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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA political poll released Thursday finds U.S. Sen. Mike Braun with a huge lead in the crowded 2024 Republican primary race for Indiana governor—and an even larger number of registered voters who are still undecided.
The Fox59/CBS4/Emerson College/The Hill poll found Braun leads fellow GOP gubernatorial candidates with 34% support, followed by Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch (7%), Fort Wayne businessman Eric Doden (7%) and former Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers (5%).
But the poll also found that 43% of those surveyed were still undecided about the GOP primary race.
The survey was conducted by Emerson College Polling and sponsored by Nexstar Media, which owns WXIN-TV Channel 59 and WTTV-TV Channel 4. Fox59 and CBS4 are IBJ media partners.
“Republican primary voters who find immigration to be the top issue facing the state break for Braun at 48% and the economy at 40%,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in written remarks. “Braun’s support in the Republican primary is about 10 points higher among men than women, 38% to 28%, as 51% of women are undecided ahead of the May election.”
Fox59 and CBS4 will broadcast a live one-hour debate between Republican candidates for governor at 7 p.m. on March 26. Candidates who received at least 5% support in the poll are allowed to participate, meaning Braun, Crouch, Doden and Chambers are in. Former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill (2.4%) and Jamie Reitenour (1.6%) did not make the cut, Fox59 and CBS4 reported on Thursday morning.
The winner of the May 7 GOP primary will take on presumptive Democratic winner Jennifer McCormick in the Nov. 5 election. McCormick, the former Indiana superintendent of public instruction, has no competition in the primary.
The poll was collected March 2-5. The overall poll consisted of 1,000 registered voters, with a credibility interval (similar to a margin of error) of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The Republican primary poll consisted of 526 likely Republican primary voters, with a credibility interval of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
In the Republican primary for president, the poll found 78% support for former President Donald Trump and 14% support for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who dropped out of the race on Wednesday.
The poll found 36% job approval for outgoing Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, with 44% approval among Republicans and 24% among Democrats.
President Joe Biden has 30% job approval among Indiana voters, while 59% disapprove of the job he is doing, according to the poll.
In a potential 2024 general presidential election, 55% of those polled support Donald Trump, with 34% supporting Joe Biden.
The most important issue for those polled was the economy (34%), followed by crime (12%), threats to democracy (12%), immigration (11%), education (8%), abortion access (8%) and housing affordability (6%).
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Braun got this going away. The rest of the field can’t make that up the gap in th polls under normal circumstances.
Lord help us… please let there be a viable Democrat if he is the Republican candidate..
Spoke before reading the entire article. Jennifer McCormick it is.
It will be a sad day if Trump is elected and anyone like Braun that supports Trump. Americans are morally bankrupt.
Biden has passed many bills like infrastructure, health care, Chips Act, VA, Voting rights, prescription drugs, etc. The GOP is nothing but obstructionists and fearmongerers. They have no empathy for immigrants and inhumane policies that don’t solve the immigration crisis. And obviously the GOP doesn’t care about women’s rights.
Go away Trump and your base.
Cry more. Thank you.
+1
I love that Wayne says cry more…. but we have a stronger economy under Biden, a stronger border, stronger agreements with out trade allies & overall a real plan for infrastructure…
Trump is running on…. the magical healthcare plan he has still not unveiled 9 years later?
So far Biden has the support of 34% of Hoosiers. Not calling out Mark B, but the problem with Libs in Indiana is their perception that they are so much smarter than the 66% that don’t support G’pa Biden. I’ll be you’re a big hit at parties.
Can you restate that within an actual structured sentence?
Maybe the problem is the low quality of education provided at Indiana schools then.
