Jennifer McCormick, who was elected as a Republican state superintendent of public instruction in 2016, stopped in South Bend Friday to announce her candidacy for Indiana governor.
Now, however, McCormick is running as a Democrat.
Indiana hasn’t elected a Democrat to a statewide office since 2018, when Joe Donnelly won a Senate race over state treasurer Richard Murdoch.
A reporter asked McCormick how she can win in a historically red state.
So, we know it’s going to have to look different. It’s going to have to be bigger. But you can tell by the people behind me, we are ready. We are ready for that change in 2024.”
The election will be in November 2024. McCormick is the first Democrat to enter the race. So far the Republican ballot includes U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, and Fort Wayne businessman Eric Doden. Libertarian Donald Rainwater also announced his candidacy this week.