Braun endorses Banks to replace him in Senate

Indiana Sen. Mike Braun (R) endorsed Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) to succeed him for the Senate seat he is vacating. 

Braun said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Banks is a “proven conservative leader who has a strong track record of fighting for Hoosier values” as a former Indiana state House member, Afghanistan War veteran and current House member. 

“I am confident Jim will continue to put America First and fight for conservative values in the US Senate,” Braun said. “I give Jim Banks my full and complete endorsement for the United States Senate because he knows America is worth fighting for.” 

Banks thanked Braun, who is forgoing a reelection campaign to instead run for governor of Indiana, for the endorsement, writing in a tweet, “Senator @braun4indiana has been a strong pro-life and fiscal conservative in the U.S. Senate, and I’m proud to have his endorsement to replace him.” 

Banks — the only current major GOP candidate running — is the favorite to win the Republican nomination and the seat in the deeply red state. 

He was endorsed by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, in February. 

Banks has also received endorsements from numerous other senators and representatives, state legislators and the Indiana Republican Party. 

He said when he announced his candidacy in January that he was running because “We NEED conservatives in Washington who aren’t afraid to fight [President] Biden’s radical agenda.”