Inside Indiana's tumultous gubernatorial primary
Welcome to primary day in Indiana.
EXCLUSIVE: The GOP gubernatorial primary in the heavily Republican, traditionally congenial state of Indiana has become so divisive that Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who is running in a crowded field to succeed Gov. Eric Holcomb, says that she has only spoken to him once in the last six months.
The governor doesn't see Crouch as his natural successor, and his own installed GOP state party chair accused her of creating a “toxic” dynamic in the party. She and five other candidates have altogether sunk a record-breaking $40 million into the contest.
But what may be most surprising is not the money or the vitriol, but the focus of the campaign itself. The run-up to the Tuesday primary has been litigated almost entirely on national issues — Sen. Mike Braun’s now-recanted support for Black Lives Matter, where the candidates stand on China, and immigration — a stark example of the nationalization of politics at every level in the era of Donald Trump.
In a state that for decades saw its politics hew to humdrum statewide concerns like shortening wait times at the DMV, adopting daylight saving time and fixing property taxes, Indiana is hardly a factor at all.
GOP IN DISARRAY: Some of the quotes in my new takeout on the gubernatorial primary are eye-popping, and hint at unprecedented division in the Indiana GOP:
ON LT. GOV. SUZANNE CROUCH: “She wants all the positives for being Eric’s lieutenant governor, so anything good that she wants to take credit for, but anything that at all seems negative, or that she can create a wedge when she wants to do that and try to get the positives from that,” said Kyle Hupfer, the GOP party chair. “I don’t think it’s a very honorable approach.”
Crouch, through a spokesperson, declined to punch back, saying her campaign is “about the future of Indiana.”
“It doesn’t take a political scientist to see what she wants,” Hupfer said. “She wants her cake and to eat it, too.”
Good Tuesday morning, happy Election Day, and welcome back to IMPORTANTVILLE. Also there’s a little bit of Indiana in Washington, D.C. today: The Indy 500 Borg-Warner Trophy appears on CapHill today, per Fox News’ Chad Pergram.
There are at least two major Hoosier political figures today who have no appetite to talk about how they voted in the Indiana primary: former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Todd Young. Aides to both men tell me they will not be disclosing their preferred candidates. Remember that both have said they cannot support Donald Trump, and that Young has said he was once “warm” to the candidacy of Nikki Haley, who is on the ballot.
All of this GOP discord comes at a remarkable, burn-it-all-down moment for the Indiana GOP. The term-limited Republican governor and his lieutenant governor aren’t on speaking terms. One of Indiana’s RNC committee members isn’t running for re-election, citing the Trump environment without naming names. If he wins, Mike Braun is likely to shakeup start party and install his own state chair. There’s a potential GOP convention battle heating up for at least lieutenant governor, perhaps also attorney general. Sen. Todd Young, though still an effective lawmaker, finds himself marginalized back home amid a total Trump takeover of the party, and Rep. Jim Banks finds himself ascendant in MAGA world as likely the state’s next Republican Senator.
“The Republican Party is very, very close to tipping over,” Mike Schmuhl, the Indiana Democratic Party Chair, told me.
Here, with my POLITICO colleague Madison Fernandez, are some races to watch.
The Indianapolis Star is live-blogging Election Day.
ALL COMES DOWN TO TURNOUT: “In Hamilton County, election officials reported 11,248 early votes, which is 7,000 more than 2022 early in-person totals. Hamilton County Election Administrator Bethany Sheller said that’s a 5.5% turnout rate so far, which is already nearly half of the 12% turnout seen in the 2022 primary.
In Marion County, nearly 11,934 votes were cast prior to the close of early voting at noon Monday, while 11,176 were cast during the same period in 2022,” per the Indianapolis Business Journal.
INTERESTING LAST-MINUTE DONATION: Operating Industries, LLC, gave Mike Braun $100,000.
Democratic candidates Jennifer McCormick (governor) and Destiny Wells (attorney general) will hold a joint fundraiser at the home of Tom and Sheryl Shipley on June 15 in Lafayette at 4 p.m., per an invite obtained by IMPORTANTVILLE.
ELECTION DAY PLANS
Sen. Mike Braun is holding his watch party at the same BBQ joint where he celebrated his underdog Senate primary victory in 2018: Moontown Brewery in Zionsville, not far from his sister’s house and his Central Indiana crashpad.
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch will take in results at The Industry on Pennsylvania St. in downtown Indianapolis.
Brad Chambers will be at his campaign HQ downtown. (The spot of Pat McAfee’s former studio.)
Eric Doden will be at Union Street Market at Electric Works in Fort Wayne.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick will be doing media hits at 1449 North Pennsylvania Street.
Rep. Jim Banks will give remarks and hold a press availability on election night at 7 p.m. at the Allen County GOP Headquarters.
IMPORTANTVILLE READS
“Briggs: Indy is killing Eleven Park so its MLS dream can live,” by James Briggs in The Indianapolis Star”
It turns out Mayor Joe Hogsett isn't alone.
Hogsett appears to have broad support for his effort to lure a Major League Soccer team to Indianapolis. It wasn't obvious at first. But, since Hogsett made his surprising announcement April 25, MLS Commissioner Don Garber beamed about a "great meeting" with Sen. Todd Young in Washington, D.C.; Gov. Eric Holcomb assured "there is a lot of excitement in the General Assembly"; and the Metropolitan Development Commission took the first step toward approving a stadium plan at a previously undiscussed downtown site.
THE IMPORTANTVILLE NUMBER
$98 million
—The amount spent across Indiana's primaries this year, according to AdImpact.
