Knives come out for Braun during WISH-TV debate

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A wide array of policy questions didn’t stop five Republican candidates for governor, especially the race’s frontrunner, from attacking each other in a Wednesday evening debate.

WISH-TV hosted five candidates — Curtis Hill, Brad Chambers, Suzanne Crouch, Eric Doden and Mike Braun — in a 90-minute debate televised live from the Madam Walker Legacy Center in downtown Indianapolis.

Polling data so far consistently give Braun a lead from 25 and 30 percentage points, with Crouch a distant second.

Braun’s rivals wasted little time in attacking him on the debate stage. As he answered the second question of the night, concerning public safety, Doden hit Braun over comments he made in 2020 about making changes to qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. The Doden campaign in recent weeks has rolled out attack ads on the issue.

“It’s kind of convenient to do revisionist history when you, in your own words, said you would support Black Lives Matter,” he said.

Moments later, Chambers accused Braun of lying about his role in the nation’s border security crisis, noting the first two years of his U.S. Senate term came when Donald Trump still occupied the Oval Office. He said Braun could have gotten more done on the southern border.

For his part, Braun said, his opponents “ought to at least get Government 101 down” on the border issue, accusing Democrats of obstructing further efforts to secure the border.

Perhaps the most memorable exchange of the night came when moderators asked the five candidates, all of whom are either current or former elected officeholders or are former leaders of the Indiana Economic Development Corp., how any of them could credibly claim to be outsiders.

“First of all, Curtis has never signed the front side of a paycheck. He may have run a lemonade stand years ago, but he’s been in government,” Braun said, earning an audible groan from Hill.

In response, Hill drew laughter when he said, “I did not run a lemonade stand,” going on to say that while Braun might have legislative experience, he lacks government executive experience.

Braun was not the only target of rivals’ wrath.

Crouch accused all of her opponents of lacking the political courage to pursue a wholesale elimination of the state income tax. She has called for doing so while her rivals have urged caution.

“My opponents say we can’t do it but what they’re really saying is government needs more of your money and you need less,” she said.

The primary is on May 7. Hoosiers have until April 8 to register to vote if they have not done so and wish to cast a primary ballot. Early voting will begin on April 9.