Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Banks won Indiana’s open U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday, defeating Democrat Valerie McCray. Banks passed on running for a fourth term in northeastern Indiana’s heavily Republican 3rd District to instead seek the state’s open U.S. Senate seat. Republican Sen. Mike Braun skipped a reelection bid so that he could run for governor. Banks, a combative defender of former President Donald Trump who is a frequent Fox News Channel guest, voted against certifying Joe Biden’s presidential election victory after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Associated Press declared Banks the winner at 7:00 p.m. EST.

The Associated Press