Indiana gubernatorial election, 2016
2020→ ←2012 |
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May 3, 2016 |
November 8, 2016 |
Eric Holcomb (R) andSuzanne Crouch (R) |
Mike Pence (R) andEric Holcomb (R) |
Governor •Lt. Governor •Attorney General Down Ballot Superintendent |
Indiana had one of the most-watchedgubernatorial races in2016. IncumbentRepublicanGovernorMike Pence initially sought re-election but withdrew from the race in July 2016. Lt. Gov.Eric Holcomb (R) was selected to replace Pence on the ballot and won the general election alongside running-mateState AuditorSuzanne Crouch (R).
| HIGHLIGHTS | |
This election was one of Ballotpedia's top 10 state-level races in 2016.
Click here to read the full list.
Overview
Thegovernor andlieutenant governor ofIndiana are elected together on a single ticket. IncumbentGovernorMike Pence (R) initially filed to run for a second term with running mateLt. GovernorEric Holcomb (R) and ran unopposed in the May 3 Republican primary election.
The race was set to be a rematch between Pence and formerState Speaker of the HouseJohn Gregg (D), whom Pence defeated in 2012 by 3 percentage points. Pence faced a competitive re-election challenge from Gregg. However, Pence withdrew from the race on July 15 afterDonald Trump selected him as hisvice presidential running mate.
Following Pence's withdrawal, Holcomb, along with twoU.S. representatives for Indiana, withdrew from their respective re-election efforts in order to submit their candidacies for governor; onestate representative also filed. The Republican state committee selected Holcomb on July 26, and he announced thatState AuditorSuzanne Crouch (R) would replace him on the ticket as the party's candidate for lieutenant governor.
Holcomb was appointed lieutenant governor by Pence in February 2016, just five months prior to winning the nomination for governor. At the time of the appointment, Holcombwas running for a U.S. Senate seat, but ended his campaign to assume the lieutenant governorship. Holcomb had previously served as chief of staff toU.S. SenatorDan Coats (R) for four years, and in various positions in GovernorMitch Daniels' (R) administration between 2001 and 2008.
As of the end of the second quarter, Gregg had reported about $5 million cash-on-hand compared to Pence's $7.5 million. Following his official nomination at the 2016Republican National Convention, Pence became subject tofederal campaign laws thatprevented him from contributing the bulk of his campaign fund directly to Holcomb, who had about $20,000 in his state account in July. Holcomb later reported about $1.7 million in large contributions to the secretary of state—including $1.25 million from Pence's campaign—leaving Gregg with a large cash advantage over Holcomb.
Open elections for governor in Indiana had previously been decided by close margins, and a tight race was expected between Gregg and Holcomb in 2016. However, Holcomb won the general election by awide margin onNovember 8, 2016. If Democrats had won the governor's seat in November, it would have ended a five-yearRepublican trifecta; this race wasrated Lean Republican.
Candidates and results
Candidates
InIndiana, thegovernor andlieutenant governor are elected together on a joint ticket.
John Gregg(D)
Gubernatorial candidate
Formerstate speaker of the house
Christina Hale(D)
Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate
State representative
Eric Holcomb(R)
Gubernatorial candidate
Lieutenant governor of Indiana
Suzanne Crouch(R)
Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate
Indiana state auditor
Rex Bell(Lib.)
Gubernatorial candidate
Owner, Bell Contracting
Karl Tatgenhorst(Lib.)
Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate
IT consultant
Adam Adkins(Ind.)
Gubernatorial candidate
Construction business owner
Christopher Stried(Ind.)
