Jim Banks | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2025 | |
| United States Senator fromIndiana | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 Serving with Todd Young | |
| Preceded by | Mike Braun |
| Chair of theRepublican Study Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Kevin Hern |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's3rd district | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Marlin Stutzman |
| Succeeded by | Marlin Stutzman |
| Member of theIndiana Senate from the 17th district | |
| In office November 16, 2010 – November 9, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Gary P. Dillon |
| Succeeded by | Andy Zay |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Edward Banks (1979-07-16)July 16, 1979 (age 46) Columbia City, Indiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Indiana University, Bloomington (BA) Grace College and Seminary (MBA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Senate website Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service | 2012–present |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Navy Supply Corps |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan |
James Edward Banks (born July 16, 1979) is an American politician andnaval officer serving since 2025 as thejuniorUnited States senator fromIndiana. A member of theRepublican Party, he was theU.S. representative forIndiana's 3rd congressional district from 2017 to 2025 and anIndiana state senator from 2010 to 2016.
A graduate ofIndiana University Bloomington, Banks served on theWhitley CountyCouncil before being elected to theState Senate in 2010. During his tenure, he joined theUnited States Navy Reserve. In2016, Banks was elected to theU.S. House of Representatives. He was reelected in2018,2020, and2022. In 2021, he voted toobject to the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. After incumbent U.S. senatorMike Braun declined to run for reelection, Banks announced he would run in the2024 election to replace him.[1] After winning the Republican nomination unopposed, he defeatedDemocratic nominee Valerie McCray in the general election.[2]
Banks was born on July 16, 1979, inColumbia City, Indiana.[3] He graduated in 2004 fromIndiana University Bloomington with aBachelor of Arts inpolitical science and later received aMaster of Business Administration fromGrace College & Seminary.[4] Banks worked in thereal estate andconstruction industry inFort Wayne, Indiana, before serving in elected office. He serves in theUnited States Navy Reserve as aSupply Corps officer. From 2014 to 2015, he took a leave of absence from theIndiana State Senate to serve inAfghanistan.[5]
From 2008 to 2010, Banks represented the at-large district on theWhitley CountyCouncil.[6] He won the primary after defeating incumbent county councilman Scott Darley.[7] Paula Reimers succeeded him on the County Council.[8] Banks chaired the Whitley County Republican Party from 2007 to 2011.[9] Matt Boyd succeeded him as chair.[10] With assistance from theAmerican Legislative Exchange Council, Banks has supportedright-to-work legislation inIndiana.[11] He addressed the 2014Conservative Political Action Conference in 2014 after he was selected as one of their Top 10 Conservatives Under 40.[12]
In 2010, Banks was elected to represent the 17th district in the State Senate. Upon military deployment toAfghanistan, he took a leave of absence from the State Senate in September 2014.[13] Invoking an Indiana state law that allows state and local officeholders to take leaves of absence during active duty military service, Banks was replaced by his wife, Amanda Banks, during the 2015 legislative session.[14][15] He returned to Indiana from overseas duty on April 14, 2015,[16] and resumed his duties as state senator on May 8.[17]
On May 12, 2015, Banks announced his candidacy for Congress. The incumbent,Marlin Stutzman, announced he would not run for reelection and would instead run for the Republican nomination to succeed retiring Indiana senatorDan Coats.[18] TheClub for Growth endorsed Banks.[19]
Banks defeated five opponents in the primary with 34% of the vote. Spending in the campaign exceeded $2 million as Banks raised $850,000 before the primary and the candidate who finished second, businessmanKip Tom, raised $950,000, including $150,000 he loaned from his personal funds.[20]
Banks was reelected; he was unopposed in the Republican primary and defeated Democratic nominee Courtney Tritch in the general election[21] with 64.7% of the vote.
Banks was elected to a third term, defeating physician Chris Magiera[22] in the Republican primary[23] and Democratic nominee Chip Coldiron in the general election[24] with 67.8% of the vote.[25]
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Banks was sworn in on January 3, 2017. He is a member of theRepublican Study Committee.
