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More Statehouse incumbents in competitive primaries than any election since 2008

By Brandon Smith, IPB News | Published on in Government, Politics
There are 26 Indiana House or Senate races that include at least one incumbent this year. That’s the most since 2008, when there were 28. (WFIU/TIU)

More Indiana Statehouse lawmakers face primary challenges this year than any election in more than a decade.

There are 26 Indiana House or Senate races that include at least one incumbent in Tuesday’s primary election. That’s the most since 2008, when there were 28.

A few of those contested seats feature two incumbents – something that’s not unusual after a redistricting year. And most of the incumbent challenges are on the Republican side – again, not that unusual in such a GOP-dominated state.

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Incumbent losses in the primary aren’t common in Indiana. There’s typically no more than one or two per election.

There are no statewide election results to watch Tuesday night – the U.S. Senate primaries are uncontested between incumbent U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Democratic challenger Tom McDermott.

There are three other statewide elected positions on the ballot this fall: secretary of state, auditor and treasurer. But the candidates for those races are chosen at the state political party conventions several weeks from now.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.