Holcomb further tried to cement himself as Pence’s replacement with an email to committee members detailing an “unequivocal endorsement” and commitment from Pence.
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In another email to the committee, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gave his endorsement to Brooks, saying he is “prepared to help Susan become the next governor of IN”.
“We … can not allow our state to slip, drift go backward to those days of debt and delayed payments”, Holcomb told the Associated Press. “Eric Holcomb wholeheartedly embraced the failed approach that embarrassed our state, cost us jobs and has left the middle class behind”.
Others candidates included U.S. Reps.
Key Indiana Republicans are set to meet to choose the candidate who will take Mike Pence’s place as the party’s gubernatorial nominee after Pence withdrew to become Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate.
John Gregg, the Democratic nominee for governor, said having the Pence-endorsed Holcomb as his opponent doesn’t change his campaign’s focus.
“I am speaking for myself, that I have had discussions with the governor and I look forward to his support”, Holcomb said.
The state GOP’s 22-member central committee met privately Tuesday and chose Holcomb over two members of Congress vying for the job – Rep. Susan Brooks and Rep. Todd Rokita.
The Republican candidate picked to replace Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on the November ballot says the state is heading in the right direction and he wants to continue with those policies. “There is a clear contract in this gubernatorial race between the policies that have made in the economic envy of the nation, and the empty rhetoric and failed policies of the Evan Bayh-John Gregg era that bankrupted our state, and Eric Holcomb is well-positioned to highlight those differences”.
It appears that Holcomb won’t be taking a page out of the Daniels handbook by declaring a “truce” on so-called social issues that have divided the state in recent years. “This job is too important to be a consolation prize”, Gregg said. But much of the jockeying for the nomination went on last week when the candidates and most committee members were at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Holcomb has never won a political race of his own, but was once chairman of the Indiana Republican Party as well as an aide to former Gov. Mitch Daniels.
That followed a dustup with some top donors, including GOP mega donor Al Hubbard, when Holcomb appeared to assert to committee members that he alone had assurances of financial support from Pence’s million war chest.
“He’s been uniquely positioned from the beginning given his relationship with people on the state committee over the past decade or more”, Hupfer said.
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However, Holcomb withdrew from the Senate race before the primary election, just before Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann resigned her position to seek the presidency at Ivy Tech Community College.
