Indiana primary election fields come into view as filing ends
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The two major parties’ candidate fields took shape Friday as filing ended for the 2024 primary in Indiana.
Donald Trump and Nikki Haley were listed as candidates for the 2024 Republican presidential primary in Indiana. They were the only Republicans to make the ballot. Joe Biden is the only Democrat listed. His sole challenger, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, did not make the ballot.
In the race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun, Jim Banks and John Rust were the only two Republicans to submit the necessary paperwork. Rust still faces a court challenge over his candidacy. He voted in the 2016 Republican primary but not the 2020 primary, and voted in the 2012 Democratic primary. State law requires candidates to have voted in the past two primaries of their party of choice. A district judge sided with Rust in December. The Indiana Supreme Court will hear an appeal on Monday.
Democrats also will have two choices in their U.S. Senate primary: lobbyist and former state representative Marc Carmichael and clinical psychologist Valerie McCray.
In perhaps the highest-profile primary, six Republicans will compete to succeed Gov. Eric Holcomb, who is term-limited. As expected, Sen. Mike Braun, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, former Indiana Economic Development Corp. President Eric Doden, former Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers and former Attorney General Curtis Hill all submitted paperwork to appear on the ballot, as has Jaime Reitenour. On the Democratic side, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick faces Tamie Dixon-Tatum, currently the city of Anderson’s civil and human rights director.
The parties will choose their nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general at the state party conventions this summer.
Congressmen Frank Mrvan, a Democrat, and Rudy Yakym, a Republican, are the only two members of Indiana’s congressional delegation who do not face primary challengers. Democrat André Carson faces challenges from Curtis Godfrey and Pierre Pullins. On the Republican side, Erin Houchin faces a challenge from Hugh Doty while Jim Baird faces four: Charles Brookwalter, Trent Lester, Christopher Lucas and John Piper. Congresswoman Victoria Spartz faces 10 primary challengers. Her seat was open until she announced on Monday she would run for another term after all.
Ballot access in Indiana is determined by the performance of each party’s candidate for secretary of state. Because Libertarian Jeff Maurer took home 5.7% of the vote that year, the Libertarian Party can appear on the ballot but can’t hold a primary. The party will instead nominate all of its candidates at its state convention on March 2.
The ballot submissions that ended Friday are not necessarily final. Candidates have until noon Feb. 16 to file any challenges to another candidate’s appearance on the ballot. If that happens, the Indiana Election Commission will resolve the matter. Candidates face the same deadline to withdraw from a primary, other than presidential candidates, who have until noon on Feb. 22.
The primary is scheduled for May 7. Voter registration will end April 8. Early voting will run from April 9 to May 6.