The race to replace incumbent Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has locked in its two candidates, according to the NBC News Decision Desk.
Sen. Mike Braun, who chose not to run for reelection to the Senate and instead opted to run for governor, is projected by the NBC News Decision Desk to beat a crowded field of Republican contenders, including Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch.
Braun’s focus during the campaign was on improving economic opportunity within the state, citing his experience as a small business owner. He also campaigned on protecting the rights of parents in making decisions related to education, and on making healthcare more affordable through increased transparency, according to his campaign website.
Democratic candidate Dr. Jennifer McCormick, the state’s former superintendent of public instruction, ran uncontested in the primary and was projected as the winner shortly after polls closed in northwest Indiana, according to the NBC News Decision Desk.
McCormick received her doctorate in education from Indiana State University. She is running on a platform that includes increased investment in public education, protection of reproductive rights, and finding unique solutions to eliminate wasteful spending while not eliminating key programs, according to her campaign website.
McCormick was endorsed prior to the election by the American Federation for Teachers’ Indiana chapter, the Indiana State Teachers Association and several other groups.
Braun and McCormick will face off in the general election this fall. Holcomb was unable to seek reelection due to term limits imposed in the state, but won his 2020 reelection campaign decisively.
The state has not had a Democratic governor since Joe Kernan took over for Frank O’Bannon following his death in 2003.