Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, said he will run to be leader of the Indiana Senate after Sen. Rodric Bray announced he would not seek re-election to the position.
Garten is the first senator to publicly announce a bid for Senate president pro tempore since Bray’s sudden decision to stay out of the race July 31. Garten’s announcement comes after months of speculation that he would run, prompted by a brutal primary election that saw several incumbent senators fall to Trump-endorsed challengers.
“Hoosiers don’t send us to Indianapolis to play defense or simply maintain a status quo — they send us to deliver results,” Garten said in a statement. “I am committed to driving a conservative, Indiana First agenda and I am ready to deploy my experience to ensure our campaign apparatus is intentional and ambitious to secure and expand our supermajority.”
Garten’s candidacy signals a potential shift in the Senate, which has earned a reputation for being more deliberative compared to some of the more passionate members of the Indiana General Assembly, in the wake of a divisive debate over mid-decade redistricting. If elected, Garten would serve as leader to a dramatically different caucus, which lost several long-time lawmakers in the primary election.
In his statement, Garten said he would appoint Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, as majority floor leader.
Bray had initially said he would seek re-election as leader of the Senate but changed his mind July 31, saying he worried that running for the position would only open up his caucus to more political retribution if they supported him. President Donald Trump has urged Bray’s ousting as leader ever since Indiana failed to redraw its congressional map mid-decade in favor of Republicans.
This story may be updated.
Contact breaking politics reporter Marissa Meador at mmeador@indystar.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sen. Chris Garten announces bid for Indiana Senate leadership
Reporting by Marissa Meador, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Marissa Meador, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
