Gov. Braun calls Tuesday a wake-up call as state GOP loses control of General Assembly

Gov. Mike Braun described Tuesday's election results as a wake-up call for Indiana Republicans on Thursday. He told reporters that state party members stayed focused on affordability while their national counterparts lost focus on the issue.

Democrats claimed two statewide offices and upset the balance of power at the Indiana Statehouse. Braun said voters were angry about inflation and the economy, noting that the state GOP did not read those signals well. He contrasted Indiana with states like Texas, Florida, and Kansas, which he said were hit extremely hard by Republican losses.

Braun credited his office for keeping gas prices down through a tax holiday, a move he linked to the costly war with Iran. He said his administration's focus on affordability protected the party from worse carnage. Braun acknowledged that Republicans were not listening enough and suggested that the state's large Republican supermajority may have caused officials to lose sight of key issues.

Other state Republicans offered different explanations for the results. Sen. Spencer Deery, who retained his seat after a close vote and recount, said the losses were self-made. He argued that many candidates lost because they failed to keep commitments to voters or prioritize the Hoosier way of doing things. Deery noted that those who stood up to national forces and out-of-state spending in the primaries performed well.

Rep. Ben Smaltz, the newly nominated House Speaker, resisted the idea that state officials bore responsibility for national issues. He pointed out that local officials who did not handle redistricting still lost in many places. Smaltz, a chief architect of the redistricting effort, said he was not sure he saw a connection between state actions and national headwinds.

Braun said he views the election outcome as a golden opportunity to work with Democrats on affordability. He also expressed support for newly elected Democrat Beau Bayh's effort to audit the office of Secretary of State Diego Morales. Braun stated that he supports audits and transparency whenever they arise.

Priorities for the next legislative session have not yet been released. The governor's comments came as state Republicans grappled with the shift in power following Tuesday's vote.