Results of the Nov. 3 election in Indiana, and across the country, may not be known for days. The counting of ballots continues after election night most years. This year’s expected surge in mailed ballots means election offices may need extra time to tally all the votes. As that occurs, some candidates may call for the counting to end and for themselves to be declared the winner. However, winners will be decided when all the votes are counted — that’s the American election system at work. WFIU/WTIU's journalists will cover that process, and WFIU/WTIU will rely on The Associated Press and NPR to call races for the winner based on the AP’s rigorous, time-tested method.
U.S. Rep. Greg Pence is projected to win re-election in the congressional district his brother held for 12 years before going on to become governor and vice president.
Pence had 69% of the vote with 85% of precincts reporting by Wednesday afternoon.
He beat Democrat Jeannine Lee Lake, who faced long odds in her second bid for the seat in Indiana’s deeply conservative 6th District.
READ MORE: Greg Pence Wins 6th District Seat That VP Previously Held
His brother, Vice President Mike Pence, held the seat for 12 years.
"I could not be more thankful for the outpouring support from Hoosiers all across the Sixth District," Pence wrote in a Facebook message to supporters.
"Our victory is a resounding win for every Hoosier who wants their representative to focus on the issues that truly matter. Thank you!" he wrote.
Pence easily beat Lake in 2018 and had been expected to win again. In 2018, Pence received 64 percent of the vote to only 33 percent for Lake.
The second bid took a heated turn in July when Lake criticized Pence for allowing the sale of objects with racist depictions of African Americans at a sprawling antiques mall he co-owns.
A spokesperson for Pence said at the time he was not involved in day-to-day operations there. Lake was one of three Black candidates for federal office in Indiana.
READ MORE: Rep. Greg Pence Criticized For Racist Items Sold At His Mall
As results came in late Tuesday, Lake said she felt good about her second campaign.
"I'm very proud of myself and my team," Lake said in a phone interview.
"We were able to get our voice out there and advocate for the least, the last, and the lost. And for those that are wanting to push toward equality," she said.
But she criticized Pence for declining to debate her or hold a town hall while in office.
And Lake said she was not ruling out another run for Pence's seat in 2022.
"I was playing football with my grandkids outside in the beautiful autumn day we had today. And I heard somebody say, 'Blue '22'," she said. "I think I'm going to go for it."
The 6th District includes Columbus, Muncie and Richmond.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story has been updated.
