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More Statehouse incumbents in competitive primaries than any election since 2008

WTIU/WFIU
There are 26 Indiana House or Senate races that include at least one incumbent this year. That’s the most since 2008, when there were 28.

More Indiana Statehouse lawmakers face primary challenges this year than any election in more than a decade.

There are 26 Indiana House or Senate races that include at least one incumbent in Tuesday's primary election. That’s the most since 2008, when there were 28.

A few of those contested seats feature two incumbents – something that’s not unusual after a redistricting year. And most of the incumbent challenges are on the Republican side – again, not that unusual in such a GOP-dominated state.

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Incumbent losses in the primary aren’t common in Indiana. There’s typically no more than one or two per election.

There are no statewide election results to watch Tuesday night – the U.S. Senate primaries are uncontested between incumbent U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Democratic challenger Tom McDermott.

There are three other statewide elected positions on the ballot this fall: secretary of state, auditor and treasurer. But the candidates for those races are chosen at the state political party conventions several weeks from now.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Copyright 2022 IPB News. To see more, visit .

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.