Welcome to the Monday, April 15, Brew.
By: Briana Ryan
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Indiana’s Republican gubernatorial primary election is the most expensive primary in the state’s history
- Nebraska state Sen. Mike McDonnell switches party affiliation from Democrat to Republican
- 3.1% of state legislative incumbents who ran for re-election have lost in primaries
Indiana’s Republican gubernatorial primary election is the most expensive in the state’s history
Throughout the year, we’ll bring you coverage of the most compelling elections—the battlegrounds we expect to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive. You can catch our previous coverage of other battleground races here.
Today, we’re looking at Indiana’s May 7 Republican gubernatorial primary. Six candidates are running, and four lead in media mentions, polling, and fundraising: Mike Braun, Brad Chambers, Suzanne Crouch, and Eric Doden. Incumbent Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) is term-limited.
The Associated Press’ Isabella Volmert said campaign finance reports “reflect a multimillion-dollar race that has become a competition of who can out-conservative the others for primary votes in a state with historically low turnout.” The primary is the most expensive in the state’s history.
Braun is a U.S. Senator first elected in 2018. Braun served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2014 to 2017. Braun founded Meyer Distributing in the mid-1980s and was CEO until 2019. Braun said being governor is “like running the biggest business in our state, now. And when you’ve got 30 agencies, you’ve got to know how to handle personnel. I mean, I did that for a living before I got to the Senate.” Braun has run on boosting economic growth, improving the K-12 education system, and making healthcare more affordable. Former President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Braun.
At the time of his announcement, Braun was the first incumbent U.S. Senator to run for governor since 2015, when David Vitter (R-La.) ran and lost in the 2015 Louisiana gubernatorial race.
Crouch is the Lieutenant Governor of Indiana. She previously served as Indiana State Auditor from 2014 to 2017 and as a state representative from 2005 to 2014. Crouch said, “As governor, I will boldly lead Indiana into the future. We’ll start by leading the fight to eliminate Indiana’s state income tax.” Crouch’s other issues include combating addiction and investing in mental health resources. She also ran on counteracting China’s influence in Indiana. U.S. Rep. Greg Pence (R) endorsed Crouch.
Chambers founded and is CEO of the real estate investment firm Buckingham Companies. From 2021 to 2023, Chambers served as Indiana Secretary of Commerce. Chambers has made boosting economic growth the cornerstone of his campaign, saying, “I firmly believe that when you’re growing the economy, then you take the proceeds of a growing economy and you can fix the things that need to be fixed. You can invest in education, you can invest in public safety, you can invest in mental health and health care.” Chambers said he was also running on improving public safety and the education system.
Doden is a principal at a private equity firm. In 2012, then-Gov. Mike Pence (R) appointed him president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), and he served in that role until 2015. From 2015 to 2018, Doden was CEO of Greater Fort Wayne Inc., Allen County’s chamber of commerce. Doden said his focus on the economic development of Indiana’s small towns and his plan to implement zero-cost adoptions for the state’s foster care children set him apart from his opponents.
Also running in the primary are Curtis Hill (R) and Jamie Reitenour (R).
Indiana is one of eleven states holding gubernatorial elections this year. Nationwide, there are currently 27 Republican and 23 Democratic governors. Of the states with gubernatorial elections in 2024, eight have Republican governors, and three have a Democratic governor.
Nebraska state Sen. Mike McDonnell switches party affiliation from Democrat to Republican
On April 3, Nebraska State Sen. Mike McDonnell switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. McDonnell said he made the change because the Democratic Party “no longer felt like a place where he could reconcile his faith with his political affiliation.”
Last month, the Nebraska Democratic Party censured McDonnell, saying his voting record “has adversely affected the reproductive rights of Nebraskans and the rights of transgender individuals in the state.”
Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said the decision to censure McDonnell was never about his being “a pro-life Catholic.” Kleeb said, “the Nebraska Democratic Party will continue to stand up for reproductive freedom and the human rights of the LGBTQ community.”
Nebraska’s unicameral legislature is officially nonpartisan. However, almost all members are affiliated with the state affiliate of either the Democratic or Republican Party, and both parties explicitly endorse candidates for office. McDonnell’s switch increases the GOP’s majority to 33 Republicans and 15 Democrats; see Nebraska trifecta information.
Since 1994, Ballotpedia has identified 174 state legislators who’ve switched parties. Eighty-four lawmakers changed from Democrat to Republican, and 23 switched from Republican to Democrat.
McDonnell is the fourth Nebraska legislator to switch parties since 1994. McDonnell is also the second legislator to switch parties this year. New Hampshire state Rep. Matthew Coker was the first, switching from Democrat to Republican on Feb. 8.
3.1% of state legislative incumbents who ran for re-election have lost in primaries
Since our last report, there have been no new state legislative primaries. However, we still have some updates as five of the 10 uncalled races have been called. Two of those races ended with Democratic incumbents losing their primary.
One House Democrat lost in each North Carolina and Ohio.
So far this year, 21 state legislative incumbents — five Democrats and 16 Republicans — have lost to primary challengers.
Across the six states that have held primaries, 3.1% of incumbents running for re-election have lost, which is less than at this point in 2022 (3.7%).
Republican incumbents have lost at a higher rate than Democrats. Of the 380 Republican incumbents who filed for re-election, 16 (4.2%) have lost to primary challengers. For Democrats, five of the 305 who filed for re-election (1.6%) have lost.
Of the six states that have held primaries so far, two have Democratic trifectas, three have Republican trifectas, and one has a divided government.
The next legislative primaries will take place in Pennsylvania on April 23.