Indiana General Assembly: General Election Results Recap

At a Glance

• Current U.S. Senator Mike Braun from Jasper won the gubernatorial race with roughly 54% of the vote against former Republican Superintendent Jennifer McCormick. The Indiana House of Representatives and State Senate will both hold on to their supermajority margins. The House will likely remain 70-30 Republican-Democrat and the Indiana Senate will likewise maintain its 40-10 Republican-Democrat margin.
• At the very top of the ticket, it came as no surprise that Indiana’s electoral votes were called early for former President Trump. He received an estimated 60% of the vote to Vice President Harris’s 40%.

It will be a couple of weeks before all the election results are final and certified in Indiana. The numbers and percentages shared are estimated based on the data reported so far, but we wanted to provide you with a high-level overview and analysis of what we saw on November 5, and what you can expect in the coming months in the Hoosier state.

Indiana Gubernatorial Race

U.S. Senator Mike Braun was joined on the Republican ticket by Pastor Micah Beckwith from Noblesville as the Lieutenant Governor candidate. Beckwith won the State Convention in June against Braun’s preferred candidate, State Representative Julie McGuire from Indianapolis. The Braun/Beckwith ticket snagged 54%, with McCormick/Goodin pulling 41%. Libertarian candidate Donald Rainwater pulled a few votes away from Braun’s ticket with roughly 4.5%. Rainwater’s performance in 2024 was about seven points less than 2020 — then, voters in Indiana were protesting COVID mandates instituted by the Holcomb administration.

A lot of movement in the governor’s race happened late in the cycle. In the last two weeks, the Democrat Governor’s Association spent heavily in Indiana to support McCormick as polling numbers showed the race tightening. The Republican Governor’s Association responded accordingly, doubling down on their support to the Braun team. At the end of the day, the influx of money really didn’t move the needle as much some thought it might.

Indiana Attorney General’s Race

Republican incumbent Attorney General Todd Rokita handily won a second term against Democrat Destiny Wells. Many eyes were on this race, as Attorney General Rokita has waded into controversial social issues during his first term. Some pundits thought Wells may benefit from some increased name ID, as this was her second statewide campaign in two years. She ran unsuccessfully for Secretary of State in 2022. Ultimately, though, this race is tracking closely with the governor’s race, with Attorney General Rokita winning roughly 58% of the vote to Wells’ 42%.

Indiana Congressional Races

In the U.S. Senate race to replace Senator Braun, Republican Congressman Jim Banks won with 59% of the vote over Democrat Valerie McCray (38%) and Libertarian Andrew Horning (3%). Indiana’s congressional breakdown will stay the same, with seven districts remaining in Republican control and two staying Democrat. All incumbents running for reelection won their races. The Hoosier state will be sending three new faces to Congress:

1. Former Republican Congressman Marlin Stutzman won in the third district to replace Congressman Banks.
2. Republican businessman Jefferson Shreve will replace retiring Congressman Greg Pence in the sixth district.
3. Republican State Senator Mark Messmer will replace outgoing Congressman Larry Bucshon in the eighth.

Indiana House of Representatives

The super majority makeup of the Indiana House of Representatives will likely stay the same — 70 Republicans to 30 Democrats. Thirty-five incumbents ran unopposed. Incumbent Republican Dave Hall (R-Norman) faced a tough path to reelection in District 62. Representative Hall came out on top, 51% to 49% over Democrat challenger Thomas Horrocks. Incumbent Republican Becky Cash (R-Zionsville) won against Democrat challenger Tiffany Stoner 51% to 49%, though we do expect this race is likely headed to a recount.

New faces we will see in the House in the 2025 session include:

• Warren County Councilman Matt Commons, who defeated incumbent Representative Sharon Negele in the primary in District 13.
• Former Colts punter Hunter Smith, who will replace retiring Representative Donna Schaibley in District 24.
• Economic development professional Alaina Shonkwiler will replace retiring Representative Chuck Goodrich in District 29.
• Pacers executive Danny Lopez, who will replace retiring Representative Jerry Torr in District 39.
• Entrepreneur Tony Isa will replace retiring Representative Denny Zent in District 51.
• Public servant Ethan Lawson will replace retiring Representative Bob Cherry in District 53.
• Attorney Garrett Bascom will replace retiring Representative Randy Lyness in District 68.
• Evansville City Councilman Alex Burton will replace retiring Representative Ryan Hatfield in District 77.
• Attorney Andrew Ireland will replace retiring Representative Mike Speedy in District 90.

Indiana State Senate

Like the House, the Indiana State Senate will keep its 40 Republicans to 10 Democrats makeup. 12 incumbents ran unopposed. New faces we will see in the Senate next session include former Hendricks County Sheriff Brett Clark, who will replace retiring Senator John Crane in District 24, and Gary Common Councilman Mark Spencer, who defeated incumbent David Vinzant in the primary election in District 3. Half of the Indiana State Senate seats are up every two years.

Indiana Supreme Court

Three Indiana Supreme Court justices were up for retention on the ballot this year — Justices Massa and Molter and Chief Justice Rush. There was a vocal and active opposition movement afoot late in the cycle, spurred on by the court’s decision upholding Indiana’s new abortion law in 2023. To counter the opposition, many practicing attorneys, trade associations and concerned citizens formed the Committee to Preserve the Supreme Court. In the end, the justices were handily retained, with all netting roughly 70% of the vote.

Upcoming Important Legislative Dates

New legislator training will take place for incoming legislators in Indianapolis on November 12. On November 19, the legislature will be back for their annual Organization Day, where they pass rules for their upcoming session. We expect new committee assignments to be released in the weeks following Organization Day. Legislators must submit their bill draft requests to the Legislative Services Agency by December 12. We potentially could see some bills released over the holidays before the General Assembly gavels in. We expect the start of session to be the week of January 6.

Don’t forget your lobby activity reports are due November 30.