Indiana Senate race: Mike Braun wins GOP primary in huge upset over 2 sitting congressmen
Source: Indianapolis Star
In a huge upset against two well-established names in Indiana Republican politics, wealthy businessman Mike Braun has won Indianas high-stakes GOP Senate primary.
Braun, who fueled his bid with millions of dollars of his own money, defeated U.S. Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita in what has been called the nations nastiest and most expensive U.S. Senate primary.
The Associated Press called the race at 8:48 p.m., with Braun garnering 41 percent of the vote and about 29.5 percent each for Messer and Rokita.
The results represent a stunning rebuke of two sitting congressmen and a strong indicator that the anti-establishment sentiment remains strong among Hoosier Republicans who helped catapult Donald Trump into the White House two years ago.
Read more: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2018/05/08/indiana-primary-election-senate-race-results-braun-wins-over-congressmen-rokita-and-messer/572321002/
Comment from last week that i saw on Free Republic:
All 3 have some issues that bother me.
Messer is a squish, with 2 DUIs that Donnelly will exploit.
Braun is a former Dem. Spending a crapload of his own money bashing the other 2, but never spelling out his own positions. dont know that I would trust him.
Rokita is a loose cannon who could say something stupid tomorrow that would hand Donnelly a win.
Sickens me, that once again, Republicans fight harder against each other than they ever do their Democrat opponent and only give the dems ammo to use in the General.
47of74
(18,470 posts)salin
(48,954 posts)Confused - and would love explication.
I am glad that two congressional seats are now open with both of the candidates out of their jobs. Both have been opportunists in the Indiana GOP for at least 10 years.
Hard to say if there is any advantage or disadvantage for Donnelly for the selection of any of the three GOP candidates.
karynnj
(59,475 posts)I hope that Donnelly can pull this out. Good Luck!
salin
(48,954 posts)I hope Donnelly can, as well.
Until the Trump era gave extra energy to the teaparty, in statewide elections, the Business community (mostly based out of Indy - but extremely powerful in the state party) sought stability - and would en masse vote across party lines if the GOP candidate presented the unstable part of the GOP. Pence - in the Tea Party era - was an anomaly for an elected Governor. (Going back decades, Governors regardless of party, were centrists.)
I think that if the Trump admin is as chaotic as they have been in the past couple of weeks come November - Donnelly will win.
If there is a brief calm - projecting stability in the short term - it will be a toss up.
At least that is this hoosier's perspective.
karynnj
(59,475 posts)Although I have family there, I really don't know much about the current situation. Your explanation makes sense.
eggplant
(3,893 posts)salin
(48,954 posts)I never read/saw that FR had an out sized influence on the GOP here. Much more influential are the politicized Church leaders and GOPers who pander to that propaganda.