Indiana primaries 2024: Spartz survives, big spenders prevail

So far in 2024, the GOP seems to be running behind where it was last cycle when it comes to nominating women in competitive or safe seats. Tonight, female incumbents Houchin and Spartz held on and will very likely win reelection in the fall. But a couple qualified female candidates didn’t fare as well tonight. The sitting lieutenant governor, Crouch, lost the gubernatorial primary, and in the 3rd District, it looks like Davis also failed to win. Both of these women could’ve benefited from more unified support. Although Crouch had endorsements from lower level officials, the Club for Growth and Trump endorsed Braun. And in the 3rd, the Club for Growth actively campaigned against Davis. Women, especially Republican women, face many invisible hurdles in their effort to win elected office. Add hurdles like these, and the challenge is insurmountable.

—Meredith Conroy, 538 contributor

Braun was the front-runner in the Republican gubernatorial primary tonight, and he ended up winning. But the candidates weren’t that different on many of the issues. As other observers noted, the primary was fought more over big national issues like crime, China, immigration and abortion than over the day-to-day running of the state. The way the race unfolded tells us a lot about the direction of the Republican Party nationally, and the candidates we can expect deep-red states like Indiana to send to Washington. Among other things, that’s meant that the party continues to run conservative anti-abortion candidates despite the position being unpopular, and an often losing one, for Republicans in general.

—Monica Potts, 538

With most of today’s primaries now projected, we’re going to sign off soon. But first: What were everyone’s takeaways from the night?

—Nathaniel Rakich, 538

While ABC News is not yet reporting a projection in the tight race for the GOP nomination in Indiana’s 3rd District, the AP has made a call: They are saying that Stutzman will be the winner. That would make the 3rd District today’s only win for the insurgent wing of the Republican Party: Stutzman was an OG tea partier who helped force out former Speaker John Boehner in 2014.

—Nathaniel Rakich, 538