Gubernatorial candidate
Independent television producer
| Click [show] to view candidates who declined to run in this election. | |||
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Candidates to fill Republican ballot vacancies
Governor
The 2016 Republican ticket for governor became unexpectedly vacant on July 15, 2016, when GovernorMike Pence (R) withdrew from the race in order to run forvice president alongsidepresidential candidateDonald Trump (R). According to Indiana state law, ballot vacancies for statewide offices may be filled by the party's state committee within 30 days of the date the first candidate withdrew—in this case, 30 days from July 15, 2016.[7]
| Click [show] to view candidates who ran but were not selected to fill the ballot vacancy for governor. | ||||||
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Lieutenant governor
On July 29, Holcomb announced that State AuditorSuzanne Crouch (R) would join his ticket as the party's candidate for lieutenant governor. The state committee met on August 1 to formally nominate Crouch.[8]
Results
General election
| Indiana Governor, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Eric Holcomb and Suzanne Crouch | 51.4% | 1,396,460 | |
| Democratic | John Gregg and Christina Hale | 45.4% | 1,234,546 | |
| Libertarian | Rex Bell and Karl Tatgenhorst | 3.2% | 86,964 | |
| Independent | Adam Adkins | 0.00% | 14 | |
| Independent | Christopher Stried | 0.00% | 8 | |
| Total Votes | 2,717,992 | |||
| Source:Indiana Election Division | ||||
Democratic primary election
| Indiana Governor Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | John Gregg (unopposed) | 100.00% | 547,375 | |
| Total Votes | 547,375 | |||
| Source:Indiana Secretary of State | ||||
Republican primary election
| Indiana Governor Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Mike PenceIncumbent (unopposed) | 100.00% | 815,699 | |
| Total Votes | 815,699 | |||
| Source:Indiana Secretary of State | ||||
About the primary
During aprimary election, voters select the candidate they believe should represent a political party in a general election. Primaries usually take place several months before a general election. Indiana utilizes anopen primary system. Voters are not required to register with a party, but state statutes stipulate that citizens vote in the primary of the party they have voted for most often in the past. According toFairVote, however, "there is really no way to enforce this," and primaries are effectivelyopen.[9][10]
Indiana's primary election took place onMay 3, 2016. However, the two major parties conducted state conventions to nominate candidates for lieutenant governor, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction—candidates for these offices were not publicly nominated in the primary contests. Once the two parties decided on their nominees, nominations for these offices had to be filed by the parties before July 15, 2016. Any third party or write-in candidates interested in running for these offices also had to file before the July 15 deadline.
Party control
Indiana Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Seventeen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Indiana state government has been underRepublicantrifecta control since 2011; Republicans also hold all partisan state executive offices except for thesuperintendent of public instruction seat. The last Democratic candidate to win a gubernatorial election in Indiana was Frank O'Bannon, who served as governor from 1997 until his death in 2003.[11]
Democrats did manage to win two statewide elections in 2012, when CongressmanJoe Donnelly (D) defeatedIndiana TreasurerRichard Mourdock (R) in the race for theUnited States Senate, andGlenda Ritz (D) defeated RepublicanTony Bennett in the race forsuperintendent of public instruction.[12] Additionally, Indiana's electoral college votes went toPresidentBarack Obama (D) in 2008, the first time the state voted for the Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964;Republican presidential candidateMitt Romney won the state in 2012.[13]
Open elections for governor in Indiana have recently been decided by close margins—incumbent GovernorMike Pence (R) won the office in 2012's open race againstJohn Gregg (D) by a margin of three percentage points.Mitch Daniels (R) was first elected in an open race in 2004 by four points, but won re-election in 2008 by a comfortable 17 percent margin. Frank O'Bannon (D) won the 1996 open race by less than five points; in 2000, he won re-election 56 to 41.[14] Given Pence's mid-election departure torun for vice president of theUnited States aspresidential candidateDonald Trump's (R) running mate, the 2016 gubernatorial election became an open race.
Pence's replacement on the GOP ticket,Eric Holcomb (R), who was selected by the Republican state committee on July 26, 2016, faced a competitive election againstDemocratJohn Gregg, whom Pence narrowly defeated in 2012. Holcomb defeated Gregg in the general election.
Race tracking
| Race Ratings: Indiana Governor | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race Tracker | Race Ratings | ||||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||||
| Governing | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Republican | Toss-up | |||||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Lean Republican | Toss-up | |||||||
| Daily Kos Race Ratings | Lean Republican | Toss-up | |||||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Polls
| John Gregg vs. Eric Holcomb | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Gregg | Holcomb | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||||||
| WISH TV (October 10-16, 2016) | 48% | 43% | +/-4.8 | 544 | |||||||||||||||
| Monmouth (October 11-13, 2016) | 50% | 38% | +/-4.9 | 402 | |||||||||||||||
| Monmouth (August 13-16, 2016) | 41% | 42% | +/-4.9 | 403 | |||||||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 46.33% | 41% | +/-4.87 | 449.67 | |||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email toeditor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Endorsements
| Key endorsements[15] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Gregg (D) | Eric Holcomb (R) | ||||||||
| The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) | GovernorMike Pence (R) | ||||||||
| United Steelworkers District 7 | State Speaker of the HouseBrian Bosma (R) | ||||||||
| Indiana StateAFL-CIO | Senate President Pro TemporeDavid Long (R) | ||||||||
| Laborers’ International Union of North America | U.S. SenatorDan Coats (R) | ||||||||
| Indiana Superintendent of Public InstructionGlenda Ritz (D) | Ohio GovernorJohn Kasich (R) | ||||||||
| Indiana State Building Trades Council | |||||||||
| International Union of Operating Engineers | |||||||||
| United Food and Commercial Workers Unions | |||||||||
| What is a key endorsement? | |||||||||
Campaign finance
| Click [show] to view full campaign finance details | |||
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Campaign media
Note: If a candidate is not listed below, Ballotpedia staff were unable to locate any campaign media for that candidate. Do you know of any?Tell us!
