Senate Republicans’ choice for president pro tem, Charlestown Republican Chris Garten, could lose his re-election bid. Ballots from two Clark County precincts are under review in the Senate District 45 race, and the county’s Democratic chair says the review could change the outcome.
Miguel Hampton, chair of the Clark County Democratic Party, told Indy Politics the ballots are under review and that the review could change the outcome of the race. He would not comment further.
Lawyers are involved in the review, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Unofficial results posted by the Indiana Secretary of State show Garten with 21,817 votes and Democrat Nick Marshall with 21,520, a margin of 297 votes. Libertarian Larry Mahaney was also on the ballot.
The source told Indy Politics the ballots in question come from two precincts that lean heavily Democratic, as much as 70-30.
Clark County Clerk Ryan Lynch, who sits on the county election board, did not return a call seeking comment Friday.
Marshall carried the Floyd County portion of the district 2,911 to 2,761, according to Floyd County’s unofficial results. As of Wednesday, the Associated Press had not called the race.
Garten announced he would seek the pro tem post after Martinsville Republican Rodric Bray, who has led the Senate since 2018, said earlier this year he would step aside. Senate Republicans selected Garten as their choice this week, and on Wednesday Garten named Bedford Republican Eric Koch majority floor leader, the post Garten has held since Bray appointed him in August 2022. A loss would leave the caucus without its choice for the Senate’s top leadership post.
Clark County has had problems tabulating ballots in recent elections. In 2024, the county said three memory sticks used to carry results from polling places to central count did not upload, leaving 4,086 ballots out of the first unofficial results. In 2022, about 1,700 ballots were not correctly transferred to the tabulation software, an error that reversed the result of the House District 71 race.
This story will be updated.
