Now that the legislative session is over look for things to really start heating up in the race for Governor.   First, let’s start with the Fox 59/CBS 4 poll that shows good news and bad news for Mike Braun.  The poll shows the following…

  • Mike Braun  – 33.6  percent
  • Suzanne Crouch – 7.2 percent
  • Eric Doden – 6.6 percent
  • Brad Chambers  – 5.2 percent
  • Curtis Hill – 2.4 percent
  • Jamie Reitnour – 1.6 percent
  • Undecided – 43.3 percent

If your name is “undecided”, you’re the front-runner.  Just kidding.  But while Braun is the front-runner with slightly more than 33 percent, that’s actually lower than where’s been.  Back in November of 2022 Braun’s internal polling had him at 40 percent.  That number dropped down to 40 percent in December 2023.   That’s a 13-point drop in the polls without a dollar of advertising spent against him.  

And we don’t expect things to get better as the negative ads really get started.  Look for Braun to get hit on his position with respect to qualified immunity with police officers (although in fairness to Braun, we’re hearing he has been speaking with the law enforcement community and has worked out a lot of those issues.)  And look for Braun to take a few hits on his vote to increase the gas tax (as responsible as it was) when he was in the state legislature.

We reached out in our LNG capacity to get some reaction from the candidates regarding the poll.  Here’s what we received…

Josh Kelley, Senior Advisor Mike Braun Campaign

  • “As Mike Braun’s gubernatorial campaign advances, his strategic positioning becomes increasingly evident. Braun’s campaign has now entered a phase of undeniable momentum. His extensive fundraising success, broad base of support, and endorsement from President Trump underscore his dominant stance in the race.” 

Luke Thomas, Chambers for Indiana

  • Sitting U.S. Senator Mike Braun’s numbers continue to fall even before his record has been challenged. Nearly half of voters are undecided as to who they will support, and we’re still a month away from voters really starting to tune in to this race. Two months is a long time in politics and we expect to see this race change dramatically.

Brian Gamache, Eric Doden Campaign

  • Eric Doden is the only candidate in the race whose support is growing in every poll. When voters hear his message and ideas, this race tightens. We know voters are just starting to pay attention, and we’re excited about the direction of this campaign – get ready for the next 60 days.”

Suzanne Crouch’s campaign had no comment, and we did not hear back from Curtis Hill.