By LAWRENCE WILSON
THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR
(The Center Square) — Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch entered the 2024 race for governor with a Twitter announcement, which was followed by an announcement from Sen. Mike Braun at an Indianapolis event, formalizing a prior acknowledgment by staff that he would seek the office.
Lt. Gov. Crouch and Sen. Braun, both political veterans, join Fort Wayne business owner Eric Doden in the Republican primary contest. Mr. Doden announced his candidacy more than a year ago.
Lt. Gov. Crouch’s political career spans more than 30 years, including stints as county Republican committee chair, county auditor, county commissioner, state representative and auditor of the state in addition to lieutenant governor.
Lt. Gov. Crouch, 70, is a Purdue University graduate and Evansville native. She was elected to her current office alongside Gov. Eric Holcomb in 2016, defeating Democrat Christina Hale with 51.4% of the vote. Lt. Gov. Crouch defeated Democrat Linda Lawson to win reelection in 2020 with 56.5% of the vote.
Sen. Braun was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 with 51% of the vote, defeating incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly. Sen. Braun represented District 63 in the Indiana House from 2014 to 2017.
Before his political career, Sen. Braun, 68, a graduate of Wabash College and Harvard Business School, was founder and CEO of Meyer Distributing in his hometown of Jasper, Indiana.
Sen. Braun describes himself as “a husband, father, and conservative businessman who believes in our commonsense Hoosier values,” according to his campaign website. He states, “In the U.S. Senate, Mike stood firm against Joe Biden’s far-left agenda. As governor, he’ll work every day to bring down inflation, keep taxes low, and uphold the rule of law.”
Lt. Gov. Crouch identified lowering taxes and safety among her top issues. “I have a clear vision for Indiana’s future — lower taxes, keep our citizens safe, protect the sanctity of life, and defend Hoosier values,” she stated. “I will fight to make sure Washington politicians never compromise our Hoosier values, ensuring we will always be there for the most vulnerable while protecting our faith, families, and freedom.”
Sen. Braun’s business interests have made him one of the wealthiest members of the U.S. Congress, according to Open Secrets, with a net worth of some $137 million in 2018.
Lt. Gov. Crouch’s July filing with the Indiana Secretary of State listed a campaign fund balance of more than $2.5 million.
Mr. Doden, former president of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. under then-Gov. Mike Pence, has so far amassed a war chest of more than $2.3 million, according to campaign finance records.
While no Democrat has yet entered the race, former Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick has hinted on social media that she is considering a run. Ms. McCormick ran for the top education job as a Republican in 2016, a post she held until last year.
Gov. Holcomb is not eligible to serve a third term. A woman has never served as governor of Indiana.
