2024 United States Senate election in Indiana (Blackford)

The **2024 United States Senate election in Indiana** was held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, to elect a United States senator from Indiana. The election was held alongside elections to the United States House of Representatives, a gubernatorial election and the 2024 United States presidential election, alongside numerous other state and local elections. The incumbent was Republican Mike Braun, who was retiring after one term to run for governor of Indiana, and the Republican Party nominated congressman Jim Banks to replace him. Banks faced off against Democrat Joe Donnelly, United States Ambassador to the Holy See and former senator from this same seat from 2013 to 2019.

Before Donnelly entered the race, Banks was expected to win the race easily, however Donnelly's entrance into the race significantly shifted the dynamics of the race. Despite being a liberal member of the Democratic Party, Donnelly remained reasonably popular for Indiana standards, and Banks' position as a hardliner within the Indiana Republican Party alienated many moderate voters to support the comparatively moderate Donnelly. Though Indiana was traditionally a reliably Republican state, most pundits considered the race to be a toss-up going into Election Day, with Donnelly having a slight lead in opinion polling. However, Donnelly's lead in opinion polling would not end up materializing in the general election, and Banks narrowly defeated Donnelly by roughly 95,000 votes, or about 3 points.

Donnelly managed to flip two counties that he had lost in 2018, those being Hamilton and Vanderburgh, while Banks flipped Porter County in the northwest of the state. Both Porter and Vanderburgh Counties have historically been swing counties, however Donnelly's victory in suburban Hamilton County in the center of the state was historic, as it marked the first time that a Democratic nominee for the state's Class 1 Senate seat had carried the traditional Republican stronghold. After this election, the county would become reliably Democratic in elections for this seat, never again backing a Republican for the seat. Donnelly also only narrowly lost the traditionally Democratic-leaning swing Perry County in the south of the state, as well as Boone and Hendricks Counties in the center of the state, both of which are also predominately suburban and were historically Republican strongholds.

## Republican primary

### Candidates

#### Nominee

* Jim Banks, U.S. representative for IN-03 (2017-2025) and chair of the Republican Study Committee (2019-2023)

#### Eliminated in primary

* Eric Holcomb, 51st governor of Indiana (2017-2025) and former chair of the Indiana Republican Party (2011-2013)

#### Withdrew before primary

* Trey Hollingsworth, former U.S. representative from IN-09 (2017-2023) (endorsed Holcomb)

#### Declined to run

* Mitch Daniels, 49th governor of Indiana (2005-2013) and president of Purdue University (2013-2023) (refused to make endorsement)
* Victoria Spartz, U.S. representative for IN-05 (2019-2025) (endorsed Banks)
* Mike Braun, incumbent U.S. senator (*running for governor*, endorsed Banks)

## Democratic primary

### Candidates

#### Nominee

* Joe Donnelly, Ambassador to the Holy See (2022-2024), former U.S. senator (2013-2019) and former U.S. representative for IN-02 (2007-2013)

#### Declined

* Joe Hogsett, Mayor of Indianapolis, former chair of the Indiana Democratic Party (2003-2004) and former Indiana Secretary of State (1989-1994)
* Ron Klain, former White House Chief of Staff (2021-2023)

### Summary

Though Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett formed an exploratory committee, he chose not to run after Donnelly filed to run in July 2023, leaving Donnelly with no opposition.