Former Mitch Daniels aides create PAC encouraging him to run for governor

Two former Mitch Daniels aides have created a Political Action Committee encouraging him to run for governor in 2024.

Christine Luther Hurst, who was communications director for Daniels' 2004 campaign, and Ben Ledo, who was Daniels' personal driver during his 2004 campaign, filed a statement of organization on Aug. 10 for the PAC called "Frugal Hoosiers for Mitch 2024."

Both also are former Angie's List executives and now work at MakeMyMove, an Indianapolis-based recruiting company. Ledo also worked in the Daniels administration for more than four years.

The purpose behind the PAC is simply stated as "We are encouraging Mitch Daniels to run for governor in 2024."

Speculation has run rampant that Daniels might run for a third term as governor since June, when he announced his retirement from his role as president of Purdue University at year's end.

Daniels himself has not weighed in on a run, though another former aide, Mark Lubbers, told Politico in June that the former governor was fascinated by the possibility.

Daniels declined to be interviewed for this story through a Purdue spokesman.

"As this is the first he has heard of the group, he doesn’t have anything to offer," said Tim Doty, director of media and public relations at Purdue University.

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Hurst said Daniels did not know they were creating the PAC, and they are operating independently.

"We know he loves the state, and we know he's got big ideas," Hurst said, "But not sure what he's going to do next, so we just are sort of gathering the voices to encourage him to consider running."

So far, the PAC hasn't raised any money. Hurst said a website will go live this week requesting small donations of up to $5 to demonstrate that people want him to run.

Mitch Daniels is former Indiana governor

Daniels served as governor from 2005-2013, where he made a host of notable government reforms as the first Republican in the office since the 1980s, including implementing property tax caps, leasing the Indiana Toll Road and introducing a school choice voucher program.

He briefly flirted with the idea of a presidential run in 2011, but decided not to.

After he was term-limited out of the governor's office, he became president of Purdue University in 2013, where he implemented tuition freezes.

Gov. Eric Holcomb can't run for a third consecutive term by law, leaving multiple hopefuls lining up for the soon-to-be open office.

Already the field of Republicans rumored to be considering gubernatorial runs is large, and includes Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Sen. Mike Braun, Rep. Trey Hollingsworth and Republican Party Chair Kyle Hupfer. Eric Doden, a Fort Wayne businessman and former president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, is the only candidate who has officially entered the race so far, raising $2.7 million as of July since he entered the race in May 2021.

Call IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at 317-432-9270 or email her at kaitlin.lange@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Mitch Daniels aides create PAC encouraging him to run for governor