Unsuccessful Candidates in Indiana Primary Face Loan Settlement Dilemma

The aftermath of the most expensive primary in Indiana history has left unsuccessful candidates with millions of dollars in loaned debts. Candidates like Brad Chambers and Eric Doden, who loaned their campaigns millions of dollars, are now facing the challenge of settling these debts.

The Indiana Election Division states that committees can either repay their loans or have the lender forgive them. However, there is no deadline for disbanding a candidate’s committee, and so far, no unsuccessful candidates have filed the necessary paperwork to officially disband.

Some candidates, like former Democratic governor Evan Bayh, have chosen to hold onto their campaign funds for future runs, despite losing their bids. This strategy, however, does not always guarantee success, as seen in Bayh’s loss to Republican Todd Young in 2016.

In the recent Republican gubernatorial primary, candidates like Chambers and Doden poured millions of dollars into their campaigns but ultimately lost to U.S. Sen. Mike Braun. Braun, now the GOP pick for the governor’s race, will face off against Democrat Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian Donald Rainwater in the November election.

Campaign finance reports show the significant amounts of money Chambers and Doden invested in their campaigns, with Doden receiving large contributions from his family members. The other candidates in the Republican primary did not take loans from themselves or others.

The trend of significant self-funding among Indiana candidates is part of a national trend, with the amount of self-funding in congressional races quadrupling from 2002 to 2022. This trend has been supported by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions to protect candidates’ unlimited ability to lend or donate to themselves.

Overall, the question remains: how will unsuccessful candidates settle their millions of loaned dollars and what impact will this have on future political campaigns in Indiana?