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What to know about the candidates and issues in Indiana's open U.S. Senate race

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What to know about the candidates and issues in Indiana's open U.S. Senate race


Indiana’s 2024 elections feature a rare open U.S. Senate seat, as it is being vacated by Republican Mike Braun to run for governor.

The competition in the race up until this point has been minimal, with only a contested Democratic primary earlier this year. Here’s what you need to know about the candidates and some of the campaign issues in this race.

Jim Banks

Jim Banks, currently the congressman for Indiana’s 3rd District, was uncontested in the Republican primary to become the Hoosier State’s next U.S. senator.

The Columbia City congressman launched his campaign in January 2023 and gained major endorsements from Republicans inside and outside of the state. Banks is a military veteran and served in the Indiana Senate prior to his election to Congress. Here are some of the key issues for his campaign:

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Rep. Jim Banks speaks in Indianapolis on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, during a town hall-style meeting to discuss PublicSquare, which dubs itself as an “anti-woke” shopping app. Rep. Jim Banks is seeking a U.S. Senate seat during next year's elections.

Rep. Jim Banks speaks in Indianapolis on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, during a town hall-style meeting to discuss PublicSquare, which dubs itself as an “anti-woke” shopping app. Rep. Jim Banks is seeking a U.S. Senate seat during next year’s elections.
  • Immigration: Banks said he has and will advocate for a secure border and reinstating Trump administration policies, such as requiring migrants to remain in Mexico before their asylum claims are heard in the U.S.

  • “Pro-life” policies: The congressman’s campaign site states that he will advocate for anti-abortion policies, including allowing no federal tax dollars to go to Planned Parenthood and voting for judges that “respect the Constitution.”

  • Veterans: Banks, a veteran, said he wants to continue to make sure veterans receive care and benefits they are entitled to.

  • Economy: Per his campaign site, Banks said he would support “pro-growth policies” like Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and efforts to fill the “skills gap” between training and available jobs. The congressman said he also would seek to reduce the national debt.

  • Education: Banks opposes critical race theory and “liberal propaganda” being taught in schools. He also seeks to “protect girls’ sports,” messaging conservatives use to object to transgender children participating in sports.

  • National security: Banks said he wants to give service members the ability to defend the country from outside threats, but in a financially responsible way. Banks’ website also states that the U.S. has a “moral obligation to protect Israel.”

Valerie McCray

McCray, a clinical psychologist from Indianapolis, won the May primary to become the Democratic nominee in the U.S. Senate race. She previously ran for president during the 2020 election cycle. The issues in her platform include the following:

Valerie McCray, nominee for U.S. Senate, speak on the what the upcoming November election could mean for Hoosiers on Saturday, July 13, 2024, during the Indiana Democratic State Convention in Indianapolis.Valerie McCray, nominee for U.S. Senate, speak on the what the upcoming November election could mean for Hoosiers on Saturday, July 13, 2024, during the Indiana Democratic State Convention in Indianapolis.

Valerie McCray, nominee for U.S. Senate, speak on the what the upcoming November election could mean for Hoosiers on Saturday, July 13, 2024, during the Indiana Democratic State Convention in Indianapolis.
  • Foreign policy: McCray said the country should follow foreign policy that values “human life.” Her website states this policy should include an “immediate ceasefire” in the Israel-Hamas war and a return to a two-state solution.

  • Economy and housing: McCray’s website says she would support less burdensome taxes on middle-class families. She also supports unions and efforts for fair wages. She views affordable housing as a right and said she would support efforts to make it easier for Hoosiers to find housing they can afford.

  • Immigration: McCray would advocate for “comprehensive immigration reform,” which would include expedited work permits, more efficient asylum and increasing funding for federal efforts such as asylum judges and border patrol. She said she would support the president shutting down the border if the immigration system becomes overwhelmed.

Andrew Horning

Horning is the Libertarian candidate for Indiana’s 2024 U.S. Senate race. The Freedom, Indiana, resident has run for various offices over the last 30 years, including governor, U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Horning is retired and previously worked for medical technology companies, according to his campaign website.

Andrew Horning is the Libertarian Candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024.Andrew Horning is the Libertarian Candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024.

Andrew Horning is the Libertarian Candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024.

