Donald Trump endorses in crowded 2024 Indiana governor's race

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed U.S. Sen. Mike Braun for Indiana governor ― likely a significant signal boost among primary voters deciding among four other well-funded candidates in an unusually competitive Republican primary.

"Highly respected Senator Mike Braun is running for Governor of Indiana, a State I love and won by large margins in 2016 and 2020," Trump posted on Truth Social. "In the Senate, Mike is working hard to Support our Law Enforcement, Secure our Borders, and Stop the Woke Fascist Mob trying to destroy our Country. Mike is an America First Conservative who knows how to Grow the Economy, Fight Inflation, and Champion “Hoosier” Values. "I was proud to endorse Mike when he ran for the Senate in 2018, and I am proud to do so again — Mike Braun has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Governor of the Great State of Indiana!"

The Republican primary also includes Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, former Attorney General Curtis Hill, and former commerce secretaries Brad Chambers of Indianapolis and Eric Doden of Fort Wayne.

Braun welcomed the endorsement in a statement: “I am honored to have former President Donald J. Trump’s endorsement, as together we enacted the America First conservative economic agenda that lowered taxes, created good-paying Hoosier jobs, confirmed constitutionalists on the Supreme Court who protected life, and began building the wall to reduce illegal immigration."

Mike Braun has long supported Trump

The senator has been a vocal Trump supporter since the beginning of his political career.

"Like him, I'm a businessman who got involved in politics because I was worried about the direction of America and the politicians who failed to put the people first," Braun said Wednesday.

The 2018 Senate primary, in which Braun competed against Attorney General Todd Rokita and former U.S. Rep. Luke Messer, was essentially a competition for Trump's affection. The 2016 election, in which Trump won Indiana by 19 points, was still fresh in voters' and politicians' minds.

Once Braun won the 2018 primary and faced a close contest against Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly, Trump came to Indiana at least three times to rally for him.

Braun has remained supportive of Trump and his policies in his Senate career, voting in line with Trump's positions about 90% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.

During Trump's first impeachment trial, Braun was one of his most public and vehement defenders ― for which Trump has publicly thanked Braun. Braun, Trump said in 2020, is "a little bit like me."

Braun had also pledged to object to certifying the 2020 election results. He reversed course following the violent Capitol attack on Jan. 6, but said he would still continue to urge investigation into alleged election "irregularities."

In September, Braun endorsed Trump for president in 2024.

Will Trump endorsement provide boost for Braun?

Trump's endorsement "has the potential to be very helpful" to Braun given the former president's support here, said Greg Shufeldt, associate professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis.

Trump carried Indiana in 2020, with a 15-point lead over President Joe Biden.

Trump endorsements have tended to signal-boost candidates in their Republican primaries, research from the University of Amsterdam shows, but then hurt them slightly in the general election. The degree to which they've been hurt in general elections ― less than five percentage points ― is unlikely to matter in Indiana's gubernatorial general election, where Republicans hold a comfortable margin.

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Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana governor 2024 race: Donald Trump endorses U.S. Sen. Mike Braun