Mike Braun wins GOP nomination to serve as governor of Indiana

The GOP primary race to serve as Indiana’s next governor concluded Tuesday evening after it was announced Sen. Mike Braun received the most votes and will serve as the party’s nominee for the role in November.

A total of six candidates ran in the GOP gubernatorial primary election to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, who has held the position since 2017.

Each of the six candidates in the competitive, multi-million dollar primary race cast themselves as an outsider in an appeal to conservative voters ahead of the election, despite five holding statewide roles at some point.

The six Republican candidates who competed for their party’s nomination on Tuesday included Sen. Mike Braun, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, former state commerce secretary Brad Chambers, former state commerce secretary Eric Doden, former Indiana AG Curtis Hill, and Jamie Reitenour.

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GOP Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana announces his bid for governor in Indianapolis on Dec. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Braun boasted several advantages – such as name recognition, money and former President Donald Trump’s endorsement – ahead of Tuesday’s election.

Braun, who flipped a Democrat-held Senate seat in 2018, announced his decision to enter the race in Nov. 2022. His campaign spent over $6 million in 2024, according to the latest summary report.

Trump endorsed Braun last November, saying he “was proud to endorse Mike when he ran for the Senate in 2018, and I am proud to do so again.”

“Mike Braun has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Governor of the Great State of Indiana!” Trump said in a Truth Social post at the time.

Crouch – another familiar name thanks to running twice with Holcomb – campaigned to slash the state’s income tax and promised to boost addiction and mental illness services prior to the election. Crouch ended the most recent fundraising period with $3 million – the most cash on hand of any Indiana gubernatorial candidate. However, she spent only $2.1 million in the first three months of the year.

Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch in Evansville, Indiana, on Oct. 5, 2022. (Scotty Perry/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Chambers ‘ messaging leading up to the election was more moderate than the other candidates, with a large focus being placed on the economy. Chambers spent $6.7 million this year and reports revealed he contributed $8 million to his campaign.

Doden’s priorities ahead of Tuesday’s election included a plan to invest in Indiana’s small towns. He spent $5.2 million in the first three months of this year and last reported having about $250,000 of cash on hand.

Once a rising star in Indiana politics, Hill struggled to compete. He lost the Republican delegation nomination in 2020 following allegations that he groped four women in 2018. Reitenour, a mother with no political experience who received support in the race from the Hamilton County Moms For Liberty, also sought the GOP nomination. She previously said she would appoint its leader to head the state education department.

Braun is most likely to win the Nov. 5 general election in a state that reliably elects Republicans.

Sen. Mike Braun, who received support from former President Donald Trump, speaks during a Republican Indiana gubernatorial candidate forum in Carmel, Indiana, on Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Jennifer McCormick, the Democratic candidate in the gubernatorial race, is running unopposed. Two other candidates, Donald Rainwater (Libertarian Party) and Christopher Stried (independent), are running to serve as the state’s next governor.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.