Indiana GOP senator announces bid for governor, opening Senate seat in 2024

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Mike Braun
FILE – U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., speaks to reporters Feb., 2, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Braun said Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022 that the long list of possible 2024 Republican candidates for governor will not sway his decision on whether to enter that race. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Indiana GOP senator announces bid for governor, opening Senate seat in 2024

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Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) has filed paperwork to run for governor in 2024, leaving open a Senate seat that could attract a packed field of GOP candidates in Indiana during the next election cycle.

An empty Senate seat is likely to attract a crowded GOP primary, with some lawmakers already voicing interest. Braun’s gubernatorial bid could also mean a competitive primary in the race for governor, as former Mike Pence gubernatorial appointee Eric Doden has already been running his campaign for months and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch (R-IN) is also expected to throw her hat in the ring.

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Braun was first elected to the Senate in 2018 after emerging from a competitive primary field and going on to unseat Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN). The first-term senator has long complained about the speed at which the Senate moves, hinting at a gubernatorial run earlier this year.

However, as the founder and CEO of an Indiana distribution company, he has eyed moving into an executive role, many Republicans have said, according to Politico. 

Braun’s announcement has already attracted some interest from the state’s congressional delegation, including Rep. Jim Banks, who has indicated he is “seriously considering” a Senate bid, according to a spokesperson.

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“[Banks] is strongly positioned to win a statewide primary and general election in Indiana,” a spokesperson for Banks told the Washington Examiner. “He will spend the holidays discussing with his wife, family, and friends around the state how he can best serve Indiana.”

Braun will run to replace Gov. Eric Holcomb (R-IN), who cannot run for reelection due to term limits.

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