Horning writes on his website that he advocates for constitutional design, which he said means that the government should do business based on the “clear written law.” He believes some of the country’s issues that need to be addressed include:

  • Two-party political system: Horning argues the U.S.’s two major political parties are “anti-constitutional,” “suppress competition” and have contributed to divisiveness throughout the country.

  • Foreign policy: Horning writes that the U.S. should no longer fund and train its foreign and domestic enemies and focus on “dangers” within the country’s own borders, such as immigration and threats he describes from the Chinese Communist Party.

  • Immigration: The Libertarian said he supports efforts to fix the “border crisis,” including addressing the cost of “legal” labor so employers don’t seek “illegal” workers at a lower cost. He also suggests making immigration laws more consistent to stop migrants and employers from remaining quiet and breaking the law. Finally, Horning writes that the U.S. should stop foreign involvement that make other countries “practically uninhabitable” and force those citizens to seek new places to live.

Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana’s U.S. Senate race is open. Here are the candidates and issues

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Indiana

Indiana economy predicted to outperform national economy in 2025

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Indiana economy predicted to outperform national economy in 2025


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — According to a new forecast by the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, the Indiana economy is on a sustainable path to growth.

Experts put together an economic outlook for 2025 that said 2024 had stronger than expected output, and considering the stronger output and improvements in inflation, Indiana is on track to “return to equilibrium” in 2025.

Phil Powell, an IU Kelley School of Business economist, contributed to the report.

“We are forecasting a pretty strong economy in 2025 for the nation,” Powell said. “And our state is going to perform better than the rest of the country.”

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Powell says Indiana is projected to do well thanks to new business sector growth.

“So, with interest rates coming down, this is helping manufacturing in Indiana, and that’s going to disproportionately drive our growth relative to the rest of the nation,” Powell said.

Powell said his research has not shown a correlation between what political party is in the White House and economic growth.

“When you look at the history of economic performance in the United States, there is really no statistically significant difference in who is in office,” Powell said. “So, when we build our economic forecasting models, it’s independent of who is going to win and lose an election.”

The lower cost of living fueling consumer purchases also helps Indiana’s economic growth.

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Brian Vander Schee, an IU Kelley School of Business marketing professor, contributed to the report.

“We’ve seen that there have been personal savings or an accumulation of wealth kinda saved up as a post-Covid period, but people continue spending as consumers, which helps the economy continue to grow, and we project that will continue into the new year,” Vander Schee said.

The Kelley School of Business will publish a detailed report of its 2025 economic outlook in December.
You can find that infomration in the Indiana Business Review.

For now, you can find more information about the report here.

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2024 College Football Week 11 action report: ‘Impressive’ Indiana is ‘public darling’

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2024 College Football Week 11 action report: ‘Impressive’ Indiana is ‘public darling’


In Week 11 college football odds, the major players are once again SEC teams. But if you want the closest thing to a sure thing this season, then you should look to the Big Ten.

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And I don’t mean Oregon or Ohio State or Penn State. Indiana is a perfect 9-0 straight up (SU) and a nation-leading 8-1 against the spread (ATS).

“I compare this Indiana team to TCU from two years ago. Every week, we see sharp action going against the Hoosiers, and they keep covering,” Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said.

Bookmakers and sharp bettors serve up their insights on Michigan vs. Indiana odds and more, in this week’s college football betting nuggets.

Hoosier Favorite?

Indiana is battering opponents on the field and beating up bookmakers off it. The closest games for the Hoosiers this season were two 14-point home victories: 42-28 vs. Maryland and 31-17 vs. Washington.

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Last weekend, the Hoosiers were 7.5-point favorites at Michigan State and spotted the Spartans a 10-0 lead. Then Indiana scored the game’s final 47 points to win 47-10.

In college football Week 11 odds, Caesars opened the Hoosiers as 14-point home favorites vs. defending national champion Michigan. How odd does that sound? Yet as of Wednesday night, bettors had pushed Indiana up to -15 for Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff.

“They’re a public darling now. They just get stuff done. Really impressive,” Feazel said of the Hoosiers. “To no one’s surprise, we’re taking more Indiana money this week.

“I would not be surprised if we see Michigan money come game day, from the sharp crowd. They’re gonna bet against Indiana until they get it right. But we’ll bet a lot of Indiana money on game day, too. Indiana is a big public side.” 

