November 5, 2024 | Cate Charron

Republican Mike Braun won the Indiana governor’s race Tuesday over Democrat Jennifer McCormick, extending the Republican Party’s hold on the office to six terms.

“I can’t wait to hit the ground running, taking this state to a place where they put us with Texas, Florida, Tennessee,” Braun said during a celebration at the JW Marriott, where his supporters broke into a cheer of “I like Mike” near the close of his 15-minute speech.

With 72% of the vote counted at 10:10 p.m., Braun was leading with 55% to McCormick’s 40%, according to the AP. Libertarian Donald Rainwater had nearly 5%.

Earlier, when Braun had a nearly 20-point lead, Democrats said the totals did not include votes from the most Democratic-leaning areas of the state, including Marion County and northwest Indiana.

“This race is not over yet, and we’re in for a long night,” Mila Myles, a spokeswoman for the McCormick campaign, told reporters just after the AP called the race for Braun.

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But later, even as McCormick was piling up votes in Marion, Tippecanoe, Monroe and Lake counties, the numbers were not nearly enough to overtake Braun’s big lead in suburban and rural parts of the state. And so McCormick called Braun and conceded.

“We gave Sen. Braun a run that not a lot of people thought we could do,” McCormick said when she finally conceded near 10 p.m.

She used her final remarks of the campaign to validate transgender Hoosiers, who she said were attacked in negative campaign ads this cycle. “Extremism will not win in Indiana. Not today, not ever,” she said.

Tears fell as McCormick told the crowd, “It has truly been my honor to represent all of you on the campaign trail.”
Braun, 70, will replace Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, who served two terms and couldn’t run again.

“As we run through the tape during these last two months of my term, our administration, like all those before me, will provide the support Gov.-elect Braun needs to ensure a smooth transition for our great state and most importantly the citizens that call Indiana home,” Holcomb said in a statement shortly after the AP declared Braun the winner.

Braun, who will be sworn in as governor in early January, significantly out-raised McCormick. He had received $9.4 million in contributions through Sept. 30, compared to the Democrat’s $2.4 million.

The Democratic Governors Association came into the race late, donating $1.1 million to McCormick’s campaign to match the $1 million to Braun from the organization’s Republican counterpart.

But Indiana Democratic Party spokesman Sam Barloga said Tuesday night that the money came too late.

“They played very seriously, but they played a little late,” he said. “I think it definitely gives hope in the future that, if [we] get the ball rolling earlier with national support, that maybe you can raise [more] money.”

The cornerstone of Braun’s campaign was his promise to use his business experience to lead Indiana—a pledge he repeated on Tuesday night. And he doubled down on his campaign promises to cut government spending and pass a balanced budget.

“When you’re an entrepreneur by trade, you generally, if you survive, know how to pick the best fork in the road,” he said. “We can be guaranteed that we’re going to maintain great cash flow. … I had to do that for 37 years.”

He credited his family for supporting him through both his run for governor and his previous run for U.S. Senate, where he served one term, calling his wife his “most stalwart supporter.”

Dressed in his signature blue button-up with a grey sport coat, Braun continued to describe himself as an underdog, talking about his early doubters and longshot 2018 Senate run.

“I hope finally now, those that didn’t believe know when I put my mind to it, I’m going to do it in an understated way,” he said. “I’m going to over-perform and deliver results, and you can count on that.”
Braun owned and led Meyer Distributing in Jasper for 37 years until 2018 when he handed the reins to three of his four children in 2018.

Braun’s lieutenant governor will be Noblesville pastor Micah Beckwith. After an atypical grassroots run for the office, Beckwith upset Braun’s preferred pick for a running mate, Rep. Julie McGuire of Indianapolis, at the state party convention last June.

Beckwith has caught heat on the campaign trail for several controversial comments, including saying he would fire state employees who include pronouns in their email signature and calling the Democratic ticket a “Jezebel spirit.”

But Braun has said repeatedly that he will set policy for the state, not his running mate.