British journalist Dawn Foster once observed of the election-year rite of anointing kindred spirits: “There’s a thin line between mockery and endorsement.”
Republican challengers in Indiana Senate races backed by President Donald J. Trump’s retribution campaign have secured two key endorsements. The first wave came from Trump himself this past winter when he recruited and anointed eight Republicans for the May 5 primary election.
The second wave occurred Tuesday when Gov. Mike Braun weighed in on behalf of Paula Copenhaver’s challenge to Sen. Spencer Deery of West Lafayette, as well as insurgent candidates Rep. Michelle Davis of Whiteland (Sen. Greg Walker of Columbus), Brenda Wilson (Sen. Greg Goode of Terre Haute), Blake Fiechter (Sen. Travis Holdman of Markle), Brian Schmutzler (Sen. Linda Rogers of Granger), Tracey Powell (Sen. Jim Buck of Kokomo) and Trevor DeVries (Sen. Dan Dernulc of Highland).
The question to be answered the evening of May 5 is whether such endorsements will provide winning momentum or prove the kiss of death.
When Trump made his unprecedented foray into Indiana General Assembly politics, he hadn’t yet picked a war with Iran, which subsequently closed the Strait of Hormuz, sending gas prices skyrocketing to more than $4 a gallon.
Trump hadn’t yet made the Easter morning declaration that he intended to wipe out Iranian civilization. And this was before he posted an image casting himself as a Christ-like figure healing an ailing man with an uncanny resemblance to comedian Jon Stewart, and before he assailed Pope Leo XIV as “weak on crime.”
In all of the president’s endorsements, he highlighted the incumbents’ rejection of early redistricting. Braun’s nods ignored the topic.
As for Braun, he is a historically unpopular governor. Morning Consult’s quarterly approval ratings of all 50 governors rank Braun 39th with a +4% net approval, compared with Kentucky’s Andy Beshear at +37%, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer at +25%, Ohio’s Mike DeWine at +18% and Illinois’ JB Pritzker at +17%.
A Public Policy Polling survey published earlier this year found Braun with an anemic 25% approval rating with only 43% of Hoosier Republicans approved of his job performance.
Braun endorsed 29 General Assembly candidates Tuesday in a series of posts on his campaign X account. None mentioned the 31-19 Indiana Senate vote Dec. 11 that rejected new congressional maps, which spurred the president and the governor to issue warnings of retribution against Republican incumbents.
Indiana Democratic Party Chair Karen Tallian, citing internal polling, poked at Braun’s decision to suspend the state’s gas tax to mitigate the Iran war fallout.
“Gas prices are up over a dollar per gallon and Braun’s solution is to give us back 17 cents?” Tallian said in a statement. “This is yet another 17 cent idea from a 17% approval rating governor.”
In the open Senate District 29, Gov. Braun endorsed former senator Mike Delph over another former senator John Ruckelshaus. Delph was ecstatic, but Ruckelshaus said of Braun, “He’s underwater in polling in this district and at the door folks are unhappy about property taxes and blame him.”
Tipton County Commissioner Powell has gone beyond Trump and Braun’s backing. He picked up an endorsement in March from Westfield Mayor Scott Willis and another on Tuesday from Howard County Commissioner Jack Dodd.
“I have worked alongside Tracey Powell as a member of the Indiana County Commissioners Board of Directors,” Dodd said in a statement. “I have seen Tracey work tirelessly to support local government, work to promote legislation that is good for Indiana, and provide community growth. Tracey is good for the future of Indiana.”
Buck received an endorsement from former Vice President and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
“I have known state Sen. Jim Buck throughout my years serving Indiana from the State House to the White House and I have always seen him as a man of integrity and one of Indiana’s most conservative state legislators,” Pence said in an April 10 statement.
Buck has also secured backing from Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore, Howard County Sheriff Jerry Asher, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Right to Life, the Fraternal Order of Police and Indiana Firefighters — and snagged an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association.
The critical factor in all these Republican Senate primaries is who will turn out to vote. I asked Vigo County Republican Chair Randy Gentry about Goode’s efforts to fend off challenges from Vigo County Council member Brenda Wilson and Alexandra Wilson, who so far has withstood ballot challenges.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Gentry said. “Hard to understand what people are thinking.”
Several GOP insiders speculate that a Trump endorsement is much more potent than one from an unpopular governor. But we’ve learned from past election cycles that when Trump isn’t on the ballot, his supporters don’t turn out to vote. A similar scenario occurred with Barack Obama’s supporters after his breakthrough presidential win in Indiana in 2008.
The value of political endorsements?
Filmmaker Michael Moore put it this way: “I drive an American car. It’s a Chrysler. That’s not an endorsement. It’s more like a cry for pity.”
Brian Howey is an opinion columnist for State Affairs Indiana and the founder of Howey Politics Indiana. His writing offers analysis and opinion shaped by decades of experience covering Indiana politics. Email him at howey@stateaffairs.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: How will Trump, Braun endorsements impact Indiana elections? | OPINION
Reporting by Brian A. Howey, For the Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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