2020 Indiana gubernatorial election
November 3, 2020
 
Nominee Eric Holcomb Woody Myers Donald Rainwater
Party Republican Democratic Libertarian
Running mate Suzanne Crouch Linda Lawson William Henry
Popular vote 1,706,727 968,094 345,569
Percentage 56.5% 32.1% 11.4%
Holcomb:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Myers:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tie:      40–50%      50%
     No data
Governor before election

Eric Holcomb
Republican

 Elected Governor

Eric Holcomb
Republican

The 2020 Indiana gubernatorial election was won by incumbent Republican Eric Holcomb on November 3, 2020. The election was held concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Holcomb was eligible to run for re-election to a second term in office, and announced his intention to do so on July 13, 2019 alongside his lieutenant governor, Suzanne Crouch.[1] He faced Democrat Woody Myers, the former health commissioner of Indiana (and later, of New York City) and his running mate, Linda Lawson, the former minority leader of the Indiana House of Representatives, in addition to Libertarian Donald Rainwater, a U.S. Navy veteran and his running mate William Henry.[2][3] Primary elections were held on June 2; Holcomb and Myers ran unopposed.

In the general election, Holcomb won re-election to a second term. Myers also became the first major party candidate to receive fewer than one million votes since Republican David McIntosh in 2000.[4] The election was also notable for the strong performance of Libertarian candidate Rainwater, who finished in second place, behind Holcomb and ahead of Myers, in over one-third of Indiana's counties, thirty-three out of ninety-two.[5] The stronger-than-expected performance by Rainwater was perceived to be a reaction to Governor Holcomb's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Rainwater pushing for fewer government restrictions.[6]

The Associated Press’s large-scale pre-election survey found that Eric Holcomb won white Hoosiers 62–27%, while Myers won black Hoosiers 76–20%.[7]

This election marked the worst performance by a Democratic candidate for governor in Indiana history.[8]

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Removed from ballot

Declined

Results

Republican primary results[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Eric Holcomb (incumbent) 524,496 100.00%
Total votes 524,496 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Withdrew

Declined

Results

Democratic primary results[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Woody Myers 408,230 100.00%
Total votes 408,230 100.00%

Libertarian convention

Candidates

Nominee

  • Running mate: William Henry

Eliminated at convention

General election

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[29] Safe R October 23, 2020
Inside Elections[30] Safe R October 28, 2020
Sabato's Crystal Ball[31] Safe R November 2, 2020
Politico[32] Likely R November 2, 2020
Daily Kos[33] Safe R October 28, 2020
RCP[34] Safe R November 2, 2020
270towin[35] Safe R November 2, 2020

Endorsements

Eric Holcomb (R)
Organizations
Woody Myers (D)
U.S. vice presidents
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
State officials
State senators
  • Tim Lanane, Minority Leader of the Indiana Senate (2008–present) and Member of the Indiana Senate from the 25th district (1997–present)[42]
  • Jean Breaux, Member of the Indiana Senate from the 34th district (2006–present)[42]
  • Eddie Melton, Member of the Indiana Senate from the 34th district (2016–present)[42]
  • J. D. Ford, Member of the Indiana Senate from the 34th district (2018–present)[42]
State representatives
Local officials
Donald Rainwater (L)
Organizations
State representatives
  • Jim Lucas (R), Member of the Indiana House of Representatives from the 69th district (2012–present)[45]
Individuals

Polling

Graphical summary

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[lower-alpha 1]		 Margin
of error		 Eric
Holcomb (R)		 Woody
Myers (D)		 Donald
Rainwater (L)		 Other /
Undecided
Cygnal October 21–23, 2020 600 (LV) ± 4% 47% 29% 15% 10%[lower-alpha 2]
Ragnar Research (R) October 18–21, 2020 529 (LV) ± 4% 52% 26% 14% 8%[lower-alpha 3]
SurveyUSA[upper-alpha 1] October 10–13, 2020 527 (LV) ± 5.2% 55% 25% 10% 11%[lower-alpha 4]
BK Strategies (R)[upper-alpha 2] October 4–5, 2020 600 (LV) ± 4% 60% 21% 8% 11%
Change Research September 3–7, 2020 1,033 (LV) ± 3.1% 36% 30% 24% 10%
BK Strategies (R)[upper-alpha 2] May 20–21, 2020 600 (LV) ± 4% 64% 21% – 15%
Change Research April 10–13, 2020 1,021 (LV) ± 3.1% 45% 25% 8% 22%[lower-alpha 5]

Results

Holcomb won reelection by over 24 percentage points, the biggest margin of victory for an Indiana gubernatorial candidate since Evan Bayh in 1992 as well as the biggest ever for a Republican. Exit polls show Holcomb won over 30% of voters who voted for Democrat Joe Biden for president. This is also one of the strongest performances for a third party candidate in a statewide election in Indiana, with Libertarian nominee Donald Rainwater receiving over 11% of the total vote. Rainwater outperformed Myers in several counties; his best performance was in Putnam County, where he received nearly 26% of the vote.