College Football Rocks On FOX

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Perhaps surprisingly, Colorado is on a run and in contention for the Big 12 title. Which means Coach Prime & Co. are in the conversation to make the 12-team College Football Playoff.

This week’s Big Noon Kickoff travels to Lubbock, Texas, for a key clash between Colorado and Texas Tech. The pregame team will do its thing from 9 a.m.-noon ET, followed by a cushion before a 4 p.m. ET kickoff (while you’re waiting for that kickoff, take in Purdue vs. Ohio State at noon ET on FOX).

DraftKings Sportsbook opened Colorado (6-2 SU and ATS) as a 3.5-point favorite vs. Texas Tech (6-3 SU/5-3-1 ATS). The Buffaloes spent some time at -3 on Sunday and Monday before returning to -3.5.

Colorado is getting the majority of point-spread play at DraftKings, landing 78% of bets and 57% of money. Plenty of customers are bypassing the point spread and just taking Colorado to win the game on the moneyline, where the Buffs are taking a hefty 87% of bets and 60% of money.

And that’s as of Wednesday night. By kickoff Saturday, DK and likely most other sportsbooks will be big Red Raiders fans.

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Is Shedeur Sanders ready for the NFL?

Is Shedeur Sanders ready for the NFL?

On-Campus Sharp Side

Last week, college football betting expert Paul Stone took Vanderbilt as a 7-point underdog at Auburn. And the Commodores (6-3 SU/7-2 ATS), having a season for the ages, won outright 17-7.

In college football Week 11 odds, Stone is looking for a bounce-back effort from Iowa State. In Week 10, the Cyclones were 14-point home favorites vs. aforementioned Texas Tech and lost outright 23-22.

Next up for Iowa State (7-1 SU/5-3 ATS) is a semi-neutral-site game vs. Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Even though the Jayhawks are just 2-6 SU and ATS, Iowa State is only a 3-point favorite. As Stone pointed out, that’s because Kansas has five losses this season by six or fewer points.

But Stone expects a solid effort from the Cyclones, who are in the thick of the Big 12 title chase and an automatic CFP berth.

“Coach Matt Campbell’s teams have responded well off a loss since he took over back in 2016,” Stone said. “In fact, the Cyclones are 27-14-1 ATS off a straight-up loss during Campbell’s time in Ames. With its back firmly against the wall, I expect Iowa State to fire its best shot Saturday against Kansas.”

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Stone also expects plenty of Cyclones fans on hand to offset the Jayhawks crowd, which has a much shorter trip to the game.

“Iowa State fans love to travel to Kansas City, so I believe Iowa State will have at least an equal number of fans as Kansas,” Stone added. “I believe the Cyclones will cover the 3-point spread and keep their playoff hopes alive.”

CFB Week 11: Georgia vs. Ole Miss best bets, predictions & odds

CFB Week 11: Georgia vs. Ole Miss best bets, predictions & odds

SEC Showdowns

Feazel also chimed in on arguably the two biggest games in Week 11 college football odds: No. 11 Alabama vs. No. 15 LSU, and No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 16 Ole Miss.

Both Alabama (6-2 SU/4-4 ATS) and LSU (6-2 SU/3-5 ATS) need wins to stay in the 12-team CFP conversation.

“Whoever loses will have three losses and will have to rely on the spin cycle to get into the CFP,” Feazel said. “We opened Alabama -2.5 and quickly went to -3. The number is probably gonna stick around here.”

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While early Alabama action helped push the point spread up, Feazel is prepared to see plenty of LSU money by Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff.

“I expect two-way action by game time, because we have a big customer base in Louisiana,” he said. “It’s a night game in Death Valley. I’ll expect to see some angle shooters coming in on the Tigers.”

At 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Georgia (7-1 SU/2-6 ATS) visits Ole Miss (7-2 SU/6-3 ATS). The Bulldogs opened -2.5 and stood at -3 (-105) on Wednesday night. The underdog Rebels also can ill afford another loss.

“This game is their season,” Feazel said of the Rebels. “Money-wise, there’s a little bit more on Georgia, and that’s probably what we’ll continue to see.”