In December 2017, Banks joined representativesRon DeSantis,Scott Perry, andRobert Pittenger in co-signing a letter to Secretary of StateRex Tillerson requesting that Tillerson release a classified counterterrorism agreement withQatar.[26]
In January 2020, Banks faced backlash after saying that remarks by RepresentativeIlhan Omar about her experiences withpost-traumatic stress disorder were "offensive to our nation's veterans". As a child, Omar fledcivil war in Somalia and spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp.[27]
In February 2021, Banks and a dozen other Republican House members skipped votes andenlisted others to vote for them, citing the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic. He and the other members were actually attending theConservative Political Action Conference, which was held at the same time as their absences.[28] In response, theCampaign for Accountability, an ethics watchdog group, filed a complaint with theHouse Committee on Ethics and requested an investigation into Banks and the other lawmakers.[29]
In October 2021, RepresentativeLiz Cheney, vice chair of the January 6 Select Committee, revealed that Banks had been sending letters to federal agencies, claiming to be the committee's ranking member even though he had been rejected from it.[30] In one September 2021 letter, Banks requested that the Department of the Interior give him information it had sent the committee. He also wrote, "Pelosi refused to allow me to fulfill my duties as Ranking Member" and signed the letter as "Ranking Member", which he was not.[31][32]
Also in October 2021,Business Insider reported that Banks had violated theStop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law, by failing to properly disclose sales of stock inKroger,Roblox, andStarbucks worth up to $45,000.[33]
Also in October 2021, whenRachel Levine, who istransgender, became an admiral in theUnited States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Banks wrote in his official Twitter account: "The title of first female four-star officer gets taken by a man." Twitter, which at the time prohibited "targetedmisgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals", suspended his official account in response.[34]
Shortly after Republicans retook control of the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections, Banks ran for the position of Majority Whip, the third highest ranking position in the Republican caucus. He narrowly lost toTom Emmer, 115–106.[35][36]
In May 2023, Banks co-sponsored a resolution byMarjorie Taylor Greene toimpeachSecretary of Homeland SecurityAlejandro Mayorkas.[37]
For the118th Congress:[38]
Banks is politically conservative.
After theBiden administration announced a plan to forgive $10,000 in federal student debt and other provisions, Banks tweeted his opposition, writing, "Student loan forgiveness undermines one of our military's greatest recruitment tools at a time of dangerously low enlistments."[43][44]
Banks supported repealing and replacing theAffordable Care Act (Obamacare).[45] He voted for theAmerican Health Care Act of 2017.[46] He opposessingle-payer healthcare, which he claims would cost taxpayers $32 trillion.[47]
Banks unequivocally supports theDepartment of Government Efficiency's firings at theDepartment of Health and Human Services (HHS). In April 2025, he gained attention for his remarks to Mack Schroeder, a former HHS employee who confronted him after losing his job during thelayoffs. Schroeder asked Banks: "There are many people who are not getting social service programs, especially people with disabilities. Are you going to do anything to stop what's happening?"[48] Banks told Schroeder that he "probably deserved it", called him a "clown" and closed the elevator doors.[48] The video of the incident went viral.[48]
Banks criticized President Biden's immigration policy and called on him to reinstate Trump-era policies.
In December 2017, Banks voted for theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[49] Upon the bill's passage, Banks said it was "a good day for the future of the American dream".[50]
In 2020, Banks voted against theFamilies First Coronavirus Response Act.[51] In 2021, he voted against COVID-19 economic stimulus a second time.[52][53]
In October 2016, Banks said, "I believe that climate change in this country is largely leftist propaganda to change the way Americans live and create more government obstruction and intrusion in our lives."[54][55]
Banksopposesabortion. He long opposedRoe v. Wade, and praisedDobbs, the 2022 decision that overturned it.[56][57][58] TheNational Right to Life Committee, an organization dedicated to opposing abortion, gave him a 100% lifetime rating.[59] In 2023, Banks voted for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.[59] He opposes federal funding of abortions, as well asPlanned Parenthood.[45]
Banks opposessame-sex marriage.[60][61] In 2022, he voted against theRespect for Marriage Act, which repealed theDefense of Marriage Act and required the federal government, the states, and all territories to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages in the United States.[62]
Banks has called banningtransgender people from serving in the military an "emotional issue" due to Americans' polarized views on gender and the government's role in those issues.[63] He opposes the military paying forsex reassignment surgery, saying, "I don't think taxpayers should be on the hook for that."[47]
In June 2025, Banks spoke at theWorld.minds meeting inWashington, D.C. aboutChina,AI, and the transatlantic relationship.[64]
On January 27, 2023, Banks reintroduced theMAHSA Act (H.R. 589), which sanctions Iran's leaders for terrorism activities and human rights violations after the nationwide uprising from theMahsa Amini protests.
