U.S. Sen. Mike Braun addresses supporters in October. (Casey Smith/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
The Indiana Republican Party’s dominance in the state’s highest elected office remains intact following the election of Mike Braun as governor and his running mate Micah Beckwith as lieutenant governor.
Associated Press called the race with Braun at 58% of the vote. His opponents, Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian Donald Rainwater, had roughly 39% and 4% votes, respectively.
Braun, McCormick and Rainwater grew increasingly competitive as Election Day neared, battling it out in campaign mailers and warring attack advertisements. However, the business community rallied behind the Republican team, which saw a surge in contributions, while small donors flocked to Democrats.
Beckwith encountered a fair number of controversies in recent weeks, making national headlines for saying he’d fire state employees using pronouns in their signatures and saying the Democratic ticket invoked a “Jezebel spirit,” a derogatory term used against women.
McCormick and her lieutenant governor nominee focused on a “commonsense” campaign, releasing several proposals across dozens of topics. The Braun campaign’s foundation arm pitched its own ideas, wading into brewing health care fights in the Legislature and vowing to reform property taxes.
At 70, Braun is the oldest person ever to be elected as governor of Indiana.
Braun will still return to Washington D.C. to finish out his term in Congress, where he serves as a U.S. senator. He is scheduled to be sworn into office as governor in January.
This story will be updated.