Kansas vs. Iowa State, UCLA vs. Iowa: CFB Week 11 Best Bets

Kansas vs. Iowa State, UCLA vs. Iowa: CFB Week 11 Best Bets

I Like Big Bets And I Cannot Lie

By late Wednesday night, there wasn’t much to report in the way of major wagers on college football Week 10 odds. In fact, the only five-figure play that Caesars noted was for $12,273 on James Madison -16.5 vs. Georgia State.

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If the host Dukes cover, then the bettor wins $11,157, for a total payout of $23,430.

Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas

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Big Ten schedule has unbeaten Indiana hosting Michigan while Penn State seeks to bounce back

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Big Ten schedule has unbeaten Indiana hosting Michigan while Penn State seeks to bounce back


Things to watch this week in the Big Ten Conference:

Game of the week

Michigan (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) at No. 8 Indiana (9-0, 6-0, No. 8 CFP), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

Indiana is 9-0 for the first time ever and already has matched the school record for wins in a single season. All nine of Indiana’s wins have been decided by at least 14 points.

The Hoosiers attempt to continue their surprising playoff push when they host defending national champion Michigan, which has lost three of its last four games. Michigan has won 27 of the last 29 meetings between these teams, but BetMGM Sportsbook has Indiana as a 14 ½-point favorite.

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The undercard

Washington (5-4, 3-3) at No. 6 Penn State (7-1, 4-1, No. 6 CFP), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (Peacock)

Even after losing 20-13 at home to No. 3 Ohio State last week, Penn State still seems to have a direct path to the playoff if it avoid stumbling in any of its final four regular-season games.

But the Nittany Lions likely can’t afford another loss. That makes Saturday’s game critical.

Indiana tight end Zach Horton (44) and offensive lineman Carter Smith (65) celebrate after Horton’s touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan State, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in East Lansing, Mich. Credit: AP/Al Goldis

Washington snapped a two-game skid last week by beating Southern California, 26-21. Points should be at a premium Saturday, as Penn State is ranked seventh and Washington 10th in total defense. BetMGM has Penn State as a 13 ½-point favorite.

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Impact players

Washington LB Carson Bruener intercepted two passes and delivered 12 tackles in the victory over USC.

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel has been responsible for 177 touchdowns (144 passing, 32 rushing, 1 receiving) in his career. That puts him one away from the FBS record owned by Case Keenum, who was responsible for 178 touchdowns (155 passing, 23 rushing) at Houston from 2007-11.

Indiana DL Mikail Kamara’s 4 ½ tackles for loss in a 47-10 blowout of Michigan State matched the second-highest individual total for any player in a Bowl Subdivision game this season. Kamara also had 2 ½ sacks.

Michigan tight end Colston Loveland (18) runs after making a...

Michigan tight end Colston Loveland (18) runs after making a catch and is tackled by Oregon defensive backs Kobe Savage (5) and Brandon Johnson (3) in the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Oregon defeated Michigan 38-17. Credit: AP/Jose Juarez

UCLA LB Carson Schwesinger leads the Big Ten with 10.6 tackles per game. His 13 tackles in a 27-20 triumph at Nebraska marked his sixth straight game with at least 10 stops. He’s the first Bruin to have double-digit tackles in six consecutive games since Eric Kendricks did it in his Butkus Award-winning season of 2014.

Ohio State DT JT Tuimoloau has recorded at least one tackle for loss in six straight games.

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Inside the numbers

Iowa’s 329 yards rushing in a 42-10 victory over Wisconsin represented its highest single-game total since 2019. The Hawkeyes had four players rush for 50-plus yards, the first time that’s happened in coach Kirk Ferentz’s 26 seasons. … Minnesota’s 25-17 win over Illinois marked the first time the Gophers had beaten a Bret Bielema-coached team in 11 tries. Bielema coached at Wisconsin from 2006-12 and took over at Illinois in 2021. … Gabriel has completed 74.8% of his passes to lead all FBS players. … Michigan State had minus-36 yards rushing in its loss to Indiana, a Hoosiers school record.

Now don’t get upset

Penn State’s likely in a must-win situation the rest of the regular season as it tries to keep its playoff hopes alive, yet the Nittany Lions face a possible trap game as they host Washington a week after their tough loss to Ohio State. A home crowd at night should help but this could be a defensive struggle that enables Washington to cover that 13 ½-point spread.



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