Republican Jim Banks wins race to become Indiana’s newest U.S. senator

Republican Jim Banks will be Indiana’s newest U.S. senator, according to a race call by the Associated Press.

Banks defeated Democrat Valerie McCray and Libertarian Andrew Horning.

The four-term U.S. representative is also a former member of the Indiana Senate. Banks has been a rising star in the Republican Party for years, including serving as chair of the influential Republican Study Committee in Congress.

Banks is a former U.S. Navy Reserve officer and served in Afghanistan during his tenure in the state Senate.

READ MORE: Banks wants to bring ‘proven fiscal and social conservative track record’ to U.S. Senate

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The Republican has been one of Indiana’s staunchest supporters of Donald Trump and has aligned himself on many positions shared by Trump. That includes building a wall on the southern U.S. border, deporting tens of millions of immigrants who lack documentation, and baselessly casting doubt on the 2020 presidential election results.

Many believed Banks had the open U.S. Senate seat locked up more than a year ago, when former Gov. Mitch Daniels opted not to seek the nomination. Banks ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

This story will be updated.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.