Indianapolis — Indiana is Republican, thus the May primary is the actual struggle.
Five contenders compete for the GOP gubernatorial nomination four months away in an extremely crowded field. Annual campaign finance reports released Wednesday show a multimillion-dollar scramble to out-conservative opponents for primary votes in a state with historically low turnout.
Two-term Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb cannot run again due to term constraints. Indiana's primary is May 7. Gregory Shufeldt, University of Indianapolis political science professor, said contested primaries are rare in Indiana.
Shufeldt said the crowded field may be due to desire in state government posts rather than a career in a gridlocked Congress. First-term U.S. Sen. Mike Braun's gubernatorial bid freed up his seat, which many anticipate Republican Rep. Jim Banks to easily replace.
Braun's close ties to former President Donald Trump helped him win the Senate in 2018 and garnered nationwide fame. According to finance records, Braun concluded 2023 with $4 million in the bank and Trump's support again.
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, of comparable name recognition, has proposed eliminating the state income tax, one of the most controversial issues in the election. Other contenders have called “Axe the Tax” unrealistic and untimely.
No replacement, even Crouch, has Holcomb's support. Crouch seldom mentions Holcomb, whose popularity suffered by COVID-19 regulations including a statewide mask mandate. Crouch has focused on mental health and addiction treatment, citing her statewide and county service. Her campaign had $3.7 million in 2023.
Shufeldt labeled Crouch's conservatism “pragmatic” like Indiana's prior two governors. He called the race a battle between conservative, very conservative, and very conservative. Trump conservatives have embraced troubled former attorney general Curtis Hill's campaign rhetoric.