Hoosier Hysteria
Braun's likely bid for governor creates a down-ballot scramble. Who would run for Senate and House to replace him?
MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EMAIL: Mike Braun, Victoria Spartz, Todd Rokita, Eric Holcomb, Micah Beckwith, Daniel Lopez, Tiffanie Ditlevson, Jim Merritt, Suzanne Jaworowski, Suzanne Crouch, Mitch Daniels, Mark Lubbers.
It took fewer than 24 hours after news that Sen. Mike Braun is likely to run for governor, deep-sixing a second Senate term, for a political Game of Thrones to unfurl across Indiana.
First, 5th Congressional District Republican incumbent Victoria Spartz made it known that she would like to run for Braun’s seat. That leaves open the possibility of a primary with current Attorney General Todd Rokita (though some Hoosier Republicans tell IMPORTANTVILLE that Rokita is happy with his current job, it does seem he’s in permanent campaign mode). Rokita did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Not long after, Republican operatives’ text messages lit up with speculation about possible permutations of what would happen next. So, too, did at least one Twitter account hoping to draft a candidate to replace Spartz: Danny Lopez for Congress (@IndianaforDanny), began blasting out tweets trying to recruit the Indiana Pacers Sports & Entertainment vice president for external affairs and corporate communications, not to mention Gov. Eric Holcomb's former deputy chief of staff, into the race. (“Those Holcomb kids wasted no time,” a Republican consultant said of the account’s flickering to life.)
“I know a lot of people who would like to see that if it becomes open,” a high-profile Indianapolis Republican operative told me of a possible Lopez campaign.
Would Lopez have interest in running to replace Spartz if she pursues a Senate bid? I asked him Saturday.
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