Banks’ foe removed from primary GOP Senate race
A decision Tuesday at a meeting of the Indiana Election Commission in Indianapolis ousted potential Republican candidate for US Senate John Rust from the primary ballot on May 7 citing the fact he did not comply with state law that notes a candidate’s vote in the past two primary must be for the party he is running for office with. An exception to this rule could be made if the county chairman where the candidate lives approves of the move and in this case, Rust, a resident of the Seymour area of Jackson County, could not obtain the approval of Jackson GOP chairman Amanda Lowery.
Court records indicate Rust has not voted in a primary since 2016 and although he voted Republican that time, his previous primary to that in 2012 included a call for a Democratic ballot.
The Indiana Election Commission heard challenges from six different counties including Whitley (Columbia City, Banks’ hometown) saying Rust should not be allowed to run and the Commission voted 4-0 to remove Rust which was a bipartisan effort as the Commission is made up of two Republicans and two Democrats.
Banks is currently in his third term as the Third District Congressman with Adams County included in his district.
In his deposition under oath to the Commission, Rust said he wanted to run as a Republican because there is little chance a Democrat can win in Indiana, Banks had charged that Rust was a lifelong Democrat and with his personal wealth was self-funding his Senate campaign.
Rust noted he was disappointed with the Commission ruling but said that despite the bi-partisan vote, it was the state Republican party that was trying to keep him off the ballot.
Banks and Rust were both seeking to replace GOP Senator Mike Braun who is leaving the Senate after just one term and is a strong candidate in a crowed Republican field for Indiana Governor. With Tuesday’s deci
sion, Banks will have clear sailing to at least the fall election as the only candidate on the Republican ticket for US Senator in the primary.
Rust and his attorney argued before the commission the constitutionality of the two-primary requirement was still pending before the Indiana Supreme Court but also on Tuesday, justices for the state’s highest court upheld that requirement but did not give a legal reasoning for their action. Rust announced Tuesday he planned to appeal the Commission’s decision to Marion Court Superior Court as well as the United States Supreme Court, pending a full and final ruling from the state Supreme Court.
Several other decisions were also handed down Tuesday by the Election Commission regarding candidacies this year.
Democrat Tamie Dixon-Tatum tried to appeal her case of lack
of required signatures to run for Governor but was rejected 4-0.
Candidates are required to submit 500 signatures from each of the nine Congressional districts to be an eligible Gubernatorial candidate and Dixon-Tatum only turned in 1,896 citing her small group of volunteers, budget, and lack of party back. Democrats across the state are strongly backing the candidacy of Jennifer McCormick, a former Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction, She changed parties after numerous disagreements on education policy and easily met all requirements to run for office this year.
McCormick, who has relatives in southern Adams County, dropped off nearly 10,000 signatures to run. County Democrats are planning an event after the state party convention in June that will feature McCormick
President Joe Biden easily fended off a weak challenge from a seventh congressional district Republican candidate who said Biden did not meet signature requirements.
Biden was well over the required number and when the challenger from the seventh district, Gabriel Whitley, did not show up for the Commission meeting, the challenge was quickly dismissed.
Another attempt to keep Biden’s likely November opponent, Donald Trump, off the ballot in Indiana was heard as Benjamin Kester of Monroe County asserted the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution bars insurrectionists from holding certain offices and thus Trump should not be on the ballot.
Trump lawyers at the hearing initially argued the Commission lacked jurisdiction to hear the challenge and then tried to disqualify Democratic member Karen Celestino-Horseman for “bias and prejudice” on the basis of a 2023 column she penned that appeared in the Indianapolis Business Journal about Trump and the riot at the United States Capitol Building. That vote failed on a 2-2 decision but the vote to allow Trump to be on the Indiana ballot passed 3-1.