GOP U.S. Reps. Rokita, Brooks back on November ballot

Republican U.S. Reps. Todd Rokita and Susan Brooks reclaimed their spots on Indiana's November ballot Saturday after withdrawing their congressional candidacies to try to replace Mike Pence, who joined Donald Trump's ticket.

 

The Republican Party selected Rokita and Brooks during caucuses to fill the vacancies that were created last month. Rokita and Brooks were chosen for the 4th and 5th congressional districts respectively and defeated candidates they had already beaten in this year's primaries.

 

"The Indiana Republican Party is blessed to have a strong ticket filled with candidates that will tirelessly work to Make America Great and Safe Again," Indiana Republican Party Chairman Jeff Cardwell said in a statement announcing the results.

 

Brooks and Rokita had said they would seek to resume their re-election campaigns after the GOP state committee selected Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb to replace Pence as the gubernatorial nominee against Democratic candidate John Gregg.

 

Rokita's Democratic challenger this November is John Dale of West Point, a teacher at Western Boone High School and small farm owner. Rokita, who reported $1.4 million in campaign money at the end of June, defeated Dale in 2014 with about 67 percent of the vote.

 

Rokita was first elected to the U.S. House in 2010 after winning statewide elections in 2002 and 2006 as Indiana secretary of state. He represents the heavily Republican 4th Congressional District, which spans from the western Indianapolis suburbs to the Lafayette region and rural areas of northwestern Indiana.

 

Brooks, a former U.S. attorney for Indianapolis, is in her second term representing Indiana's 5th Congressional District, which also favors Republicans. The district stretches from the northern suburbs of Indianapolis to the Marion area. Brooks will face Democrat Angela Demaree, an Indianapolis veterinarian.

 

Brooks had about $1.3 million in campaign cash at the end of June, compared to about $60,000 for Demaree.