The brother of Vice President Mike Pence is a step closer to following in his footsteps in Congress. Meanwhile, a second southern Indiana business owner defeated two congressmen in a hotly contested U.S. Senate Republican primary.
Columbus businessman Greg Pence wrapped up the Republican Party’s nomination for Indiana’s 6th U.S. House District quickly. The Associated Press declared Pence the winner at 7:18 p.m., with just 20 percent of the vote in, but with Pence already holding a 3-to-1 lead.
It took longer into the night, until 8:47 p.m., for the The Associated Press to declare that Jasper resident Mike Braun had defeated U.S. Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, and the right to face incumbent Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., in the Nov. 6 general election.
6th District
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
Greg Pence said he was excited, grateful and honored to win the GOP nomination.
“I’m grateful for the message voters sent,” said Pence, 61.
Pence outdistanced Jonathan Lamb, of Yorktown; Mike Campbell, of Cambridge City; Stephen MacKenzie, of Fortville; and Jeff Smith, of Liberty.
As of 8:52 p.m. Tuesday, Pence had 43,152 votes, (66 percent), and was followed by Lamb (15,698, 24 percent), Campbell (2,744, 4 percent), MacKenzie (2,155, 3 percent) and Smith (2,017, 3 percent). That was with 85 percent of precincts counted in the 19 counties that make up U.S. House District 6. Final results were not available as of press time.
Pence said he thinks months of touring all the counties in the congressional district and meeting with local party leaders and attending formal and informal functions allowed him to let people know who he was — “a 6th District guy” — even before he officially declared his candidacy.
Pence will face Democrat Jeannine Lake, of Muncie, in the Nov. 6 general election. The winner will represent a district that covers the eastern and southeastern portions of Indiana, including Bartholomew and Jennings counties.
Mike Pence served 12 consecutive years in Congress, with most of those representing the 6th District after a redistricting, and before his election as governor in 2012 and election as vice president in 2016, as then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s running mate.
Greg Pence said it would be humbling to win the congressional district his brother once served, and he’d be proud to have the opportunity to continue the outstanding work of his brother and Messer, the current 6th District representative.
Six of the candidates in both 6th District primaries were making their first congressional bids, including Pence. The field also represented every age group from the 30s to 80s, and a variety of occupations, including small business owners, attorneys and retirees.
Lake led Democratic primary with 8,120 votes (39 percent) as of 8:42 p.m. Tuesday. She was followed by Jim Pruett, of Greensburg (5,272, 26 percent); Lane Siekman, of Rising Sun (2,888, 14 percent); George Holland, of Rushville (2,355, 11 percent); Joshua Williamson, of Muncie (1,560, 8 percent); and K. Jasen Lave, of Covington (399, 2 percent). Complete results were not available as of press time.
U.S. Senate
Braun emerged in a contentious three-way battle for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate, and will face Donnelly in the fall.
Braun had garnered 167,857 votes (41 percent) as of 8:52 p.m., leading Messer (120,587 votes, 30 percent) and Rokita (120,045 votes, 29 percent). That was with 61 percent of precincts counted. Complete results were not available as of press time.
Messer, who succeeded Mike Pence, chose not to seek re-election and a possible fourth term serving Indiana’s 6th congressional district.
Rokita served as Indiana’s Secretary of State before winning election as the state’s 4th District representative in 2010 and serving four terms.
Braun, CEO of Jasper-based Meyer Distributing, served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2014 to 2017 before resigning so he could seek the Senate seat.
Political pundits had named the Senate race one of the most hotly contested in the country, and their series of debates included the three taking shots at each other’s credibility as a candidate.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”How You Voted” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
6th District U.S. House
(Bartholomew County portion)
Mike Campbell (R); 284
Jonathan Lamb (R); 1,544
Stephen MacKenzie (R); 259
Greg Pence (R); 6,704
Jeff Smith (R); 273
George Holland (D); 428
Jeannine Lee Lake (D); 1,028
K. Jasen Lave (D); 57
Jim Pruett (D); 642
Lane Siekman (D); 391
Joshua Williamson (D); 132
U.S. Senate, Indiana
(Bartholomew County portion)
Mike Braun (R); 2,907
Luke Messer (R); 4,147
Todd Rokita (R); 1,823
[sc:pullout-text-end]
