Sen. Mike Braun, a Republican, won the Republican nomination for governor of Indiana, according to NBC News projects. This put him in the lead to replace Gov. Eric Holcomb, whose term is limited, while Rep. Jim Banks received the GOP nomination to replace Braun in the Senate.
Additionally, NBC News projects that in the House, Rep. Victoria Spartz defeated a challenger in the Republican primary, setting the stage for a number of intriguing GOP congressional contests.
Despite a crowded field that included businessman Eric Doden, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, and former state commerce secretary Brad Chambers, Braun entered the governor’s race as the front-runner. He had looked to be the front-runner after receiving former President Donald Trump’s endorsement in the fall, but the competition was uncertain due to the large field of contenders and significant television spending.
According to ad tracking company AdImpact, candidates and outside organizations spent over $45 million on advertisements, outspending Braun on the airwaves in favor of Chambers and Doden. In a number of the most recent advertisements, Braun and his supporters showcased their support for Trump, Chambers attempted to portray himself as an outsider, Doden denounced Braun as a product of Washington, and Crouch stressed her efforts to preserve funds for children with disabilities.
The contest descended into chaos as Braun and Doden sparred over their support for law enforcement and the Black Lives Matter movement, and the contenders argued back and forth about whether or not they would oppose China.
The departing governor, Holcomb, warned candidates that “you won’t be able to rely on slogans or empty campaign promises for positive results” in posts on X, formerly known as Twitter. (Holcomb did not support a replacement.)
Meanwhile, Banks emerged victorious in the GOP primary to succeed Braun, who had vacated his Senate seat to seek the governorship.
Trump and a plethora of his prospective Senate Republican colleagues endorsed Banks. He was in the midst of a primary contest with John Rust, a wealthy businessman. However, due to his political affiliation, Rust was removed from the ballot, leaving Banks the only candidate on the Republican slate.
In a state that hasn’t elected a Democratic senator in over a decade, he will be the favorite against psychologist Valerie McCray in November. Braun is anticipated to compete against Democrat Jennifer McCormick, a former state education chief and former Republican. In a state where no Democratic governor has been elected in more than 20 years, the Republican will be favored.
Primary elections for the House
Statewide, competitive GOP primary elections are also taking place in House districts.
In her bid to win the Republican nomination and serve a third term as the representative of the 5th District outside of Indianapolis, Spartz defeated several opponents on Tuesday.
She had a number of opponents after she changed her mind about retiring just before the state’s filing deadline. State Representative Chuck Goodrich, who funded his own campaign, was her chief opponent.
This contest served as an early test of how GOP primaries are being impacted by support for Ukraine, the country of Spartz’s birth. Goodrich flooded the media with commercials criticizing Spartz, saying she didn’t fully support Trump’s “America first” policy and supporting aid for Ukraine. However, Spartz’s stance was more nuanced; she had harshly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and rejected the most recent aid package.
Sen. Mark Messmer of the state emerged victorious in a packed GOP primary to succeed retiring Rep. Larry Bucshon of the 8th District. In the contest, Messmer defeated Republican former Representative John Hostettler, who was hoping to rejoin Congress after serving for almost 20 years.
Two pro-Israel organizations entered the race to oppose Hostettler: the Republican Jewish Coalition and the United Democracy Project, a super PAC connected to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. This turned the contest into a fight over support for Israel. They cited his October 2000 vote against a resolution endorsing Israel in its conflict with the Palestinians, as well as his prior opposition to aid to Israel.
Rather, the Republican Jewish Coalition supported Messmer, who also received air support from another allied super PAC. Given the district’s Republican lean, Messmer’s win in the GOP indicates that he will probably run for Congress.
Additionally, Jefferson Shreve, a member of the Indianapolis City Council, emerged victorious in the Republican primary to succeed retiring GOP Representative Greg Pence in the 6th District, defeating a crowded field of competitors, including several self-funders. In November, Shreve is predicted to win the ruby red district.