Democrats
| Republicans
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Third-party candidates
| Adam Adkins (Ind.) |   |
| Christopher Stried (Ind.) |  |
| Rex Bell (Lib.) | |
| Click [show] to view campaign media for candidates who withdrew from this election | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Campaign advertisements
Click here to view campaign advertisements for this race.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsIndiana state Gubernatorial election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Past elections
- See also:Indiana gubernatorial election, 2012
Indiana elects governors in the presidential elections, that is, in leap years. For Indiana, 2016, 2020, 2024 and 2028 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the second Monday in the January following an election (§ 9).
If two candidates are tied, a joint session of the General Assembly shall cast ballots to determine the winner, pursuant to Article 5, Section 5.
2012
On November 6, 2012, Mike Pence and Sue Ellspermann won election as Governor and lieutenant governor of Indiana. They defeated the Gregg/Simpson (D), Boneham/Klopfenstein (L) and Harris/Fish (I) ticket(s) in the general election.
| Governor and lieutenant governor of Indiana, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Mike Pence & Sue Ellspermann | 49.5% | 1,275,424 | |
| Democratic | John Gregg & Vi Simpson | 46.6% | 1,200,016 | |
| Libertarian | Rupert Boneham & Brad Klopfenstein | 4% | 101,868 | |
| Independent | Donnie Harold Harris & George Fish | 0% | 21 | |
| Total Votes | 2,577,329 | |||
| Election Results Via: viaIndiana Secretary of State | ||||
Race background
February 5, 2016 |
May 3, 2016 |
June 11, 2016  June 18, 2016  |
June 30, 2016 |
July 5, 2016 |
July 15, 2016 |
November 8, 2016 |
November 22, 2016 |
January 11, 2017 |
Republican ballot vacancy
The 2016 election forgovernor of Indiana was initially slated to be a rematch between incumbent GovernorMike Pence (R) and formerState House SpeakerJohn Gregg (D), whom Pence defeated in 2012's gubernatorial election by three percentage points. Both candidates ran unopposed in the May 3 primary elections. However, after rumors had circulated for weeks,Republican presidential candidateDonald Trump announced on July 15 that he had selected Pence as his vice presidential running mate.[16] Governor Pence withdrew from the gubernatorial race the same day, just prior to the noon deadline.[17]
U.S. Reps.Susan Brooks (R) andTodd Rokita (R), Lt. GovernorEric Holcomb (R), andstate SenatorJim Tomes (R) all filed declarations of candidacy to fill a ballot vacancy with the secretary of state. On July 26, the Republican state committee selected Holcomb to replace Pence on the ballot; Governor Pence had endorsed Holcomb four days prior.[18] On July 29, Holcomb announced that State AuditorSuzanne Crouch (R) would join his ticket as the party's candidate for lieutenant governor.[19]
About the offices
Governor
- Main article:Governor of Indiana
Thegovernor of the State of Indiana is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Indiana. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms with at least a four-year span before the same individual may hold the office again. The 50th and current governor of Indiana isRepublicanMike Pence. Pence won election on November 6, 2012, and was sworn in January 14, 2013.[20]
Prior to the November 2016 general elections, Indiana was one of 23 Republicanstate government trifectas. As a result of the elections, Indiana was one of 25 Republican state government trifectas in the 2017 state legislative sessions.
Incumbent
Mike Pence (R) was first elected in2012, defeating DemocratJohn Gregg by a margin of three percentage points. Previous GovernorMitch Daniels (R) was prevented from running for re-election due to term limits.
After his successful election as governor in 2012, political analysts speculated that Pence would seek the Republican nomination forpresident in 2016.[21] He later announced that he would not run for president and instead would seek a second term as governor.[22] Reports later surfaced that Pence was being considered asRepublican presidential candidateDonald Trump's (R) running mate and vice presidential pick. Trump announced via Twitter on the morning on Friday, July 15, 2016, that Pence would indeed join Trump's ticket.[23] Pence withdrew from the gubernatorial race the same day just prior to the noon deadline.[24]
Prior to his tenure as governor, Pence served in theU.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2012. He also previously worked as a private practice attorney and served as president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation.
