What is Curtis Hill's path to the GOP nomination for governor?

Former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is running for governor. He’s joining a crowded Republican primary that includes U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Fort Wayne businessman Eric Doden.

Hill comes into the race with significant baggage. He criminally battered four women while in office and he’s already at a significant financial disadvantage to the other candidates.

So, what’s his path to the GOP nomination?

Andrew Downs, Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics director emeritus, said Hill is a proven vote-getter at the statewide level. And he said some voters’ views on issues like sexual misconduct have changed, pointing to the fact that Donald Trump is the GOP favorite for president despite a recent sexual assault verdict in civil court.

“People now sort of saying, ‘Yeah, it’s OK if you did that. If you have the right position on the issues, I’m with you,’” Downs said.

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On the fundraising front, Downs said Hill has a lot of catching up to do, when three opponents already have millions of dollars in their campaign accounts.

“If he clears a threshold of money, he could be a winner,” Down said. “I do want to quickly point out that that threshold goes up. As everybody else raises more and more money, the amount of money you need goes up. You don’t have to have the most, you just have to have enough.”

Candidates must gather 4,500 signatures to get on the primary ballot — 500 from registered voters in each of the state’s nine congressional districts.

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

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