Former state Republican Party Chair Eric Holcomb dropped out of the Senate GOP primary race Monday, leaving just two candidates – U.S. Representatives Marlin Stutzman and Todd Young. The reason for Holcomb's departure was revealed Tuesday, when Governor Mike Pence named Holcomb as his pick to be the state's new lieutenant governor. The current LG, Sue Ellspermann, will leave to pursue the open Ivy Tech presidency position.
A day after the Senate GOP primary lost one candidate, another's spot on the ballot was put in jeopardy. The state Democratic Party is challenging Todd Young's candidacy for the U.S. Senate. Candidates must submit 500 registered voter signatures from each congressional district to be eligible. Democrats say Young is two signatures short. Independent counts by Statehouse media have Young three short of the necessary number. The Indiana Election Commission will decide the fate of Young's candidacy in the coming weeks.
And a Senate committee began consideration of a bill to govern how police body camera videos are released to the public. The Senate committee chair Brent Steele wants significant changes to the measure, including a reversal of its burden of proof – Steele wants police to prove to a judge why a video shouldn't be released, rather than forcing the public to prove why it should. The bill's author and the Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police support that change.