Well, you are kinda right – I do feel I am smarter than people who vote for someone who makes fun of disabled, the military and Gold Star families….who constantly lies everytime he opens his mouth, bankrupts most of his businesses and sleeps with prostitutes right after his third wife has given birth. Oh, did I forget grabbing felines? And quadrupling the deficit and weakening the strengthening economy he was given? Yep, feeling pretty damn smart….
can someone explain why anyone votes for braun? i’ve never seen him do anything except complain about immigrants and trans kids
I’m sure I will get a negative comment on two, but I was hoping for ANYONE but Braun and to a lesser degree Trump. Both are attention seekers who have no interest in genuinely governing and advancing this state and country as a whole. They are divisive and a poison to the Republican party. Drumming up failed ideas and perpetually cutting taxes for the ultra wealthy while decrying that we cannot afford infrastructure, public transportation, and a healthy environment because some developer needs MORE but the vast majority will suffer the drip drip drip of having more of our freedoms, health and livelihoods continue to decrease and the wealthy reaping most if not all of the benefits – all in the name of “owning the libs”. But hey, they want to “bring back” prayer in public schools………knowing full well that anyone can ALREADY pray if they choose to do so……I can’t be the only person in this state that sees these divisive and oftentimes unnecessary culture war policies as a colossal waste of time. But I get it – the cruelty IS the point – I just expect better from our elder statesmen.
No negatives here. Preach it, brother!
Braun is the most dangerous of the whole lot. If this guy wins, we will be Florida 2.0. You can expect women to be further relegated to second class citizen status, the LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities to not be treated as human beings at all, and the public education and state university system to be completely blown apart. It will take decades to undo the damage he will cause.
General Curtis Hill 2.4% – LOVE watching him waste time & $$$…
As a Republican (now more of a Libertarian philosophically) for 40+ years, I think that Braun, Rokita and Banks are all disastrous. They tout personal freedom but they are just the opposite of that, seeking to limit and control around every corner. What a shame. Braun fashions himself as an outsider, but in his same ridiculous ads, he takes credit for all his “marvelous” (my adjective) accomplishments in the Senate. So phony. Unfortunately, all 3 of these extremists will be elected.
Please God, NOOOOOOOOO!
If this poll was of Indianapolis business community, Brad Chambers would be winning by a huge margin, because they know him the best and what a talent he is. He’d be the closest to another Mitch Daniels: highly competent, smart, decent and extremely pro-business policies to grow the Indiana Economy. And his cabinet would be smart leaders willing to serve.
I can see how the power of incumbency is an advantage for Braun, but I don’t see a candidate with many innovative policy ideas or passions, I see a guy who wants to go from Senate to Gov office, who “may” have 2028 presidential aspirations too. That isn’t my ideal rationale to be the next Governor.
Hope many IBJ readers will consider that absolute best “business candidate” in the race, Brad Chambers.
Of the Republican candidates, I would agree he is the most pragmatic leader of the bunch and hasn’t leaned into the culture war issues the way the others have. Overall, I think McCormick would be the best to return Indiana to a path of normalcy, but Chambers would be a reasonable second choice. Head and shoulders above all the other Republican candidates.
I second this wholeheartedly. I have worked for Brad and know him in passing and believe that he is the best candidate in the race. His resume in building a successful business and leading the IEDC demonstrates exactly the type of leadership demanded of a good governor. His position that the governor should govern and leave the social issues to the legislature makes him a true conservative in a state that traditionally values conservative positions. The biggest problem I have encountered when discussing his candidacy is simply name recognition, even among likely Republican voters. I will do my part to rectify that and encourage others to do the same.
Have any of these candidates read a job description of what a Governor of a State is supposed to be responsible for in the Governor’s job ? From their TV ads it doesn’t seem that they know what the Governor does .
Trump is a lair. Braun is a liar. There is nothing more to be said.
Makes me want to PUKE he has not had an original idea.
he’s got his head so far up Trumps Butt they are looking out the same. narcissistic eyes
God save the State if Indiana. if he prevails
Braun is Mike Pence 2.0, but somehow worse. Every Democrat who still lives in Indiana should vote in the Republican primary for Brad Chambers. He’s the best the GOP has to offer.
he’s much worse than pence 2.0. much, much worse.
the border he needs to worry about is the one with Kentucky. they now charge to cross that bridge. they should pay us for gracing them with our presence. We should have more immigration, try hiring in the restaurant or construction industries right now- wages are insane and job seekers are scarce. all the paranoia about border security is just another way the media deflects from real issues
Is it true that McCormick’s running mate is Bobby Hidalgo-Kern?