Sen. Mike Braun makes campaign stop in Michiana

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Republican Mike Braun will give up his seat in the U.S. Senate to run for Indiana governor, but not until the last minute.

Braun is not running for reelection to the senate, but he will finish out the 16 months left on his term.

With Congress in recess, Braun today brought his campaign for governor to South Bend. “You’ve got to remember when I ran for Senate I started with one percent and even friends and family thought that was a fool’s errand. I invested 15 months, 14 to 18 hours a day, six days a week, so I’m going to do that same thing here.”

What won’t be the same is the fierce support Braun got in his 2018 race from President Donald Trump, who attended four Indiana rallies with Braun, including one in Elkhart in August of 2018.

“I don’t think he’s going to be coming in when he’s running for president in any of the local races. That was a mid-term, remember,” said Braun.

During Braun’s time in the Senate, he says he has seen the national debt grow from $18 trillion to nearly $33 trillion. He still hopes to fight for reform but feels that’s more likely to happen on a state-by-state basis.

“I think here’s more potential to show how you can run a state government well that solves problems across the board, embraces our values along the way, and be an example not only to other states but maybe how things should run out in D.C.

Braun won his senate seat by beating Joe Donnelly in 2018.

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