Indiana’s top office stayed red as Republican Mike Braun was elected governor, defeating Democrat Jennifer McCormick, Libertarian Donald Rainwater and Independent write-in Christopher Stried.
Braun will take over for Eric Holcomb, who served two terms as governor. Braun received 55.3% of the votes, McCormick 40.1% and Rainwater 4.6%, according to Ballotpedia. Stried received zero votes.
Braun’s campaign focused on jobs and economic growth. He also emphasized parental rights, life for the unborn, school choice and banning transgender treatments for minors.
“As our next governor, I will focus on issues that will raise the standard of living and improve the quality of life for hard-working Hoosiers such as delivering high-speed internet to every household, addressing mental health, reversing the poor infant and maternal mortality rates and delivering high wages careers,” Braun’s campaign website said.
Throughout his campaign, Braun pointed to his time in the U.S. Senate as proof of his word. Braun became a U.S. Senator for the state of Indiana in 2019. His term in the Senate ends January 2025, and he will be sworn in as governor.
Before serving as a senator, Braun was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives. Former President and now President-elect Donald Trump, Indiana Right to Life and Indiana State Police Alliance endorsed Braun.
Thomas Jones, a professor of history emeritus at Taylor University, said typical Indiana gubernatorial elections have three candidates: a Republican, a Democrat and a Libertarian. The race is usually between the Republican and the Democrat candidates.
Democratic candidate McCormick entered the race without a ton of political experience, said Jones. She had been a teacher, principal and school superintendent before becoming Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. She served in that role from 2017-2021.
The main issues McCormick focused on were abortion, improving public schools, responsible tax spending, support of unions and high-wage jobs and legalizing cannabis.
Jones said Rainwater, the Libertarian candidate, has been a perpetual candidate. He has run in various Indiana elections without winning since 2016, according to information found on Ballotpedia. His policies focused on lowering taxes, smaller government and school choice.
Jones doesn’t think Braun will change much in Indiana’s government now that he’s been elected.
“I think it'll look very much the same, although there are some issues that relate to property-tax increases and putting limitations on property-tax increases particularly as it relates to retired people,” Jones said. “…He'll be working with the leaders who've been elected to the Indiana House and Senate to put together some sort of a legislative agenda that they'll pursue when the legislature convenes. But… The general direction will continue initiatives that Governor Holcomb began.”
Braun gave his acceptance speech Tuesday night. His lieutenant governor, Micah Beckwith, was there as well. Beckwith didn’t speak.
Braun spoke about his experience in the Senate and his plans to make Indiana a place people want to come to.
“But then what are you going to do to make Indiana a place where our kids and our grandkids want to move back to for the 60 or 70 rural counties that we have that are flat or losing population…” Braun said. “I know our state has four corners; I come from one of them. I'm going to make sure that all of us as Hoosiers prosper. I'm going to do it with everything I've learned in the real world, the tutorial of three years being a state rep, six years in the big house. We're going to take Indiana to places we've never seen before.”
Indiana also saw a GOP win in the House and Senate. Seven of the nine House seats were elected Republican. Former President and now President-elect Donald Trump won all 11 of Indiana’s electoral votes.
Braun will be sworn in as governor in January of 2025.
