Former Gov. Mitch Daniels decides not to run for U.S. Senate

Former Gov. Mitch Daniels will not run for Indiana’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2024.

Daniels announced his decision in a statement Tuesday.

The Senate seat opened up when incumbent Mike Braun announced he would run for governor instead in 2024.

Rumors had circled Daniels for weeks. And the former Purdue University president recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with Senate Republican leaders.

But Daniels said a term in the Senate is not the life he wants to live.

“I have never imagined that I would be well-suited to legislative office, particularly where seniority remains a significant factor in one’s effectiveness, and I saw nothing in my recent explorations that altered that view,” Daniels said in a statement.

READ MORE: After stepping down as president, Mitch Daniels won’t be leaving Purdue “for the foreseeable future”

Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana Two-Way. Text "Indiana" to 73224. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on statewide issues.

Further explaining his decision, Daniels said he would only have run for one term, focused on entitlement reform, confronting "the aggression of a would-be superpower," and immigration reform and border security.

"Maybe I can find ways to contribute that do not involve holding elective office," Daniels said in a statement. "If not, there is so much more to life."

Outside political groups were already preparing for a Daniels run. Club For Growth, which bills itself as an economic conservative organization, recently put out a vicious attack ad against Daniels, seeking to derail his bid before it began.

The only Republican who’s officially announced a Senate bid is U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Columbia City).

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Copyright 2023 IPB News. To see more, visit IPB News.