Democrat · Indiana's 4th District · 2026
Drew Cox
Cox grew up operating farm equipment and hauling grain in Henry County, the son of a farmer and an elementary school teacher.
Biography
Drew Cox grew up on his family's farm in Henry County, working with tillage equipment and hauling grain as a teenager.1 His parents were a farmer and an elementary schoolteacher whose career spanned 35 years.1 After leaving the military in 2012, he returned to help with the spring planting season.1
Cox joined the Marine Corps as a bandsman in 2008 and deployed to Kabul in 2011, where his work included tactical vehicle movements.1 He was honorably discharged in March 2012 and used the GI Bill to continue his education at Indiana University.1 He later earned a doctorate in music at the University of Illinois.1
His work has included teaching in Purdue University's music department as a visiting instructor.2 He performed on drums at a Purdue ensemble's June 2026 Taste of Tippecanoe appearance.3 Cox lives in Lafayette and is making his first run for public office as the Democrat challenging Republican Congressman Jim Baird.4
His platform calls for Medicare for All, a higher minimum wage, stronger unions and greater funding for veterans' care.5 He favors a federal moratorium on AI data centers and requirements that they use green energy.5 He also pledges to refuse corporate PAC contributions and supports overturning Citizens United to reduce the influence of money in politics.6