Banks voted to provide Israel with support following2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[65][66] In July 2025, he voted against two motions made by SenatorBernie Sanders to block arms sales to Israel.[67][68][69]
In 2023, Banks voted for a moratorium on aid toUkraine.[70][71]
In 2023, Banks was among 98 Republicans to vote for a ban oncluster munitions toUkraine.[72][73]
Banks has been a vocal critic of theProtecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which seeks to expand labor protections and amend existing labor laws. He has said he is concerned that the bill would undermine "right-to-work" laws, compel workers to pay union dues regardless of membership, and broaden the definition of employees to include independent contractors. He has also argued that the legislation could allow undocumented workers to join unions, which he believes would diminish U.S. citizens' voting power in union matters. Banks proposed an amendment to prevent unions from recruiting undocumented workers, but it did not pass the House.[74]
In December 2024, Banks announced his intention to steer Republican policy toward a more pro-worker and pro-American-industry stance, as outlined in his memo "Working Families First". In the memo, he calls for a shift in party focus away from Wall Street and toward supporting the working and middle classes. His suggested policy changes include expanding access to apprenticeships and technical training and increasing opportunities throughPell Grants to prepare people for the workforce.[75][76]
Banks emphasizes the need for Republicans not to take America's working population for granted. He advocates a detailed strategy to incentivize domestic investment and enhance the U.S.industrial base, particularly indefense sectors.[76]
On January 17, 2023, Banks announced his candidacy for the United States Senate in2024 in atweet.[1] He was endorsed byDonald Trump and won thegeneral election.[77]
As listed on the Senate website:[78]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Banks | 201,396 | 70.11 | |
| Democratic | Tommy Schrader | 66,023 | 22.98 | |
| Libertarian | Pepper Snyder | 19,828 | 6.90 | |
| Total votes | 287,247 | 100.00 | ||
| Turnout | 58 | |||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Banks (incumbent) | 158,927 | 64.7 | |
| Democratic | Courtney Tritch | 86,610 | 35.3 | |
| Total votes | 245,537 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Banks (incumbent) | 220,989 | 67.8 | |
| Democratic | Chip Coldiron | 104,762 | 32.2 | |
| Total votes | 325,751 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Banks (incumbent) | 131,252 | 65.3 | |
| Democratic | Gary Snyder | 60,312 | 30.0 | |
| Independent | Nathan Gotsch | 9,354 | 4.7 | |
| Total votes | 200,918 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Banks | 1,659,416 | 58.64% | +7.91% | |
| Democratic | Valerie McCray | 1,097,061 | 38.77% | −6.07% | |
| Libertarian | Andrew Horning | 73,233 | 2.59% | −1.83% | |
| Write-in | 187 | 0.00% | |||
| Total votes | 2,829,897 | 100.0% | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
Schroeder told USA Today he was among a small group of other fired federal workers protesting on Tuesday when he recorded the interaction with Banks, telling him, "Hi, I was a worker at HHS. I was fired illegally on February 14. There are many people who are not getting social service programs, especially people with disabilities. Are you going to do anything to stop what's happening?"
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's 3rd congressional district 2017–2025 | Succeeded by Marlin Stutzman |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chair of theRepublican Study Committee 2021–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromIndiana (Class 1) 2024 | Most recent |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by Mike Braun | U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Indiana 2025–present Served alongside:Todd Young | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | Order of precedence of the United States as United States Senator | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States senators by seniority 90th | Succeeded by |
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| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