Indiana gubernatorial election, 2020[47][48]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican
1,706,727 56.51% +5.13%
Democratic
968,094 32.05% -13.37%
Libertarian
  • Donald Rainwater
  • William Henry
 345,567 11.44% +8.24%
Total votes 3,020,414 100.00%
Turnout 3,068,542 64.58%
Registered electors 4,751,708
Republican hold

Results by county

Vote breakdown by county[47]
Holcomb/Crouch
Republican		 Myers/Lawson
Democratic		 Rainwater/Henry
Libertarian		 Total
County Votes  % Votes  % Votes  % Votes
Adams9,44166.7%2,14315.1%2,57018.2%14,154
Allen98,40658.5%53,89532.0%16,0119.5%168,312
Bartholomew21,95960.9%9,01325.0%5,06514.1%36,037
Benton2,81568.7%67116.4%61415.0%4,100
Blackford3,33363.1%93317.7%1,01719.3%5,283
Boone23,73761.7%9,66125.1%5,09413.2%38,492
Brown4,95355.3%2,38126.6%1,62318.1%8,957
Carroll6,07763.9%1,56916.5%1,86419.6%9,510
Cass8,83358.3%3,37322.3%2,94019.4%15,146
Clark34,66960.4%19,07733.2%3,6806.4%57,426
Clay8,16467.0%1,78014.6%2,24218.4%12,186
Clinton7,97161.8%2,40618.7%2,51419.5%12,891
Crawford3,06463.1%1,24225.6%55311.4%4,859
Daviess8,31370.1%1,53112.9%2,01617.0%11,860
Dearborn18,35372.6%4,55918.0%2,3839.4%25,295
Decatur7,91164.5%1,56212.7%2,78722.7%12,260
Dekalb13,04266.9%3,29316.9%3,15816.2%19,493
Delaware26,82956.0%15,63832.6%5,48211.4%47,949
Dubois14,40366.7%4,58621.2%2,59912.0%21,588
Elkhart46,22362.1%20,51227.6%7,69010.3%74,425
Fayette6,93369.0%1,70717.0%1,41414.1%10,054
Floyd24,97260.0%14,94835.9%1,6694.0%41,589
Fountain5,18965.3%1,15014.5%1,61320.3%7,952
Franklin8,63373.0%1,69014.3%1,49912.7%11,822
Fulton5,43659.6%1,60317.6%2,08422.8%9,123
Gibson11,60772.0%2,99018.5%1,5339.5%16,130
Grant16,84762.3%5,84921.6%4,32516.0%27,021
Greene9,57965.2%2,51117.1%2,60417.7%14,694
Hamilton117,74960.8%58,71430.3%17,1218.8%193,584
Hancock25,64759.9%8,53819.9%8,62420.1%42,809
Harrison14,08369.7%4,51422.3%1,6027.9%20,199
Hendricks50,69757.5%23,17926.3%14,24616.2%88,122
Henry12,49159.3%4,12819.6%4,44221.1%21,061
Howard24,35960.1%9,87124.3%6,31715.6%40,547
Huntington11,75966.3%2,80415.8%3,16817.9%17,731
Jackson11,71461.2%3,23416.9%4,18821.9%19,136
Jasper10,37867.5%2,90418.9%2,08913.6%15,371
Jay5,22762.2%1,24014.8%1,93823.1%8,405
Jefferson9,07662.4%3,71125.5%1,75012.0%14,537
Jennings7,54762.1%1,93015.9%2,67622.0%12,153
Johnson47,46761.4%17,63022.8%12,17715.8%77,274
Knox11,21070.8%2,80917.7%1,82111.5%15,840
Kosciusko23,02964.6%5,78416.2%6,84519.2%35,658
Lagrange7,52071.1%1,69016.0%1,36512.9%10,575
