Indiana Republicans win big, local incumbents hold seats

Editor's Note

This article was written by a member of the Exponent's editorial staff who signed their name on an editorial titled “OPINION: Jennifer McCormick is the right pick for Boilermakers.”

The signs were clear as soon as the results started to come in: Republicans were primed to have a good night, and Democrats had to brace for the sweep.

State races were called for the Republicans quickly and as the night got longer, so did the Democratic margins for victory, within and outside of Indiana.

But in Tippecanoe County, several races lasted long into the night; one even couldn't be called until Wednesday afternoon.

Almost all incumbents in the county held fast onto their seat, sustaining, and very slightly growing, a Democratic blip in the deep red Hoosier heartland.

State elections

Succeeding Republican Eric Holcomb, Sen. Mike Braun will descend from the U.S. Senate and lead the GOP supermajority in the Statehouse as Indiana's next governor. With 92% of the votes in, Braun took 54.6% of the electorate, beating his Democratic challenger, Jennifer McCormick, by a margin of 13.7%, according to the Associated Press.

Joining Braun at the top of Indiana's executive branch is Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, a far-right Christian pastor and host of the podcast "Jesus, Sex and Politics."

"Together, Mike Braun, Micah Beckwith, and our Republican statewide officeholders will create a dream team of conservative leadership," said Indiana GOP Communications Director Griffin Reid in a press release. "Under Braun's leadership, Indiana is poised to have one of the most efficient and effective state governments in the country, ensuring growth, fiscal responsibility, and a commitment to the principles that make Indiana strong."

Although the race was assuredly going to be won by Braun, in the latter half of the campaign the race narrowed with polling slowly turning in the Democrat's favor, partly due to an increased amount of Democratic funding in the election.

"It would have narrowed from the point where they removed Biden from the ticket," Braun told the Exponent in October. "That levitated all down ballot races to be five to seven points tighter, but that was definable in terms of what caused it. Now that Harris and Walz have been out on full view, it's actually going the other way."

McCormick won in Tippecanoe County by a margin of 2.2%, joining the four other counties that swung for McCormick in Indiana.

Also in the race was Libertarian candidate Donald Rainwater.

Despite turnout remarkably similar to that of 2020's Gubernatorial election, Rainwater's margins shrunk from 11% in the last election to 4.6%.

The incoming governor's abdicated Senate seat will be filled by Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, who beat Democratic challenger Valerie McCray by a margin of 20.4% with 91% of the votes counted, according to AP.

"As Indiana's next Senator we can count on Jim Banks to continue fighting for us and make sure our voice is represented in Congress," Reid said. "We look forward to watching Senator-elect Banks help lead our country into a future with secure borders, low inflation, and safer communities."

Banks will represent Indiana in the Senate alongside Sen. Todd Young, a controversial figure in the Republican party for openly stating he would not support Trump in the election.

With 87% of the votes counted, 49.77% of Tippecanoe County voted for Jim Banks while 47.2% voted for McCray, according to AP.

Jim Baird, District 4's Republican U.S. Representative, will continue to hold his seat after earning the biggest margin of victory of the night, snuffing out Democratic outsider Derrick Holder's chances for the office.

With 95% of the vote in, Baird held a 35% lead over Holder in the district, according to AP.

In Tippecanoe County, Baird won 50.77% of the vote, compared to Holder's 44.8%.

"Voters have turned out in large numbers," Holder told the Exponent before polls closed. "Rain may hamper some people, but there's a pretty good turnout that nobody was expecting. I'm extremely proud of Hoosiers for coming out in the numbers that they've come out in."

Finally, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita defended his seat from Democratic challenger Destiny Wells.

"Attorney General Todd Rokita has spent the past four years demonstrating that Hoosiers are his top priority," Reid said. "As a dedicated public servant, he has ensured that our laws are enforced and our communities protected, all while serving as a steadfast ally to Republicans in the Statehouse."

With 89.4% of the vote in, Rokita won by 1% in Tippecanoe County, 50.5% to Wells' 49.5%, according to NBC News.

All in all, Republicans did what they do best in the state — win.

The Governor's seat will remain red, a trend started in 2005 when former Purdue President and Gov. Mitch Daniels defeated Democrat Joe Kernan.

Braun's Republican Senate seat will remain red, a trend he began six years ago when he unseated Democrat Joe Donnelly.

