Tim O'Brien easily wins GOP primary to keep Indiana House 78 seat
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Incumbent Tim O'Brien prevailed in Tuesday's Republican primary election for the Indiana House District 78 seat he was appointed to last year.
As of 8:40 p.m., with all districts reporting in both Vanderburgh and Warrick counties, O'Brien had 2,226 votes to challenger Sean Selby's 1,148, carrying almost 66% of the vote.
O'Brien will face Jason Salstrom, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary.
O'Brien was named to the District 78 seat by party caucus in March 2021, replacing Holli Sullivan. Selby also vied to replace Sullivan at that time.
The District 78 seat has historically been a springboard to state-level politics. Sullivan was tabbed for Indiana secretary of state after holding the office from 2014 to 2021. Suzanne Crouch held the office from 2005 to 2014 before taking the state auditor position and eventually ascending to her current post as lieutenant governor.
O'Brien, 28, is one of the youngest state representatives in Indiana history and has talked about the need for "generational diversity" in the statehouse. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a bachelor's degree in economics in 2015 and has been a real estate agent with FC Tucker Emge for the last nine years. He also serves as treasurer on the Heritage Federal Credit Union Board of Directors.
His first foray into politics was an unsuccessful bid for the Ward 1 City Council seat in 2019. He was backed in that campaign by Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.
O'Brien has said if he retains the seat he will continue to focus on fiscal responsibility and growing the state's workforce. He was a co-author of House Bill 1002, signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb in March. It provided $1.1 billion in tax cuts.
Selby was critical of state leadership, saying that he had "no interest in placating the local power brokers or the Indianapolis elite." He lauded himself as the "homegrown" candidate for the District 78 seat.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Indiana House District 78: Tim O'Brien bests Sean Selby in GOP primary
