wolmerica INDIANAPOLIS — U.S. Senator Mike Braun, the Republican candidate in Indiana’s gubernatorial race, has made his preferred choice to be his lieutenant governor.
Braun announced Wednesday that he would choose Indiana Rep. Julie McGuire, R-District 93 as his preferred choice for lieutenant governor. McGuire currently serves Perry Township, as well as a portion of Franklin Township in Marion County in the Indiana House of Representatives.
This comes after Braun was voted as the Republican candidate for governor while Jennifer McCormick, the state’s former superintendent of public instruction, was elected as the Democratic candidate during Tuesday’s primary. Braun and McCormick are expected to face Donald Rainwater, a Libertarian candidate, in November’s general election.
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McGuire was first elected to the Indiana General Assembly in November 2022. Her website states that she supports parental rights and the rights of the unborn, as well as educational choice for Hoosier students, the Second Amendment and law enforcement.
In an interview with McGuire on Wednesday, she said that she is excited, humbled and honored to be chosen for the position by the Braun campaign.
“I’m excited to be a partner with Mike Braun and work on moving some conservative values for our state,” she said.
McGuire believes that her focus on public policy, as well as her already established relationships in the Indiana Statehouse, make her stand out as a candidate for lieutenant governor.
That focus on public policy, specifically conservative and entrepreneurial policy, is something that stood out to Braun in picking McGuire as his preferred choice for the position. Braun stressed that McGuire “fit that bill,” helping Braun’s efforts in various areas like healthcare and increasing the workforce.
“I think for Julie, being a partner with her conservative credit and her legislative chops in a small amount of time, that’s how you actually get things done,” he said.
Even though McGuire has been named Braun’s preferred choice as his lieutenant governor, the Republican Party of Indiana has control on which candidate will be nominated for the position. The convention, where the party will nominate candidates for both lieutenant governor as well as attorney general, will be hosted on June 15 in Indianapolis.
Unlike other years, where the party has traditionally selected the candidate brought forward by the Republican nominee, an additional candidate is expected to come into the convention specifically running for the Lieutenant Governor position.
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On Feb. 29, Micah Beckwith, a Hamilton County resident who is a pastor and small business owner, officially filed with the Indiana Republican Party to be a candidate for the Lieutenant Governor position.
“During these turbulent times, the people of Indiana deserve a Lt. Governor who is more than a ceremonial appointment or yes person,” Beckwith said at the time. “They need a proactive Lt. Governor who will fight for our constitutional rights, lead the war against the woke culture and get the politics out of the classroom. Furthermore, it is time to make Indiana a leading conservative state like Florida.
“Unlike other states, our Lt. Governor has significant responsibilities and can help set the agenda,” he continued. “Hence, our Lt. Governor should answer to more than one person. My candidacy ensures that the next Lt. Governor will answer to the people.”
At the time, Beckwith said some of the areas he would focus on if he was appointed as the state’s lieutenant governor are:
- Fighting the “woke agenda”
- Alleviate the impact of inflation on Hoosiers
- Stop the expansion of state government and pass congressional term limits
- Continuing to fight illegal immigratoin
- Advocate for the Second Amendment
“Congratulations to Senator Mike Braun on his resounding victory. He is going to be a great Governor for Indiana with his strong belief that Indiana’s best days are ahead of us,” Beckwith said after Braun’s win on Tuesday. “With his leadership on jobs, parental rights, protecting life, supporting our law enforcement, and cutting taxes, I know that Hoosiers will thrive. I look forward to working with him to win this race in November and bringing conservative leadership to Indiana.”
In an interview on Wednesday, Braun said that Beckwith called Braun before Beckwith filed to run for the position and Braun wished him luck. Ultimately, Braun said that he does not shy away from competition.
“He, I think, has worked hard to make his case and now, we are going to hear my case,” Braun said. “…It will be a competition of what we propose versus what Micah’s been doing and I’m okay with the outcome. I think we are going to win it and I think that Micah will be fine with supporting our effort if he does not.”
While Braun stressed that he is okay with the process, Braun said he believes that McGuire will be “tremendous” as his lieutenant governor.
McGuire said it is important for it to be a team effort, between her as lieutenant governor and Braun as the state’s governor.
“It was important to me, you know, joining in,” she said. “I want to be a part of this legislative agenda…I’m ready to be a part of the team with Mike. I’m ready to move good, conservative policy forward in the state.”
When asked about her timeline for choosing a lieutenant governor, McCormick said that her campaign has a short list, stressing that no one is off the table.
“We know what we want is the very best,” McCormick said Tuesday evening. “We want someone who will complement with strengths and stay true to the values at hand and understand we are after good governing, which means transparency and accountability and being good public servants, but get things done for Indiana. We are working that part of it and we’ll be ready to go.”
