistance to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita if funds could be safeguarded against misuse. On immigration, he consistently advocated strict enforcement, stating that the Constitution and federal law were “very clear” and that those who violated U.S. immigration laws “should be dealt with, and should be punished, and should be ultimately deported.” During the run-up to the Iraq War and subsequent debates, he expressed skepticism about preemptive military action, stating that Iraq posed a threat but “does not pose an imminent threat that justifies a pre-emptive military strike at this time,” reflecting his willingness to break with party leadership on major foreign policy questions.

Hostettler’s electoral fortunes remained strong through the 1990s and early 2000s, as he relied on his base of social and fiscal conservatives in a district that, while historically Democratic, was receptive to his brand of conservatism. Media accounts frequently noted that his “Red Army” of volunteers and the intensive involvement of his extended family were central to his repeated victories. However, in the 2006 midterm elections, amid a national shift toward the Democratic Party and growing dissatisfaction with the Republican majority, he lost his bid for a seventh term to Democratic challenger Brad Ellsworth by a wide margin. His defeat ended twelve years of continuous service in the House, during which he had been a prominent, if sometimes controversial, conservative voice and a participant in the legislative process on the Armed Services and Judiciary Committees.

After leaving Congress in January 2007, Hostettler remained active in Republican politics and conservative advocacy. On December 3, 2009, he officially announced in a campaign video that he would seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Evan Bayh in the 2010 election, following months of speculation about his intentions. Early reports often described him as a leading Republican contender, even after former U.S. Senator and lobbyist Dan Coats announced in February 2010 that he would return to Indiana to enter the race. In the Republican primary, however, Hostettler ultimately finished third, and Coats secured the nomination, denying Hostettler a potential general-election rematch with Brad Ellsworth, who became the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat. Hostettler later returned again to electoral politics when, in February 2024, he announced that he was running for his former House seat in Indiana’s 8th congressional district. In the 2024 Republican primary he was defeated by Mark Messmer, marking another unsuccessful attempt to return to Congress after his long tenure in the 1990s and early 2000s.