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    • Andy Beshear rallies with Indiana candidates
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    Andy Beshear rallies with Indiana candidates

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    We’re just over a week away from Election Day! We’ve been covering Indiana’s top races for months, but the political action is really heating up now as early votes are cast and candidates make their final pitches to voters.

    The marquee race is the Indiana gubernatorial contest between Republican Mike Braun, Democrat Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian Donald Rainwater. But the attorney general race between Republican Todd Rokita and Democrat Destiny Wells is also one to watch.

    We’ve been bringing you critical election news throughout the 2024 cycle. Keep checking this space this week as we update our live blog with the latest coverage.

    Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to rally with Indiana candidates

    Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, whose name was floated this summer as a potential running partner for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, will appear at a rally on Saturday, Nov. 2, to support candidates in the Hoosier State.

    Beshear is scheduled to attend an upcoming Get Out The Vote rally in Jeffersonville Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick and her fellow executive, Terry Goodin, according to a news release. The rally will also feature Congressional candidate Tim Peck, the Democrat running for District 9 against Erin Houchin, and southern Indiana Statehouse candidates Jason Applegate, Jennifer David and state Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser

    Beshear won re-election in 2023 and led the state with Republican majorities in both chambers of the Kentucky Statehouse. He will be the second Democratic governor to visit Indiana this election cycle to support McCormick’s campaign. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, chairwoman of the Democratic Governors Association, as well made a stop with McCormick in Indianapolis this month.

    -Brittany Carloni

    Hamilton County Elections Office Needs Democratic Absentee Counters

    The Hamilton County Elections Office needs 11 Democratic absentee ballots for the runoff on Election Day, which is Nov. 5.

    The position works at Noblesville Judicial Center from 3:30 to 11 p.m., and pay $120. Dinner is provided during the shift.

    The job involves working with a Republican absentee counter and opening absentee ballots for counting.

    Interested Democrats can contact Beth Sheller, the county’s election administrator, at [email protected] or 317-770-4414.

    – Jake Allen

    The only time you’ll find similar quotes from Attorney General Todd Rokita and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick is late in the election season, preaching a hands-on-deck message to their respective supporters at the get-out…vote events on Saturday.

    “I promise you can get your life back after 10 days,” from Rokita, and “We’ve got to put everything we’ve got into the next 10 days,” from McCormick.

    The GOP slate of statewide candidates — including Rokita, gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun, running mate Micah Beckwith and 6th Congressional District candidate Jefferson Shreve — resumed their “freedom and opportunity bus tour” on Saturday, starting at the Johnson County GOP headquarters in Greenwood and making its way to Dearborn, Jackson and Clark counties.

    McCormick started the day in Fort Wayne and in the afternoon went down to the Frederick Douglass Family Center in Indianapolis to speak at a rally hosted by Marion County Democrats. Other speakers included U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Valerie McCray and state party chairman Mike Schmuhl. Later in the afternoon, she chatted with Matt McNally, the Democratic candidate for House District 39 in Carmel.

    Republicans may have some electoral reasons to feel confident this Election Day, but that wasn’t the dominant message on this chilly morning. GOP Chairman Randy Head mentioned a cautionary tale about Valparaiso, where last year the Republican-majority city council swung to a Democratic majority thanks to three close races — in one of those races, a Republican lost by four votes.

    Braun reiterated that message to the crowd of several dozen elected officials, candidates, volunteers and family.

    “Don’t take it for granted,” he said. “Complacency is the only thing keeping it from being a happy day on November 5th.”

    He even mildly scolded the audience for not raising enough hands when asked who voted early. He said he wants Republicans to “end up with a mandate” on Nov. 5 — something that’s especially relevant in his race, where he hasn’t topped 50 percent in the polls.

    Inside the Democratic rally at the Frederick Douglass Family Center, volunteers abound with clipboards containing large QR codes that lead to volunteer signups. One volunteer even went from person to person in a crowd of at least 100.

    This was a rally in the traditional sense, with cheers and applause after most sentences and loud music between each speaker. Like the Republicans, they painted their competition as extreme and themselves as the holders of common sense. And they urged those in attendance to find people in their lives who could stand on the sidelines and get them to vote.

    “You have to help us with this,” McCormick said. “No time to relax.”

    – Kayla Dwyer

    Last week and into the weekend, the horse race between the Republican and Democratic Governors Associations continued.

    RGA pumped another $500,000 into Braun’s campaign on Tuesday, as disclosed in a campaign finance disclosure on Wednesday. That brought the group’s total investment in its campaign to $1.5 million.

    Also Wednesday, the DGA gave McCormick $500,000, disclosures revealed Friday, bringing the total investment in the race to $1.65 million.

    – Kayla Dwyer

    You saw us Indiana Voter’s Guide? Now is a great time to check it out because we have a list of all the top races, from the Indiana governor’s race, the attorney general’s race, congressional races, state legislative races and more.

    More: Indiana Voters Guide: Congress, Statehouse, Governor, AG and School Board

    The Indiana governor’s race between Braun, McCormick and Rainwater appears to be getting the most attention in Indiana, with national money pouring in on both sides.

    The race still tilts in Braun’s favor, but there is evidence that it has tightened recently. Recently, for example, Republicans in Indiana have launched an attack mailer against Rainwater, hoping to cut off his support.

    Here are the ones the key issues that dominated race.

    We’ve written profiles on each of the candidates so voters can learn more. Check them out here:

    Contact IndyStar state government political reporter Brittany Carloni at [email protected] or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X@CarloniBrittany.

    Contact IndyStar state government and political reporter Kayla Dwyer at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.

    Contact IndyStar senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at [email protected].

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