Indiana
Party chairs share races to watch on Election Day
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The chairs of Indiana’s Republican and Democratic parties said a handful of races could be a useful barometer for both the state and the country.
In interviews with News 8 for All INdiana Politics, Indiana Republican Party Chair Randy Head and Indiana Democratic Party Chair Mike Schmuhl both said they feel confident in their candidates’ chances of success, particularly at the top of the ballot.
Head said as far as he is concerned, a win on election night is a win regardless of vote margin. He said he’s watching a pair of races for the Indiana House of Representatives closely. House District 62, currently held by first-term Republican Rep. Dave Hall, includes Brown County and portions of Monroe and Jackson counties. Hall won the seat by less than 100 votes two years ago and faces a tough challenge from Democrat Thomas Horrocks.
“That’s going to be a good bellwether, I think, to tell us if we’re going to have a fantastic night or just a good night,” he said.
Head said he’s also watching House District 71, in Jeffersonville and Clarksville. Democrat Rita Fleming had held that seat for six years when she resigned suddenly this spring. Area Democrats caucused in Wendy Dant Chesser, who faces Republican Scott Hawkins as she tries to win a term of her own. Head says that district is a potential Republican pickup.
For his part, Schmuhl said he’s focused on breaking the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly, a feat that would require his party to flip four seats in the Indiana House. Even though it only takes a simple majority to override a governor’s veto, Schmuhl said reducing the supermajority to a simple majority would force GOP state lawmakers to work with Democrats on everything from legislation to basic daily functioning of the chamber. Schmuhl said to watch Hamilton County closely both for state house races there and for presidential election results. He said Democratic statewide candidates have done well there in recent years despite Hamilton County’s history as a Republican stronghold.
“These are places that are changing very rapidly, that are growing very rapidly,” he said. “These are people that, I think, reject Trump-style politics and want a national government, a state government, that is more focused on normal issues.”
The biggest surprise of Indiana’s 2024 election cycle was the selection of Micah Beckwith as Mike Braun’s running mate over Braun’s recommendation of Julie McGuire. Head said he wasn’t surprised once he saw the supporters and the well-organized operation Beckwith brought to the Indiana Republican Party convention in June. When asked about Beckwith’s recent comments about Haitian refugees in Logansport, among others, Head said he expects Beckwith will grow into the role of lieutenant governor.
“Mike Braun will make the overall policy for the things the executive branch needs to do and I’m very comfortable with Mike Braun doing that,” he said.
Schmuhl said Beckwith’s selection provided an opening for Democrats. He said Braun’s roughly 40 percent vote tally in the Republican primary suggested weakness among that party’s voters, especially after Beckwith joined. Democrats have spent months highlighting some of Beckwith’s past comments, including his recent remarks on Haitian refugees and old social media posts in which he claimed God told him to send the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“Mike Braun didn’t select him, doesn’t want to campaign alongside him but he’s stuck with him, and so we need to make sure that Hoosiers know the full extent of the extremism within that ticket,” he said.
All INdiana Politics airs at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WISH-TV.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — More than 50 Indiana law enforcement agencies are taking to the roof to help local athletes.
Police and safety officers will be stationed around various Dunkin’ Donuts, taking up donations for the Special Olympics. People who monetarily donate will receive a coupon for a free donut. Those who donate $10 or more will receive a coupon for a free medium hot coffee.
“Supporting the Special Olympics isn’t just an event for us — it’s a commitment to people who inspire us every day,” Sergeant Wes Rowlader said. “These athletes show what determination, courage, and community truly look like. Every dollar we raise helps transform that spirit into training, competition, and lifelong confidence.”
More than 20,000 Hoosier athletes train and compete for free within the Special Olympics. To date, Cop on a Rooftop has raised more than $125,000 for Special Olympics Indiana.
The Indiana State Police will be at the Dunkin’ Donuts at 9821 Lima Road in Fort Wayne from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday.
A man’s family is demanding answers after he was shot by a security guard inside a hospital emergency room waiting area on Tuesday night in Gary, Indiana.
Methodist Northlake Hospital officials said, around midnight Tuesday night, its security staff responded quickly after a patient took out a gun. The hospital said he’d threatened to shoot himself or others.
The hospital commended the security guard who shot the man for “neutralizing the threat and helping ensure the safety of our patients and employees.”
Family members identified the man who was shot as Otis Brown. They said he is a kind father to a 12-year-old boy.
“Just a great person, a happy-go-lucky, always out there trying to do the right thing,” said his fiancée, Stacey Taylor.
Taylor said she was on a business trip when she got a call that Brown had been shot multiple times.
“Scared, uncertainty; you know, what story is right? You know, what happened?” she said.
After he was shot, Brown was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.
Taylor said she had no idea why Brown went to Methodist Northlake Hospital in the first place. His family said he was trying to leave the hospital when the shooting happened, claiming that the hospital gave him his gun back after he was cleared to leave.
“We just want to get answers, just want to know what happened, particularly when people are defaming his name,” Taylor said.
She and Brown’s family hope the hospital has surveillance video footage that can help provide answers.
Gary police have not provided any details on the shooting. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating the shooting at the request of Gary police, but did not provide any further information.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WSBT) — The Indiana Attorney General has finished its investigation into Karl King Tower and issued a compliance order.
This is coming after a months-long investigation into the unsafe living conditions for residents at the apartments.
From December 2025 to January 2026, there were prolonged failures with the heating and a lack of heat for residents during winter conditions at Karl King.
The property owner provided a 20% rent credit for affected tenants and documentation related to health and safety issues.
Below is the agreement from the Attorney General:
- The owner must complete boiler and heating system improvements by September 30.
- The property is subject to a monitoring period for multiple years.
- The owner needs to provide on-site security, including cameras in common areas and monthly incident reports.
- The building needs an on-site property manager to address resident concerns.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
The Attorney General has the authority to inspect the property and enforce compliance if commitments aren’t met.
-
News11 minutes agoExplosion at Lumber Mill in Searsmont, Maine, Draws Large Emergency Response
-
Politics17 minutes agoJustice Dept. Aims to Use Terrorism Laws to Target Mexican Officials
-
Business23 minutes agoSome Medicare Patients Can Now Get Free CBD
-
Science29 minutes agoArchaeologists Find Egyptian Mummy Buried With the ‘Iliad’
-
Culture47 minutes agoSpeculative Fiction Books Full of Real Horrors
-
Lifestyle53 minutes agoEating Healthy? No, They’re Eating Biblically.
-
Education59 minutes ago‘No Essay’ College Scholarships May Have Unseen Strings Attached
-
Technology1 hour agoOpenAI keeps shuffling its executives in bid to win AI agent battle