Election Results – AFA-IN’s View
Indiana Primary – Our View The Day After
The 2022 primary election is over. Across Indiana, we have some interesting results in the races for the Indiana General Assembly seats.
It is hard not to include my personal feelings on many of these races, which may represent Micah Clark more than AFA-IN officially. I am trying to limit that, but I hope you understand.
This election on the Democrat side was quiet with very few legislative challengers for the somewhat small number of seats they hold. On the Republican side there was an overall election theme this year I’d call the battle of the establishment. In many races, candidates were attempting to battle the swamp of insider politics. The amount of money spent on some races was staggering. Yet, at the same time, there were a few David and Goliath victories where the candidate who had the most money from Political Action Committees or the Republican Reelection Committee which in the House had over $3 million to spend if necessary, still lost.
Let me emphatically say that not every candidate helped by the House Reelection Committee was a professional politician lacking true conservative principles. For example, some solid pro-family incumbent legislators whom I have worked closely with as defenders of our values withstood challenges from their right flank. In my opinion, those would include Representatives JD Prescott, Peggy Mayfield, Mike Speedy, Chris Jeter, and Martin Carbaugh.
However, there were two significant losses of challengers toward the left or middle in two races where we could say “the establishment” won. Representatives John Jacob and Curt Nisly two Republicans who had not been a part of the House Republican Caucus for their efforts to put up difficult amendments, particularly to totally ban abortion, lost big. Rep. Jacob lost to Julie McGuire 39% – 61%. Representative Nisly lost 27% – 73% to Representative Craig Snow. Both winners spent an astonishing $500,000+ in their races to take out these two legislators who were the champions for Hoosiers for Life. Interestingly, for McGuire to win she had to run ads portraying John Jacob as not a conservative. The Nisly/Snow race was outside my geographic reach, so I did not hear their radio ads and the strategy used in that battle.
However, candidates supported by a group associated with Hoosiers for Life called the Liberty Defense PAC appear to have won in three to five races out of about 25 endorsed candidates. Yet, their two champions will not be in the next legislative session. I would say for those who follow and admire Curt Nisly, (who is a friend of mine) and are mourning this loss that Rep. Craig Snow in his first term had a conservative voting record and he is one with whom I have had positive conversations with regarding our shared Christian faith and pro-family values.
In the Indiana Senate, there was one hotly contested open Senate seat with the retirement of my dear friend Dennis Kruse a champion for Jesus Christ and conservative principles. I met Dennis during his first year in the House when I was an intern in 1990 and we were allies and close friends for the next three decades. Dennis lived out his faith in a loving, Christ-like manner and had the respect of all his peers. I cannot say enough good about this model legislator.
In Senate District 14, near Auburn and Fort Wayne, Dr. Tyler Johnson won over a well-funded opponent 53-38 with a third candidate receiving 8%. The AFA of Indiana PAC endorsed Dr. Tyler and I think he will do a fine job for our values in that seat.
Back to the House, I want to start with another race where the AFA-IN PAC was involved. Representative Bruce Borders faced an unexpected challenge when Representative Jeff Ellington moved into his district and waged a harsh and well-funded campaign attempting to portray Bruce as an establishment Republican, which is laughable. Still, it had some effect due to the disappointment many Republican voters feel as they see the boldness of red states like Florida and Texas advance strong conservative agendas and wonder why that doesn’t happen similarly in Indiana. Bruce is anything but an establishment Republican. He is also a longtime, very dear friend, who, like Dennis Kruse, is a champion for Christ in the Statehouse. Bruce won 53% – 47%.
Here are some other races of interest.
House District 25 – Newcomer Becky Cash pulled a surprise upset with a solid win over former Rep. Matt Whetstone defeating the far better funded Whetstone by 26 points. This was one of the biggest surprises of the night and one possibly viewed as a loss to “the establishment.”
House District 32 – This is a race that is not over and is extremely close. Carmel Councilman Fred Glynn is ahead of a well-funded candidate who had a lot of establishment support. There is only a 6-vote margin between Fred Glynn and Suzie Jaworowski.
House District 41 – This was a three-way race in which the far better-funded candidate underperformed. Mark Genda won that race with 43% while Shane Weist who was on TV in this district near Frankfort and Lafayette garnered only 24%. Interestingly, a hardworking, African American conservative, Richard Bagsby, who had the AFA-IN PAC endorsement but was outspent ten to one, came within 107 votes of second place. Governor Holcomb’s campaign had supported Weist with a $10,000 donation.
House District 47 – I am not very familiar with this race, but it is surprising because incumbent Rep. John Young lost by 18% to Rob Greene.
House District 50 – This was another upset near Huntington with longtime incumbent Rep. Dan Leonard losing to Lorissa Sweet by 14 points. I am guessing that Sweet defeated Leonard by running to the right of him as Leonard was more moderate than some Republicans. I believe Sweet is on the Wabash city or county council.
House District 54 – This was an open seat held for many years by a more liberal Republican, Tom Saunders. The establishment was supporting a city council member who was an LGBT activist. Governor Holcomb gave her $10,000 late in the campaign too, but she was crushed by Cory Criswell 40%-16% coming in second in an eight-way primary.
One local race of interest, perhaps, to many central Indiana AFA-IN readers occurred in Hamilton County where long-time radio personality and conservative champion Greg Garrison won the race for County Prosecutor.
On the federal level, the open House seat held by Congressman Trey Hollingsworth in District 9 was won on the Republican side by State Senator Erin Houchin. She will face the Democrat primary winner, Matthew Fyfe in November.
In Congressional District 1, the establishment took another hit as Jennifer Ruth-Green defeated Blair Milo, the former mayor of LaPorte who has served in the Holcomb Administration since 2017. Green won 47% -23% over Milo. The district favors the Democrat incumbent Congressman Frank Mrvan, but the demographics are trending somewhat more Republican. This may be a more competitive race in November than when the seat was held for years by Pete Visclosky.
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