The 2016 Indiana gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

and

lieutenant governor of Indiana The lieutenant governor of Indiana is a Constitution of Indiana, constitutional office in the US state of Indiana. Republican Party (United States), Republican Micah Beckwith, who assumed office January 13, 2025, is the incumbent. The office hol ...

, concurrently with the

2016 U.S. presidential election Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and ...

as well as

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...

to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

and

to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

and various

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

and

local elections Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

. The primaries were held on May 3, 2016. Republican lieutenant governor Eric Holcomb won the race with 51.4% of the vote. Incumbent Republican Governor

Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

was running for reelection to a second term in office until July 15, 2016, when then-Republican presidential nominee

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

selected Pence as his vice presidential running mate. As Pence was barred by Indiana law from simultaneously running for both offices, he subsequently withdrew from the gubernatorial election. Pence went on to be elected

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...

. He was replaced on the ballot for governor by his former

running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a pre ...

, incumbent lieutenant governor

Eric Holcomb Eric Joseph Holcomb ( ; born May 2, 1968) is an American politician who served as the 51st governor of Indiana, from 2017 to 2025. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served from 2016 to 2017 as the 51st Lieuten ...

, who was selected by the Indiana Republican State Committee as the nominee on July 26, 2016. Holcomb later selected

State Auditor State auditors (also known as state comptrollers, state controllers, or state examiners, among others) are fiscal officers lodged in the executive or legislative branches of U.S. state governments who serve as external auditors, program eval ...

Suzanne Crouch Suzanne Crouch (born February 27, 1952) is an American politician who served as the 52nd lieutenant governor of Indiana, from 2017 to 2025. She previously served as the 56th state auditor of Indiana from 2014 to 2017. In 2024 she ran for governor ...

on August 1, 2016, to be his running mate as the nomination for lieutenant governor was made vacant by the decision of Holcomb to seek the gubernatorial nomination; she was confirmed at a subsequent meeting of the Indiana Republican State Committee later that day. John Gregg, the former

Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives The speaker of the Indiana State House of Representatives is the highest official in the Indiana House of Representatives, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party. As in most English-speaking world, Anglophone countries and provin ...

, was the Democratic nominee. Gregg previously ran for Governor in 2012, but was defeated by Pence.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

, incumbent governor (withdrew after primary to run for

as the running mate of

)

Declined

Greg Ballard Gregory Alan Ballard (born November 20, 1954) is an American politician, author, and businessman who served as the 48th mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Marine Corps. On November 6, 200 ...

, former mayor of Indianapolis *

Susan Brooks Susan Lynn Brooks (née Wiant) (born August 25, 1960) is an American prosecutor and politician. She is a Republican and the former U.S. Representative for . She was elected in 2012. The district includes the northern fifth of Indianapolis, as w ...

, U.S. Representative and former

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the Southern District of Indiana (ran for re-election) *

Luke Messer Allen Lucas Messer (born February 27, 1969) is an American politician and lobbyist who represented Indiana's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party. Bor ...

, U.S. Representative (ran for re-election) *

Todd Young Todd Christopher Young (born August 24, 1972) is an American politician, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran serving as the senior United States senator from Indiana, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Young previou ...

, U.S. Representative (ran for the U.S. Senate)

Results

Republican State Committee selection

On July 15, 2016, Donald Trump announced that Pence would be his running mate as

vice president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

in the 2016 presidential election. Under Indiana law, Pence was unable to run for both governor and vice president simultaneously; he therefore withdrew from the gubernatorial election, creating a vacancy on the Republican ticket. On July 26, the chairman of the

Indiana Republican Party The Indiana Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in the state of Indiana. The chairman of the Indiana Republican State Committee is Lana Keesling. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling al ...

, Jeff Cardwell, announced that

had been nominated by the Indiana Republican State Committee to replace Pence on the ballot for governor. The vote totals were not released. Holcomb later selected

on August 1, 2016, to be his running mate as the nomination for lieutenant governor was made vacant by the decision of Holcomb to seek the gubernatorial nomination; she was then confirmed by the Committee at a meeting later that day.

Candidates

Declared

, U.S. Representative and former

for the Southern District of Indiana *

Lieutenant Governor of Indiana The lieutenant governor of Indiana is a Constitution of Indiana, constitutional office in the US state of Indiana. Republican Party (United States), Republican Micah Beckwith, who assumed office January 13, 2025, is the incumbent. The office hol ...

