Indiana Sen. Mike Braun is reportedly telling fellow Republicans he's looking at a race for governor in 2024 but said in an interview that he will make up his mind on the matter "probably before the end of the year."
"Where'd you hear that?" Braun asked in an interview Thursday, reports Politico. "I've been talking about it, though, since I've got here. I'll make a formal announcement somewhere probably [in] late November, early December."
However, two people familiar with the matter said that Braun, whose term in the Senate expires in 2024, has been informing Republicans in the state about his plans for a gubernatorial race and that he plans to make his announcement after the midterm elections in November, Indy Politics reported Thursday. His office has declined further comment.
One of the two Indiana Republicans Politico quotes, though, said the senator has been discussing his plans with the state's congressional delegation and the other said he's been clear about his intentions.
Current Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, is in his second term of office, after being first elected in 2017. Under Indiana law, there are no limits as to how many terms a governor can hold, but is not eligible to serve more than 8 years in any 12-year period.
Braun won his race for the Senate in 2018 when he defeated then-Sen. Joe Donnelly, a Democrat, marking a key win for Republicans during the final years of former President Donald Trump's term.
State Republicans say the senator has been planning a race for the governor's seat for some time. One person who knows him, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Braun, the founder and CEO of a distributing company, is a "rock-ribbed conservative," and that "serving as the next governor of Indiana fits him better than sitting in Washington."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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