U.S. Sen. Mike Braun is Republican pick for Indiana governor

U.S. Sen. Mike Braun has won the Indiana Republican gubernatorial primary.

And there was little room for suspense: The Associated Press called the race for Braun the minute polls closed in Indiana's central-time counties on Tuesday, at which time Braun had a double-digit lead over his five opponents.

In the same Whitestown gymnasium-turned-brewery where Braun celebrated his unlikely Senate win in 2018, he called this primary the "feistiest, most competitive primary we've had in the history of our state," to an enthusiastic crowd of several hundred supporters. By then, three of his opponents had called him to concede and wish him well.

"When you run these campaigns, it's about fleshing out what the important issues are. And you have thick skin to get through it. And then you have to be very forgiving and don't hold any grudges if you're going to actually get something done," Braun said. "That's how we take this state to the next level, and I can't wait to do that."

Hoosiers have never seen a primary ballot for governor like this one. That is, one with six choices for the Republican nomination.

With 99% of the votes counted across Indiana as of Wednesday morning, Braun secured about 40% of the vote, which was 18 percentage points ahead of second-place Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch.

Former commerce Secretary Brad Chambers received about 17.5%. Fort Wayne entrepreneur Eric Doden had 12%, Indianapolis mother Jamie Reitenour received 4.8% and former Attorney General Curtis Hill had 4.5%.

Crouch conceded the race around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and urged the GOP to rally behind Braun.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” Crouch told supporters at a watch party in downtown Indianapolis. “As a party, we need to unite behind him to ensure that we keep Indiana on the road to victory in November by electing Mike Braun as the next governor of the state of Indiana."

Not long after Crouch's concession speech, Chambers released a statement saying he called Braun to congratulate him and offer his support.

"I entered this race because I believe Indiana is a great state, but that with the right leadership, it could be even better," Chambers said. "I hope U.S. Sen. Braun will be the leader Indiana needs and act ambitiously to create more opportunities that will lift up every Hoosier.”

Polling throughout the race maintained a comfortable lead for Braun, though with a large portion of primary voters undecided. Several of his opponents, mostly Chambers and Doden, worked to close that gap with a barrage of advertising and a whole lot of money pumped into this race.

Related: In-depth profiles of all the Republican candidates for governor

But Doden also called Braun Tuesday night to congratulate and throw his support behind him, according to a statement.

"While tonight represents the end of this campaign, it is merely a step along the way in our calling to make Indiana even better," Doden said. "Tonight, we're going to get some rest and then, tomorrow, we will go back to work in whatever capacity we can lead and, most importantly, in whatever way we can best serve Hoosiers."

Hill, too, congratulated Braun in a statement Tuesday night.

"Our campaign offered a breath of fresh air to Hoosiers who were tired of the Indianapolis status quo," Hill said. “I trust Senator Braun will advocate for a conservative agenda and not succumb to the establishment’s traditional way of doing business.”

Braun will face presumptive Democratic nominee Jennifer McCormick, a former Republican state schools superintendent, and Libertarian Donald Rainwater in the general election. They are vying to replace Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, who is term-limited and can't run again.

Despite the steep uphill battle McCormick will have in the general election in deep-red Indiana, she told IndyStar that she is optimistic.

“It’s not going to take a miracle. It’s going to take a great candidate, a great base who’s energized. And we got that,” McCormick said. “We also have a message that Hoosiers believe in, and we have the bipartisan support. I’m very clear-eyed that we’re going to have a battle ahead of us.”

McCormick said she has a greater chance of appealing to the state’s moderate voters and described Braun as an extreme candidate who spreads “fear and chaos.”

“I think we will see Braun try to move back to the center, but when you’re endorsed by (former President Donald) Trump and you’re endorsing Trump, it’s hard to do that,” she said. “I think Hoosiers will want someone who will approach it with common sense, stability and bipartisanship.”

It was by far the most expensive primary in Indiana history, given the sheer number of candidates and the electoral math in Indiana that likely makes this the main competition for the governor's mansion. Hoosiers probably noticed the barrage of television ads ― collectively, the candidates purchased at least 40 of them.

The candidates also sparred in four debates throughout March and April, where monologues and lines of attack became familiar for those following along closely. Several candidates hit Braun on his previous position on qualified immunity and his desire to leave the Senate after one term, or they hit Crouch on her association with Gov. Eric Holcomb's administration's response to COVID-19.

More coverage: Indiana governor candidates, minus Mike Braun, tussle with moderator at final debate

Differentiation from one another was a challenge throughout this race, as all are conservative Republicans who broadly agree on a range of issues, from the Second Amendment to abortion.

Braun, whose name identification among voters was strongest due to his time as U.S. Senator, kept a double-digit lead over his opponents throughout the election cycle even as a few attacks dinged him slightly. He had the enviable Trump endorsement early on, which goes a long way with primary voters.

Chambers' support in Marion County was expected ― many of his donors have been Central Indiana CEO-types, and a political action committee called ReCenter Indiana even encouraged Democrats to pull Republican ballots and vote for Chambers, who they deem the most moderate. IndyStar reporters ran into several voters in Marion County who did just that.

Despite the tussle this election was, the message from all camps so far, including Braun's, is one of unification. At the Whitestown brewery, Braun recalled his 2018 race, which included a tough primary battle against two sitting congressmen, then a formidable battle against incumbent Sen. Joe Donnelly.

"The nature of politics gets so vitriolic, and it's gotten so expensive, something's got to give over time," he said. "We need to do better than that. The key is, we got to come back together."

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: Mike Braun is GOP pick for Indiana governor