My name is Jamee Decio, I am a former practicing attorney and Elkhart County deputy prosecutor, and I am running to represent Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District and work for the people of Indiana to protect and rebuild a better democracy for all. In this pivotal time in our nation’s history, please help me by supporting or working for my campaign in advance of May’s primary election.
I want everyone in the district to have the same fair chance that made my own family’s journey possible, and achieving that goal calls for an unflinching structure of rights and the fair election of leaders committed to restoring the rule of law. Important issues I hope to address to benefit all Hoosiers are Affordability, Protecting Democracy, Local Industry Support, Immigration and Social Justice, and ensuring Constituent-Focused Representation.
Roger Parent, the former mayor of South Bend, has some memorable sayings, and there is one in particular that feels relevant to me at this moment: “When you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t…you do.”
Sitting idly by and watching as our country is turned into something unrecognizable is not a choice I am prepared to live with. I hope there are other citizens and public servants out there who feel the same way and will work with me to unite the district with the goals of restoring stability, promoting mutual respect, and healing divisions. I believe that with unity and shared purpose as our peaceful sword and shield, we can imagine and achieve a better and stronger Indiana.
A Hoosier of many hats
Like most people, I am a lot of things, and I serve in many roles.
I’m a mother. I’m a sister. I’m a professional. I’m a volunteer and philanthropist. I’m a seeker of peace, truth, and justice. I’m a believer in America and our sacred democracy. I’m a thinker, a reader, a dreamer, and a doer. I’m someone who has traveled and experienced other American communities, only to happily return to the Indiana home where my heart is. I’m a worker—a proud former union member. I grew up in a Michiana household that welcomed everyone. My parents taught me that character and integrity matter more than party labels, and that public service means exactly that: service.
In 1972, a time when people still questioned if women belonged, I was one of the first 325 women admitted to the University of Notre Dame, and after graduating, I moved to Washington, DC, to work as a legislative aide for the House Banking Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and fight for protections for everyday Americans. I returned to Notre Dame for law school, during which time I advocated for troubled youth and the mentally ill at Elkhart Legal Aid, and I subsequently spent my entire legal career fighting for people who needed someone in their corner.
I am also the granddaughter of immigrants, as my grandfather Julius came to Elkhart from Italy in 1907 at age five, and I am a daughter of industry. If my last name rings familiar, it’s likely because my mother and father, the late Arthur and Patricia Decio, made the Decio name prominent through their endless charitable giving and unflinching support of important projects, initiatives, and organizations throughout the Michiana area.
Dad had vision and good timing. He saw a need for affordable homes and built Skyline Corporation, a national manufactured housing company headquartered in Elkhart. More than wealth and success, he took the most pride in being able to give back so significantly to the Michiana community that allowed him a fair shot at fulfilling his own American Dream.
The importance of welcoming strangers
My father loved his employees and reveled in being able to pay good wages and watch them succeed, grow families, and thrive. Over the years, Dad also employed many workers who came from other countries. He saw some of himself in their work ethic and was inspired by his workers’ tireless dedication to providing better lives for their families and loved ones. Dad, fair to all, welcomed strangers with open arms and gave everyone a smile and a chance.
All that said, and a sad truth that drives my daily efforts, if Mom and Dad were around today to see what’s been going on in the streets of America, and in the halls of Congress, and in the Oval Office, they would be in utter disbelief. They would be shocked to know of working families having to choose between buying food for the family or paying the NIPSCO bill, and they would openly weep at the desperate plight of Hoosiers of all ages, including our most vulnerable, struggling with rising costs of living, rising costs of groceries, rising costs of healthcare, rising costs of housing, and sweeping reductions of health and social services—all while Congress plays politics, avoids, deflects, and continuously ignores the needs and the will of the people.
Melting the ICE
First and foremost, Congress must do away with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. ICE, created in 2003, violates rights and endangers people across the country, as we have seen in recent days with the tragedies in Minnesota. We need a focused immigration framework addressing real border concerns and not a masked militia illegally enabled to exist above the law. In America, people deserve to live in peace.
Next, we must supplement enforcement with a clear path to citizenship for those who have earned it and deserve it.
The America you and I grew up in, the America we love, is a place where immigrants who help power our workforce and bring new energy to our communities are loved and valued. The America we love rolls up its sleeves and gets creative, and works together, to provide pathways to citizenship for immigrants. It doesn’t spend $1.7 billion—while millions of Americans are losing Medicaid and struggling with rising costs—to terrorize and deport people who hold jobs and pay taxes.
The America we love is better than this. It was built by immigrants. My grandfather. Your ancestors. It was built by our people, so many of whom came here seeking opportunity and seeking to contribute to their communities, just like many of the immigrants of today. The America we love figures out a way to have both border security AND humane immigration policies.
As your representative—starting on day one—I will fight for comprehensive immigration reform that reflects our values and honors our history. I will fight to address the rising costs of living with a focus on reducing expenses for food, utilities, housing, and healthcare. I will fight to safeguard democratic institutions. Lastly, I will fight to prioritize the strengthening of regional economies, with a focus on Indiana’s RV and farming industries.
Can’t be bought or bullied, and I won’t back down
With my son a grown man with a successful family of his own, I came back to Indiana in 2025 because it was time for me to come home and serve, and now I am committed to working for the benefit of the 2nd Congressional District. The diversity, pride, and potential of the 2nd District reflect the promise and opportunity that brought my own family to America, and the Hoosiers here deserve accessible leadership that prioritizes and serves their interests and shares their values.
I’m not entering politics for personal gain. I’m not moved by the lining of pockets, and I’m not backed by corporate PACs or billionaire donors. Mine is a campaign powered by regular people, for regular people, and friends and neighbors—throughout all corners of the political spectrum—who’ve seen the sharpie on the wall and who believe the 2nd District deserves better representation than we’re getting today. I am here to serve.
Unlike our current incumbent, who’s been chiefly absent and deafeningly quiet, I’m going to be running a different kind of campaign. I want to hear your voices, share conversations, and I pledge to meet you where you are. Coffee shops, community centers, VFW halls, church basements, your front porch—wherever you’ll have me. I want to listen and learn about the things that matter the most to you. Then I will act in your best interests in Washington. That’s what representation should look like, and we need it now more than ever.
If you are ready to stand with me and fight for what is right, then let’s go! I hope you will support me in the May primary election and beyond. Learn more about my campaign, and sign up for the Decio for Congress newsletter, on the homepage of this site.