Election 2024: Here's who is running in the governor's race in Indiana

March 25 update: This story has been updated to reflect the Indiana Election Commission's February meeting, in which major-party candidates survived potential challenges.

Even after a rigorous petition process that typically weeds out unserious candidates, Indiana's gubernatorial primary is no less competitive.

All six Republican candidates and one Democratic candidate ― all of whom sat down with IndyStar late last year to talk about the issues ― have pulled through with enough signatures to qualify for the primary ballot.

The primary is May 7.

Republican

Mike Braun

• Hometown: Jasper

• Occupation: U.S. Senator for Indiana

• Date filed: Feb. 2, 2024

• Cash on hand as of Dec. 31: $4.1 million

• The skinny: Mike Braun has always positioned himself as an entrepreneurial political "outsider," both now and when he defeated incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly in the U.S. Senate race in 2018. Likening himself to former President Donald Trump, Braun leans heavily on his business background as the founder and former CEO of Meyer Distributing in his hometown of Jasper and says Washington D.C. needs the business perspective. Now he's returning to Indiana to play "problem solver" for the state, saying he doesn't want to be a "career" D.C. politician. Braun is among the most conservative in the U.S. Senate and voted against measures like the American Rescue Plan and the Respect for Marriage Act.

• Website: mikebraunforindiana.com

Brad Chambers

• Hometown: Indianapolis

• Occupation: Former commerce secretary and former president of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.

• Date filed: Feb. 7, 2024

• The skinny: This is Chambers' first time in the political arena. His tenure in state government as head of the IEDC was an appointed position; prior to that, he was the four-decade founder and CEO of Indianapolis-based real estate investing firm Buckingham Companies. He's taking a distinctly economic approach to his campaign, pitching that strengthening the economy holds the key to solving Indiana's other problems, like mental health and education. At times he is the sole defender of the IEDC on the debate stage when the IEDC's new economic development strategy in the Boone County LEAP district ― Chambers' legacy ― is on trial. Chambers enjoys extensive financial support from the business class, including many C-Suite types in Central Indiana.

• Website: chambersforindiana.com

Suzanne Crouch

• Hometown: Evansville

• Occupation: Indiana's lieutenant governor under Holcomb since 2017

• Date filed: Jan. 30, 2024

• Cash on hand as of Dec. 31: $3.8 million

• The skinny: Crouch has a long history working through the ranks of government, from county auditor to state representative to state auditor before Holcomb tapped her to be his lieutenant governor. She's been flexing those connections by wracking up endorsements every day from elected officials across the state and levels of government. Voters haven't had a chance to get to know her personal positions on issues in her roles as auditor and Holcomb's No. 2, so on the campaign trail, she's trying to differentiate herself with bold positions that, at times, put her at odds with her own administration. Her signature proposal entails cutting Indiana's income tax; she's also criticized the IEDC's transparency and of the Holcomb administration's decision to cut a paid family caregiver program in light of a nearly $1 billion Medicaid budget shortfall. Mental health is a large part of her platform and she has shared her family member's struggles with depression, suicide and alcoholism publicly.

• Website: crouchforindiana.com

Eric Doden

• Hometown: Fort Wayne

• Occupation: President of Pago USA, a company that restores buildings in downtown areas; founding partner of Domo Development LLC and Domo Ventures LLC

• Date filed: Jan. 24, 2024

• Cash on hand as of Dec. 31: $1 million

• The skinny: Doden, the earliest entrant into the race, is perhaps most known as a former president of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. from 2013-15, under former Gov. Mike Pence. He also previously served as CEO of Greater Fort Wayne, Inc., Allen County's business chamber. Doden's big pitch is to revitalize Indiana's main streets in rural communities as a way to bolster the state's economy, population and quality of life. An anti-abortion conservative, he also proposes a zero-cost adoption program and exempting school teachers from the state income tax. He has also pitched a vision for improving public safety in downtown Indianapolis that involves giving more control to state agencies.

• Website: dodenforindiana.com

Curtis Hill

• Hometown: Elkhart

• Occupation: Former Indiana Attorney General (2017-20)

• Date filed: Feb. 2, 2024

• Cash on hand as of Dec. 31: $123,000

• The skinny: Hill comes from a legal and conservative background, having served as Elkhart County prosecutor for 14 years before becoming Indiana's attorney general. In that 2016 election, he received the most votes among any ballot race in Indiana, including the presidency. He, more than his predecessors, expanded that office into a national political stage by speaking out on controversial issues and forming a close relationship with former President Donald Trump. But his reputation is stained by allegations that he groped four women, including a state lawmaker, at a party in 2018. Though a special prosecutor declined to file criminal charges, the state Supreme Court later suspended Hill's law license for a month. At the time, prominent members of his party called for him to resign; now, part of Hill's platform positions himself against the "Indianapolis establishment" ― a juxtaposition supported by his track record of speaking out against Holcomb's administration. Of the candidates, Hill is most vocal about culture-war issues like gender ideology and "wokism."

• Website: curtishill.com

Jamie Reitenour

• Hometown: Indianapolis

• Occupation: Mother of five

• Date filed: Feb. 5, 2024

• Cash on hand as of Dec. 31: $15,000

• The skinny: Reitenour is a mother of five whose platform is built upon her devout Christian faith. She believes in banning all abortions, giving parents more access to what their kids are learning in school, cutting taxes and spending, and preventing transgender people from playing on sports teams that are not associated with their sex assigned at birth. One of her top priorities is improving the education system, in part by making sure high school seniors enroll in apprenticeships.

• Website: jamie4ingov.com

Jennifer McCormick

• Hometown: New Castle

• Occupation: Former Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction (2017-21)

• Date filed: Feb. 5, 2024

• Cash on hand as of Dec. 31: $201,000

• The skinny: McCormick comes from an education background and was a Republican until flipping parties at the end of her term as state schools superintendent. But the Indiana GOP has considered her a Democrat since 2020, when she started endorsing a slew of Democratic candidates ― including opponents to House Speaker Todd Huston and Holcomb. She entered the race criticizing the state Republican supermajority's "divisive politics," particularly when it comes to schools, where debates have centered around LGBTQ issues and "parental rights." She views these debates as a distraction from other "common sense" issues like ensuring quality public education and supporting rural communities. But she faces stiff odds: Indiana hasn't had a Democratic governor in 20 years.

• Website: mccormickforgov.com

Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter@kayla_dwyer17.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 2024 Election: Here's who made the ballot for Indiana governor