Hornedo Builds the Largest Grassroots Operation in Indiana and Outperforms Carson Across Key Metrics

While Congressman Carson raised six times more money, George Hornedo reached more voters, had more individual donors, and built the biggest Democratic field operation in the state.

 

Thursday, October 16, 2025

​

TOP-LINE TAKEAWAYS (Q3 2025)

 

46,301 direct voter outreach attempts

• 16,234 doors knocked (27,962 attempts)

• 11,605 calls made

• 6,734 texts sent

 

Field Impact

• 8.5% canvass success rate (actual conversations)

• 38.3% lean/strong support Hornedo

• 6.9% lean/strong support Carson

• 54.8% undecided

 

Of those expressing support, 85% back Hornedo vs. 15% for Carson.

 

Grassroots Efficiency

$1 fuels 2.58 direct voter outreach attempts, the most efficient voter contact ratio in Indiana politics.

 

Fundraising Snapshot

• $17,934 raised, 100% from individuals (0% PAC money compared to 87.30% for Carson)

• 83.9% of donations under $100 (average donation: $40.51) compared to 14.04% for Carson (average donation: $1,061.95)

• 118 unique individual donors (vs. Carson’s 87)

• 18 states and DC represented, same as Carson

• 51 Hoosier donors (majority in-state vs. Carson’s 72% out-of-state)

• 35 in-district donors, matching Carson’s total despite raising one-sixth his amount

 

All data pulled from the Federal Election Commission and internal campaign field tracking, organized HERE.

 

Indianapolis, IN — George Hornedo today released his Q3 campaign report, showing a grassroots operation that outperformed Congressman André Carson across nearly every measure of voter engagement.

 

THE QUARTER WE WENT TO WORK

 

Hornedo’s campaign formally launched its direct-voter-contact program in Q3—scaling canvassing, phone banking, and texting to reach over 46,000 voters, more than any other Democratic campaign or organization in Indiana.

 

“This quarter wasn’t about raising money. It was about putting the resources we already have to work,” said Hornedo. “While Congressman Carson holds photo ops, we’re out here doing the work—knocking doors, making calls, and meeting voters where they are. That’s what organizing looks like.”

 

Across Indianapolis neighborhoods, the team achieved an 8.5% door/phone-to-conversation rate, identifying support levels nearly six times stronger than Carson’s.

 

“We’ve built the largest grassroots field program in Indiana—bigger than the Indiana Democratic Party, bigger than Carson’s campaign, bigger than any elected official or group in the state,” Hornedo said. “Every call, every door, every conversation moves us closer to building something new—a politics that works from the bottom up.”

 

A MOVEMENT FUELED BY PEOPLE, NOT PACS

 

Q3 underscored the contrast between small-dollar, in-state fundraising and Carson’s dependence on PACs and out-of-state donors. Hornedo raised $17,934—all from individuals—in a quarter intentionally focused on field work, not fundraising.

 

“We may not have the big checks, but we have the big hearts,” Hornedo said. “Our campaign isn’t powered by corporations. It’s powered by neighbors, volunteers, and everyday people ready to fight for something better.”

 

REDISTRICTING, DEMOCRACY, AND WHAT’S AT STAKE

 

With Indiana Republicans threatening a mid-decade redistricting that could erase Indianapolis’s only Democratic seat, Hornedo positioned his campaign as both political and civic defense.

 

“This campaign isn’t just about replacing Congressman Carson,” Hornedo said. “It’s about defending democracy in Indiana. Redistricting threatens to silence entire communities and our campaign has become the organizing vehicle to fight back. Some things are bigger than one candidate and one campaign. This is one of them.”

 

He drew a sharp contrast between his ground game and establishment passivity:

 

“Where is André Carson? Where is Joe Hogsett? Where is the Indiana Democratic Party? Rallies are fine, but rallies don’t replace real organizing. We’re not showing up for the cameras; we’re showing up for people.”

 

FIELD EFFICIENCY: EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS

 

Hornedo’s team calculates that each dollar raised in Q3 fueled 2.58 direct voter-outreach attempts, a metric he challenged anyone in Indiana politics to match.

 

“I’ll put that efficiency up against anyone in the state,” Hornedo said. “We’re not talking about social-media impressions or photo ops. We’re talking about verified, logged voter-contact data. Every door knocked, every call made, every text sent is real, measurable, and recorded.”

 

While the campaign continues to dominate visibility—from community events to social-media growth and earned media—Hornedo emphasized that true success is measured in conversations, not clicks.

 

“We’re winning the narrative and the numbers,” he added. “But what sets us apart is that our numbers represent real people, not vanity metrics.”

 

MOMENTUM BEYOND MONEY

 

Despite raising one-sixth of Carson’s total, Hornedo’s campaign demonstrates broader reach, deeper engagement, and faster field scaling than any Democrat in Indiana this cycle.

 

With 46,000+ voter-contact attempts logged, Hornedo has redefined what grassroots politics looks like in the state and re-energized voters long disconnected from the process.

 

“Everywhere I go, people tell me the same thing: no one’s listening,” Hornedo said. “We’re proving that listening—and acting—still matter. That’s how we’re going to win.”

 

This follows a Q2 showing in which Hornedo’s campaign drew over four times more individual donors than Carson—a sign that the movement’s strength isn’t financial advantage, but people power.

 

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON: HORNEDO VS. CARSON (Q3 2025)