Current:Home > MyRepublican Jim Banks, Democrat Valerie McCray vying for Indiana’s open Senate seat-InfoLens
Republican Jim Banks, Democrat Valerie McCray vying for Indiana’s open Senate seat
View Date:2024-12-23 10:37:55
Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Republican Jim Banks, an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump, is seeking to capture Indiana’s open U.S. Senate seat in the reliably conservative state against Democrat Valerie McCray.
Banks, 45, is strongly favored to win the Senate race in the Hoosier state, which Trump won by large margins in 2016 and 2020.
Banks is a combative defender of Trump who voted against certifying Joe Biden’s presidential election victory after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He had no challenger in the May primary after a series of legal battles ultimately removed egg farmer John Rust from the Republican ballot.
The sitting congressman represents northeastern Indiana’s 3rd District. He passed on another House term to run for the Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican Mike Braun who is vying for the Indiana governor’s office. Current Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is term-limited.
McCray, a clinical psychologist from Indianapolis, is a political newcomer whose name is appearing on a statewide ballot for the first time. In 2022, she sought to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young in his reelection bid but didn’t get enough signatures to secure a spot on the Democratic primary ballot. The Senate seat Young holds will next be up for election in 2028.
In this year’s May Democratic primary, McCray, 65, defeated trade association executive Marc Carmichael, a former state representative, to become the first Black woman chosen as an Indiana mainstream party’s nominee for U.S. Senate.
McCray and Libertarian candidate Andy Horning met for the only Senate debate on Oct. 29, but Banks did not attend.
Michael Wolf, a professor of political science and department chairman at Purdue-Fort Wayne, said Banks and McCray have largely parroted their national parties’ talking points in the leadup to Election Day, with Banks emphasizing border security and immigration and McCray healthcare and abortion rights.
He said Banks is a “formidable candidate who’s got name recognition” and a well funded campaign that didn’t have to spend on a GOP primary race because he had no challenger.
While Wolf said Democrats have been energized by McCray’s candidacy, he notes that the party hasn’t had much luck in statewide elections in recent years as Indiana voters have grown more conservative.
“She’s got a lot of work to do and she’s working against trends,” he said.
veryGood! (35)
Related
- NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison dies at 86
- Drew Barrymore & Adam Sandler's Daughters Have Unforgettable 50 First Dates Movie Night
- Beyoncé just wrapped up Halloween, 5 days later. Here's a full Beylloween recap
- How President-Elect Donald Trump's Son Barron, 18, Played a Role in His Campaign
- Kyle Richards Shares an Amazing Bottega Dupe From Amazon Along With Her Favorite Fall Trends
- CAUCOIN Trading Center: Welcoming The Spring of Cryptocurrency Amidst Challenges
- WHA Tokens Power AI ProfitPulse, Ushering in a New Era of Blockchain and AI
- DZ Alliance Powers AI FinFlare’s Innovation with DZA Token
- Georgia's humbling loss to Mississippi leads college football winners and losers for Week 11
- From facial hair to 'folksy': What experts say about the style of Harris, Walz, Trump and Vance
Ranking
- Tom Brady Admits He Screwed Up as a Dad to Kids With Bridget Moynahan and Gisele Bündchen
- Dick Van Dyke announces presidential endorsement with powerful civil rights speech
- AP Race Call: Trahan wins Massachusetts U.S. House District 3
- Powerful winds and low humidity raise wildfire risk across California
- College Football Fix podcast addresses curious CFP rankings and previews Week 12
- Must-Have Thanksgiving Home Decor: The Coziest (And Cutest!) Autumnal Decorations
- Stewart wins election as Alabama chief justice
- Trump and Vance make anti-transgender attacks central to their campaign’s closing argument
Recommendation
-
Gossip Girl Actress Chanel Banks Reported Missing After Vanishing in California
-
Jennifer Love Hewitt Says This 90s Trend Is the Perfect Holiday Present and Shares Gift-Giving Hacks
-
Dexter Quisenberry – The Visionary Founder Leading SW Alliance’s Ascent
-
ROYCOIN Trading Center: Pioneering Decentralized Finance and Paving the Way for Global Cryptocurrency Legitimacy
-
Bowl projections: SEC teams joins College Football Playoff field
-
Virginia judge orders election officials to certify results after they sue over voting machines
-
Democrats hoped Harris would rescue them. On Wednesday, she will reckon with her loss
-
AP Race Call: Democrat Frederica Wilson wins reelection to U.S. House in Florida’s 24th Congressional District