By Cate Charron
Indiana Business Journal
Republican Mike Braun was preparing to declare victory in the governor’s race Tuesday night over Democrat Jennifer McCormick, a win that will extend the Republican Party’s hold on the office to six terms.
Braun was expected to speak to a party of GOP supporters sometime after 8 p.m. at the JW Marriott.
But McCormick, gathered with fellow Democrats at the Athenaeum, has not yet conceded the race.
The AP called the race shortly after polls closed. With 29% of the vote counted at 8:05 p.m., Braun was leading with nearly 63% to McCormick’s 37%. Libertarian Donald Rainwater had nearly 5%.
But Democrats said the totals did not include votes from the most Democrat-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 after the AP called the race for Braun.
Early returns from Lake County, a Democratic stronghold, showed McCormick leading there, but the margin did not appear wide enough to offset Braun’s big lead.
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 will be sworn in as governor in early January.
The cornerstone of Braun’s campaign was his promise to use his business experience to lead Indiana, especially concerning government spending and property taxes. 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.