** Running mate:

Indiana State Auditor The Indiana auditor of state (doing business as ''"the Indiana state comptroller"'') is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Indiana. Fifty-seven individuals have occupied the office of auditor of sta ...

Todd Rokita Theodore Edward Rokita ( ; born February 9, 1970) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 44th and current Indiana Attorney General, Attorney General of Indiana. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives fro ...

, U.S. Representative and former

Indiana Secretary of State Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

* Jim Tomes, state senator

Declined

* Brian Bosma,

Speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

of the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House mem ...

Mitch Daniels Mitchell Elias Daniels Jr. (born April 7, 1949) is an American Academic administration, academic administrator, businessman, author, and retired politician who served as the 49th governor of Indiana from 2005 to 2013. A Republican Party (United ...

, former

governor of Indiana The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the U.S. state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state gover ...

* Lloyd Winnecke, Mayor of

Evansville Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 census, it is Indiana's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the most populous city in S ...

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

* John R. Gregg, former

of the

and nominee for Governor in 2012 **Running mate: Christina Hale, state representative

Withdrawn

Glenda Ritz Glenda Neubauer Ritz (born 1954) is an American educator and politician who formerly served as the former Superintendent of Public Instruction for Indiana. She was elected in 2012, defeating incumbent Superintendent Tony Bennett. She was the fir ...

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction The superintendent of public instruction was an elected officer in the state government of Indiana. The official was an elected member of the executive branch of government and worked with the state Board of Education as head of the Indiana Depa ...

(subsequently ran for re-election) * Karen Tallian, state senator

Declined

Evan Bayh Birch Evans "Evan" Bayh III ( ; born December 26, 1955) is an American politician who served as the List of governors of Indiana, 46th governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997 and as a United States Senate, United States senator representing Indi ...

, former U.S. Senator and former governor of Indiana ( ran for the U.S. Senate) *

Pete Buttigieg Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg ( ; born January 19, 1982) is an American politician and former naval officer who served as the 19th United States Secretary of Transportation, United States secretary of transportation from 2021 to 2025. A me ...

, Mayor of

South Bend South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

* Greg Goodnight, Mayor of Kokomo * Baron Hill, former U.S. Representative and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1990 *

Scott Pelath Scott Douglas Pelath (born July 9, 1970) was the Minority Leader of the Indiana House of Representatives. From 1998 to 2018 he represented Indiana's 9th District, which currently covers portions of LaPorte County and Porter County in Northwest ...

, Minority Leader of the

* Tony Roswarski, Mayor of Lafayette * Tom Sugar, vice president of Complete College America and former aide to

Endorsements

Results

Libertarian Party convention

Candidates

Declared

* Rex Bell, businessman *Jim Wallace

Nominated

* Rex Bell, businessman **Running mate: Karl Tatgenhorst

General election

Candidates

*Democratic: John R. Gregg, former

of the

and nominee for Governor in 2012 **Running mate: Christina Hale, state representative *Libertarian: Rex Bell, businessman **Running mate: Karl Tatgenhorst *Republican:

**Running mate:

Debates

*Governor:
Complete video of debate
September 27, 2016 -

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American Cable television in the United States, cable and Satellite television in the United States, satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a Non ...

Complete video of debate
October 3, 2016 -

Complete video of debate
October 25, 2016 -

*Lt. Governor:
Complete video of debate
August 9, 2016 - Hoosier Ag Today

Predictions

Polling

Aggregate polls
Graphical summary
with Mike Pence
with Susan Brooks
with Todd Rokita
with Baron Hill
with Glenda Ritz

Results

Holcomb won with 51.4% of the votes, with Gregg taking 45.4%, and Libertarian Rex Bell finishing with 3.2%.

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Crawford (largest city: Marengo) * Greene (largest city: Linton) *

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States * Madison (footballer), Brazilian footballer Places in the United States Populated places * Madi ...

(largest city: Anderson) *

Pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...

(largest city: Petersburg) *

Scott Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Sas ...

(largest city: Scottsburg) * Starke (largest city: Knox)

By congressional district

Holcomb won 7 of 9 congressional districts.

Notes

References

External links

Official campaign websites (archived)
Eric Holcomb (R) for Governor

John Gregg (D) for Governor

Rex Bell (L) for Governor
{{2016 United States elections

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

Mike Pence 2016 elections in the United States November 2016 in the United States 2016 in Indiana