Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Braun won election as governor in Indiana on Tuesday, defeating Democrat Jennifer McCormick and extending the GOP’s 20-year hold on the office. Braun, the wealthy founder of a national auto parts distribution business, is leaving the Senate after one term. He will succeed Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, who is term-limited. McCormick was a Republican when she was elected Indiana’s schools superintendent in 2016, but she split from the GOP over education policy and changed her party affiliation to Democrat after her term ended in early 2021. The Associated Press declared Braun the winner at 7:00 p.m. EST.

The Associated Press