Mike Braun Wins Indiana Republican Senate Nomination

Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 7:48 AM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

Indiana congressmen Luke Messer and Todd Rokita will be without an elected office job at the end of the year.

(Left to right) Todd Rokita, Luke Messer, and Mike Braun.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Mike Braun is the winner for Indiana's Republican senate nomination.

Braun defeated Indiana congressmen Luke Messer and Todd Rokita in Tuesday's lone statewide primary race with 41 percent of the vote. Messer and Rokita split the remaining vote.

Speaking in Whitestown, Braun said he's looking forward to facing incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly in the November midterm election.

“I think his record is going to be flushed out. It’s all of our job to do it, and I think that’s what is going to carry me to victory,” Braun said.

Braun is a businessman and former state representative. The Indiana GOP senate primary was a hard-fought race that found the candidates trying to prove how close they aligned with President Donald Trump.

Leading up to the election, Braun was billed as more of an outsider than his opponents. In his campaign ads, Braun had deemed Rokita and Messer as “The Swamp Brothers.”

Messer said he was disappointed by the result of the election, “but I wouldn’t take any of it back.” Rokita said he will continue to fight for the people of Indiana.