The county's House seat has been Republican for 30 years, six of which were under the re-elected Baird, who will continue to hold it for the party.

After two decades of Republicans in office, the attorney general will also remain under GOP control.

Local elections

After 57.13% of voters in the county turned out for Tuesday’s election, almost every incumbent candidate on the ballot retained their seats.

Statehouse Democrats Sheila Klinker and Chris Campbell defeated their controversial Republican challengers with ease.

Klinker, who will now enter her 22nd term in office, faced Republican outsider Oscar Alvarez and won with 61.51% of the vote.

Alvarez, who received 38.49% of the votes in the county, entered the spotlight after an Exponent article revealed the candidate is currently facing three charges, two of which are criminal.

"I'm sad (about Alvarez)," she told the Exponent before votes began to be counted. "He worked (the GOP booth) at the Tippecanoe County Fair this summer. That's where I met him. And you know, (our) relationship was fine. I didn't know all of his background to be honest with you, but I wouldn't use that as a negative piece for me to get more votes."

Klinker said she wants to focus on education, mental health and health care.
Her Democratic Statehouse colleague, Chris Campbell, will enter her fourth term after defeating Republican Jim Schenke. Campbell earned 64.09% of the vote, while her opponent took home 35.91%.

"It's a good feeling that I will be able to go back and work for our community," Campbell said after winning her race. "We feel like an underrepresented voice in the state of Indiana, so that's why it's so much more important that I'm able to go back and continue my work."

Campbell said education would be one of her top priorities going back into office.
Her opponent, Schenke, may have been in the spotlight more often, but seldom was the attention positive.

In September, Schenke's motorhome, branded with his campaign information, allegedly knocked down a light post while the vehicle was uninsured.

The day before Election Day, Schenke was also arrested for allegedly violating a protective order.

"Anything that has legal ramifications that's been reported about me is not true," Schenke told the Exponent on Election Day.

When election night ended Tuesday night, one race was still too close to call.
Wednesday afternoon, it was revealed that of the nine candidates for the Tippecanoe County Council At-Large seat, two up for re-election would keep their seats while one would be forced out by a political newcomer from a different party.

Republican incumbents Barry Richard and John Basham won their bids for re-election (16.36% and 15.78% of the electorate), but Democrat Ben Carson, with 16.02% of the vote, unseated Republican incumbent Kevin Underwood.

"It's been an incredible journey through this election season," he said. "So far, the amount of people that I've gotten to talk to from both parties and people who are independent, people who rarely vote, and I've had so many awesome volunteers that have put in so much work for me, so I'm incredibly proud and happy about everything."

Republican Carrie Costello will return to the Tippecanoe County Coroner's Office and hold the position for another four years after sweeping Libertarian opponent Benjamin Milanowski, earning 78.19% of the electorate.

Milanowski made headlines after the Exponent revealed there was a public video on social media of him juggling sex toys while he ran for mayor against Democratic incumbent Tony Roswarski last year.

In both campaigns, he has said that winning was not the point of putting his name on the ballot.

"I'm a paper candidate," he told the Exponent. "So you're gonna see my name, and that's just going to raise awareness."

Republican incumbents Tom Murtaugh and David Byers, both winning more than 75% of the electorate, beat their Libertarian opponents for their county commissioner seats.

"I am very humbled by the support of the county, especially having served a few terms for Tippecanoe County as county commissioner," Murtaugh said as votes began to come in on election night.

"We need to attract workforce ... We need housing. We need childcare. We have some issues to work on in the future and so I look forward to delving into those issues and working on those."

Byers said his attention is focused on building a new juvenile detention center.
Republican candidate and incumbent David Byers running for County Commissioner District 2 speaks about his outlook and goals if he is elected.

"It's one of those deals where, what it's currently costing us, sending youth out of the county versus housing in the county is becoming about equal," Byers said. "So why not have our kids stay here."

Four races featured candidates that ran unopposed. Judge of 23rd Circuit Court Sean Persin, Judge of Superior Court No. 6 Michael Morrissey, County Treasurer Yadira Salazar and County Surveyor Zach Beasley all won their races without opposition.

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Additional reporting by Duncan Ways, Bethany Lee, Max Bury, Vipul Konnur, Josh McNeil, A.D. Goldthorpe, and Liv Helmuth, Staff Reporters, and Olivia Mapes, campus editor
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