Lieutenant governor
- Main article:Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
Thelieutenant governor of the State of Indiana is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed thegovernor of Indiana. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality. The 50th and current lieutenant governor isEric Holcomb, aRepublican appointed in 2015.[25]
Incumbent
Thegovernor andlieutenant governor ofIndiana are elected on a single ticket in the general election; lieutenant gubernatorial candidates are selected as running mates by the gubernatorial candidates.
Incumbent GovernorMike Pence (R) announcedEric Holcomb (R) as his running mate in February 2016 upon Lieutenant GovernorSue Ellspermann's announcement that she would resign effective March 2, 2016, to assume the position of president of the Ivy Tech Community College system.[26] Holcomb previously served as chief of staff forU.S. SenatorDan Coats (R), and in 2016 launched anunsuccessful bid for the Senate seat following Coats' retirement. He ultimately withdrew from the race in order to assume the lieutenant governor post.
Though the nominees forgovernor were chosen through primary elections, the two major parties conducted state conventions to confirm candidates for lieutenant governor.
Holcomb withdrew from the race on July 15, 2016, in order to be considered by the Republican state committee as a candidate to replace GovernorMike Pence (R) as the party's 2016 candidate for governor.[27] The committee selected Holcomb as the replacement gubernatorial candidate on July 26, 2016.
State profile
| Demographic data for Indiana | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 6,612,768 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 35,826 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 84.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 9.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 87.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 24.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $49,255 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 18.4% | 11.3% |
| Source:U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Clickhere for more information on the 2020 census andhere for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Indiana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the censushere. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
Indianavoted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted forDonald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting forBarack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won thesePivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Indiana, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[28]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won asRetained Pivot Counties and those won byJoe Biden (D) asBoomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Indiana had five Retained Pivot Counties, 2.76 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Indiana coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Indiana
- United States congressional delegations from Indiana
- Public policy in Indiana
- Endorsers in Indiana
- Indiana fact checks
- More...
See also
Indiana government: | Previous elections: | Ballotpedia exclusives: |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑The Indy Channel, "Longtime Bayh aide Tom Sugar exploring run for governor," accessed August 28, 2015
- ↑IndyStar, "Democrat Tom Sugar will not run for Indiana governor," September 21, 2015
- ↑The Indy Star, "State Sen. Karen Tallian drops out of governor’s race," accessed August 28, 2015
- ↑The Indy Channel, "ITW: Gregg-Ritz duo sets sights on Gov. Mike Pence," accessed August 28, 2015
- ↑The Indy Star, "Bill Oesterle's midlife crusade," accessed August 28, 2015
- ↑Indianapolis Business Journal, "Oesterle starts PAC to counter social conservatives," December 7, 2015
- ↑This information was provided to Ballotpedia by the Elections Division in the Indiana secretary of state's office.
- ↑Auburnpub.com, "Indiana GOP governor candidate picks auditor as running mate," July 29, 2016
- ↑Indiana Code, "Section 3-10-1-6," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑FairVote, "Primaries," accessed February 10, 2016
- ↑Indiana Department of Administration, "Frank L. O'Bannon," accessed August 14, 2015
- ↑The Indy Star, "Indiana Democrats pick slate, look ahead to governor's race in 2016," accessed August 14, 2015
- ↑National Archives and Records Administration, "Historical Election Results," accessed June 24, 2016
- ↑Indiana Election Division, "Election Results," accessed July 15, 2016
- ↑John Gregg for Governor, "Release: 36 Indiana majors endorse John Gregg for governor," August 13, 2015
- ↑Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," accessed July 15, 2016
- ↑WDRB, "Mike Pence officially withdraws from Indiana governor's race," July 15, 2016
- ↑Chicago Tribune, "Pence endorses Holcomb as Indiana GOP governor candidate," July 22, 2016
- ↑Auburnpub.com, "Indiana GOP governor candidate picks auditor as running mate," July 29, 2016
- ↑Indiana Governor, "About," accessed August 28, 2015
- ↑The Daily Signal, "What Are Mike Pence’s Prospects for a 2016 Presidential Run?" April 6, 2016
- ↑Indy Star, "Gov. Mike Pence's speech announcing re-election bid," accessed August 14, 2015
- ↑Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," accessed August 3, 2016
- ↑Indiana Secretary of State, "2016 general election candidate withdrawal," accessed August 3, 2016
- ↑Indiana Lt. Governor, "About," accessed January 17, 2012
- ↑IndyStar, "Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann to resign March 2 in expected move," accessed February 19, 2016
- ↑Indiana Elections Division, "Statewide and Federal Candidate Withdrawals," accessed July 18, 2016
- ↑The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip ofAtlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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