While 2024 will be a particularly important election year because of the presidential race, there are many other elections affecting the South Bend area that will also appear on voters’ ballots this fall. This year, Hoosiers will elect a new governor, U.S. senator, and attorney general, among many other elections both statewide and at the local level.
Candidates in this year’s election for governor– a race which only takes place every four years –differ significantly in their political views. There are three primary gubernatorial candidates for Indiana voters to choose from: Republican former senator Mike Braun, Democrat Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian Donald Rainwater. For the past 20 years, Indiana has had a Republican governor, and initially, the 2024 election seemed likely to be a shoo-in for Braun. However, McCormick’s campaign has been gaining significant traction. In fact, Braun is nervous enough about McCormick that he went so far as to endorse a video ad that dubs McCormick “hopelessly liberal” and features digitally altered photos of McCormick and her supporters. Tension between the candidates will likely contribute to an exciting race on Nov. 5. If you would like to learn more about Indiana’s three candidates for governor, you can watch one of their debates here or visit their personal campaign websites (linked above).
Indiana will also elect a new member of the United States senate this fall. Senators serve six-year terms, and each state has two seats in the U.S. senate. This year, Republican congressman Jim Banks, Libertarian Andrew Horning, and Democrat Dr. Valerie McCray are competing for one of Indiana’s seats. Although, again, Republicans tend to have a leg up in Indiana races, other Indiana candidates have been criticizing the “invisible” Banks, who has not accepted an invitation to debate either of his opponents. “It’s disrespectful, given that this is the first time a woman has been on the ballot and the first time a senatorial candidate has refused to debate,” McCray told the Indiana Capitol Chronicle on Oct. 22. McCray and Horning are scheduled to debate on Oct. 29, but Banks has yet to give any indication that he will join them.
Indiana will also be electing a new attorney general this fall, an election that, like the gubernatorial election, takes place every four years. The attorney general is the chief legal officer of their respective state. Indiana’s two candidates for attorney general are Republican Todd Rokita and Democrat Destiny Wells. Rokita is Indiana’s current attorney general and is running for reelection; Wells is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and a former Deputy Attorney General for the state of Indiana. To learn more about each candidate, visit their websites (linked above).
These elections are only a few important examples of statewide elections taking place in Indiana this fall. Furthermore, there are several more elections taking place specifically in the South Bend area. St. Joseph County voters will be electing a county treasurer, county coroner, county recorder, county surveyor, and more. Two at-large positions and one district seat (District 3) on the South Bend Community School Board are also open this year. These races might be of particular interest to students’ families, so if you or your family are interested in learning more about the candidates for the at-large or district school board positions, you can access information about them through the links above.
If you are registered to vote, it is important to know that there will be many more names on your ballot than just Donald Trump and Kamala Harris! It is valuable to be informed about candidates for positions such as governor, senator, attorney general, and school board representative as well as for president. To learn more about the 2024 elections and to see a full list of all the races that will be on your ballot, visit https://www.vote411.org/.
