Indiana Republican Sen. Chris Garten announced his candidacy Monday for Indiana State Senate President Pro Tempore.
It comes two months after he stepped down as Senate Majority Floor Leader, and days after current President Rodric Bray said he won’t seek another term to lead the state Senate.
In a news release, Garten pledged to lead with “decisive leadership and unapologetic conservatism.”
“Our caucus stands at a defining moment, and the challenges ahead demand bold, focused leadership,” Garten said, according to the news release. “I am committed to driving a conservative, Indiana First agenda and I am ready to deploy my experience to ensure our campaign apparatus is intentional and ambitious to secure and expand our supermajority.”
Garten said he intends to appoint Republican Sen. Eric Koch as Majority Floor Leader.
“Eric is an elite strategist, an accomplished attorney, and a deeply respected leader with judgment beyond reproach. In the floor leader seat, he will be a powerful driver of our conservative agenda for Hoosiers,” Garten said.
The changes come less than a year after a mid-decade attempt to redraw congressional districts to favor Republicans failed at the statehouse.
That measure, pushed by President Donald Trump, passed the Indiana House and failed in the Senate, with 21 of 40 Senate Republicans joining Democrats in the vote against it.
Bray and Garten didn’t agree on redistricting, with Bray voting against it after initially saying the Senate would not convene early for it. Garten, in contrast, supported the proposal, saying it was a chance for Indiana to partner with Washington.
“Some will say these maps are political. Let me be clear, you’re damn right they are,” Garten said in an impassioned speech on the floor ahead of the vote. “Political policy is political. Safe streets are political. Look at Indianapolis. Affordable electricity is political. A drug-free Indiana is political. Peace in the Middle East is political.”
Indiana Senate Republicans who voted against redistricting felt immediate blowback from the White House, when most lost their primary elections.
According to the news release, “Garten and Koch have committed to meeting with caucus members in the coming weeks to understand their legislative priorities and discuss a path forward to unite the caucus.”
WFYI reported Friday that Bray, who has led the Senate for eight years, would remain President Pro Tempore until the lawmakers choose a new leader. His term ends in 2028.
Garten was first elected to Indiana Senate District 45, which includes Clark and part of Floyd County, in 2018. Bray appointed him as Senate Majority Floor Leader in 2022.
Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County.