Lake94,84143.7%112,35251.7%10,0394.6%217,232
LaPorte26,12953.7%18,13337.3%4,3569.0%48,618
Lawrence13,37164.1%3,61617.3%3,88118.6%20,868
Madison29,43456.8%14,25427.5%8,11815.7%51,806
Marion152,40539.0%203,47552.1%34,9748.9%390,854
Marshall13,14566.4%4,02520.3%2,63413.3%19,804
Martin3,23263.1%70913.9%1,17723.0%5,118
Miami9,20864.1%2,43917.0%2,71418.9%14,361
Monroe24,60539.4%33,03352.8%4,8857.8%62,523
Montgomery10,58761.6%2,81216.4%3,78522.0%17,184
Morgan22,16161.6%5,60215.6%8,18422.8%35,947
Newton4,35866.5%1,14817.5%1,05016.0%6,556
Noble12,49865.5%3,23717.0%3,35317.6%19,088
Ohio2,21069.4%64120.1%33510.5%3,186
Orange5,59163.8%1,95222.3%1,21613.9%8,759
Owen5,85759.5%1,85218.8%2,13721.7%9,846
Parke4,76668.4%1,12716.2%1,07915.5%6,972
Perry5,52363.9%2,51829.1%6077.0%8,648
Pike4,19968.4%1,09217.8%85013.8%6,141
Porter45,99653.2%33,39738.6%7,1318.2%86,524
Posey9,64872.9%2,77321.0%8096.1%13,230
Pulaski3,87467.2%1,01917.7%87515.2%5,768
Putnam9,37556.7%2,87617.4%4,26925.8%16,520
Randolph7,39967.3%1,86316.9%1,73215.8%10,994
Ripley9,51867.0%2,23115.7%2,45817.3%14,207
Rush4,94962.8%1,21515.4%1,71621.8%7,880
Scott6,06560.8%2,29723.0%1,61316.2%9,975
Shelby12,26961.8%3,49917.6%4,09920.6%19,867
Spencer7,27268.2%2,46123.1%9268.7%10,659
St. Joseph60,69652.9%48,61042.4%5,3874.7%114,693
Starke6,73066.1%2,02619.9%1,42714.0%10,183
Steuben11,40770.9%2,93918.3%1,73910.8%16,085
Sullivan6,00967.4%1,55017.4%1,35715.2%8,916
Switzerland2,84669.8%82220.1%41210.1%4,080
Tippecanoe37,97953.3%26,17936.8%7,0579.9%71,215
Tipton5,16964.0%1,20014.9%1,70721.1%8,076
Union2,53373.2%60317.4%3239.3%3,459
Vanderburgh46,49060.1%27,24235.2%3,6584.7%77,390
Vermillion4,93866.9%1,53120.7%91712.4%7,386
Vigo25,91759.8%13,99932.3%3,4197.9%43,335
Wabash9,11162.8%2,42116.7%2,97920.5%14,511
Warren3,00967.5%67215.1%77717.4%4,458
Warrick22,70367.7%9,07427.1%1,7475.2%33,524
Washington7,91965.6%2,40819.9%1,74614.5%12,073
Wayne16,91461.2%7,53427.3%3,17211.5%27,620
Wells9,37166.7%1,96714.0%2,71219.3%14,050
White7,33465.8%1,97817.8%1,82616.4%11,138
Whitley11,52266.0%2,73815.7%3,19118.3%17,451
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

  1. ↑ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  2. ↑ Undecided with 10%
  3. ↑ Undecided with 8%
  4. ↑ Undecided with 11%
  5. ↑ Undecided with 22%
Partisan clients
  1. ↑ Polling's funding was crowdsourced by Election Twitter.
  2. 1 2 Poll sponsored by Eric Holcomb's campaign

References

  1. 1 2 Smith, Casey (July 13, 2019). "Gov. Eric Holcomb to run for reelection: 'Let's keep making Hoosier history for four more years'". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  2. ↑ "2020 General Election Candidate List - Abbreviated" (PDF). Indiana Secretary of State (Election Division). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 3, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Libertarian governor candidate Donald Rainwater to visit Kokomo". Kokomo Tribune. October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  4. ↑ "2000 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Indiana". Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  5. ↑ Martin, Ryan; Sikich, Chris. "'We sent a message': Donald Rainwater doesn't win, sets Indiana Libertarian record". IndyStar. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  6. ↑ Sikich, Chris. "Indiana Libertarian candidate for governor targets voters upset by COVID-19 mandates". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Poll Results". November 3, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Our Campaigns - Container Detail Page". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  9. ↑ Erdody, Lindsey (September 10, 2019). "Carmel Republican planning election run against Holcomb". Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  10. ↑ Smith, Brandon (September 11, 2019). "Carmel Republican Files For Potential Holcomb Challenge". WFYI. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  11. ↑ Sikich, Chris (September 11, 2019). "Westfield Republican signs up to challenge Gov. Holcomb in primary". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  12. ↑ Berman, Eric (February 21, 2020). "CHALLENGERS TO HOLCOMB AND BAIRD BOOTED FROM PRIMARY BALLOT". WIBC. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Hill challenging Holcomb? A fool's errand". howeypolitics.com.
  14. ↑ "Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill announces re-election campaign". WNDU. November 14, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  15. 1 2 "Indiana State Primary Election Results 2020". Indiana Secretary of State. June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  16. ↑ Davies, Tom (July 11, 2019). "Business executive enters 2020 Indiana governor's race". AP News. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  17. ↑ Johnson, Dirk (January 20, 1990). "Man in the News: Woodrow Augustus Myers Jr.; A Commissioner Who Knows Strife". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  18. ↑ VanTryon, Matthew (May 8, 2020). "Indiana Democratic gubernatorial candidate Woody Myers names running mate". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Senator Eddie Melton withdraws from Indiana's governor race". FOX 59. January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  20. ↑ Sikich, Chris (February 6, 2020). "Democrat Josh Owens withdraws from governor's race, endorses Woody Myers". Indianapolis Star.
  21. 1 2 3 Howey, Brian A. (November 29, 2018). "INDems ponder future after Donnelly loss" (PDF). Howey Politics Indiana. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Howey, Brian A. (March 21, 2019). "Democrats ponder gov race" (PDF). Howey Politics Indiana. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  23. ↑ Howey, Brian A. (May 16, 2019). "Holcomb reelect on historic footing" (PDF). Howey Politics Indiana. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  24. ↑ Hakim-Shabazz, Abdul (August 13, 2019). "Macer Not Running For Governor". Indy Politics. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  25. ↑ Langhorne, Thomas B. (December 10, 2019). "Former Evansville mayor Weinzapfel will run for Attorney General". Courier & Press.
  26. ↑ Hakim-Shabazz, Abdul (February 29, 2020). "LIBERTARIAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE". Indy Politics. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  27. ↑ WTHR.com Staff. "Indiana Libertarians nominate Rainwater for Governor". wthr.com. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  28. ↑ "First Church of Cannabis founder Bill Levin running for Indiana governor". RTV6 Indianapolis. July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  29. ↑ "2020 Governor Race Ratings for October 23, 2020". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  30. ↑ "2020 Gubernatorial Ratings". insideelections.com. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  31. ↑ "2020 Gubernatorial race ratings". Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball. November 2, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  32. ↑ "We rated every gubernatorial race in 2020. Here's who we think will win". Politico. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  33. ↑ "2020 Governor Race Ratings". Daily Kos. June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  34. ↑ "2020 Governor Races". RealClearPolitics. June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  35. ↑ "2020 Gubernatorial Elections Map". 270towin.
  36. ↑ "2020 Endorsements". Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Indiana Grades & Endorsements". nrapvf.org. NRA-PVF. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  38. ↑ "Endorsements". Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  39. ↑ "Endorsements". Governor Eric Holcomb.
  40. ↑ "Indiana Endorsements". Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  41. ↑ Carden, Dan (September 16, 2020). "Biden calls on Hoosiers to elect Dr. Woody Myers as Indiana governor". The Times of Northwest Indiana.
  42. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "ENDORSERS". Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  43. ↑ "Republican Jennifer McCormick is endorsing Democrats in Indiana election". IndyStar.
  44. ↑ "Indiana NORML". www.facebook.com.
  45. ↑ Hakim-Shabazz, Abdul. "Lucas endorses Rainwater for governor". IndyPolitics. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  46. ↑ "Indiana Conservatives Bail on Holcomb's GOP". September 20, 2020.
  47. 1 2 "Indiana Election Results". Indiana Election Division. November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  48. ↑ "Indiana Election Results". enr.indianavoters.in.gov. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
Official campaign websites
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