Grassroots conservatives score an upset win in Indiana

If Indiana is truly the “crossroads of America,” perhaps the stunning upset from grassroots activists at the state’s Republican convention over the weekend will serve as a crossroads for conservatives after wandering in the desert of failed primary challenges for years.

On Saturday, despite strong backing from the state GOP establishment, GOP gubernatorial nominee Senator Mike Braun, and Donald Trump himself, RINO state Rep. Julie McGuire lost the lieutenant governor nomination to evangelical pastor Micah Beckwith by a narrow margin of 891-828 votes. Unlike in popular primaries where Trump and the establishment usually dominate against conservatives, conventions often yield different results. Nominations here aren’t bought with money or name recognition but rely on around 2,000 highly engaged activists who truly understand the candidates.

Switching to conventions made up of well-informed activists limits the influence of special interests and Trump’s occasionally ill-conceived endorsements.

Unlike many states, Indiana selects its lieutenant governor through a party convention rather than a popular vote. While the nominee for governor typically has large sway over the choice of running mate, activists rejected Braun’s pick just five weeks after his landslide nomination victory. Beckwith’s surprise win isn’t just about securing a lesser-known office under the governor’s shadow. He sees it as creating a “conservative insurance policy” in a state where lukewarm Republicans rule.

Despite having a strong majority in the legislature and holding all statewide offices, conservatives in Indiana have struggled to gain influence. Outgoing Gov. Eric Holcomb is so liberal that even the teachers' union didn't support his Democratic opponent. Conservative legislators Curt Nisly and John Jacob were defeated after party leaders spent over $1 million against them, with Jacob losing to Julie McGuire. Now, with Micah Beckwith's win over McGuire, conservatives will have a voice again.

Strangely, Trump endorsed McGuire, extending his support for establishment candidates into conventions. However, conventions are where grassroots movements thrive. While we haven't been able to beat the establishment in popular primaries, we can overcome both the establishment and Trump’s interference in conventions.

During the lockdowns, conservatives in Indiana had no voice. Indiana University enforced vaccine mandates with support from the governing RINO party, leading to a major lawsuit. Beckwith actively opposed Gov. Holcomb’s COVID policies while many other cowardly Republican leaders kept their mouths shut. As a pastor, Beckwith issued thousands of religious exemptions from vaccine mandates and fought against the transgender agenda in the state, earning strong grassroots support.

Already sensing the anger of the base, Braun made sure to stake his claim over the ticket. “There’s no doubt about this. I’m in charge,” Braun told reporters after the weekend vote. “And Micah is going to be someone that works with me. And if he doesn’t ... it will probably not be as fruitful in terms of what we can get done.”

Beckwith wouldn't have stood a chance in a popular primary, where special interest money and misleading ads put conservative lipstick on RINO pigs, often securing Trump's endorsements. The Indiana convention, like the Utah convention earlier this spring, shows that this method is the future. We need this structural change in the nominating process to transform the party.

No GOP incumbents in Congress have lost a primary this year, and most open seats in deep red districts are going to establishment candidates. Swamp Republicans use industry funding to campaign facetiously on conservative issues, making it nearly impossible to beat them in primaries. It was already difficult before Trump started endorsing weak Republicans. In deep red districts with multiple candidates, the one with Trump’s endorsement almost always wins, regardless of their commitment to Trump’s perceived agenda.

Switching to conventions made up of well-informed activists limits the influence of special interests and Trump’s occasionally ill-conceived endorsements. This primary season has shown that even Trump supporters at conventions can reject his endorsements, something the general population, unfamiliar with candidates and their agendas, cannot achieve.

There's no perfect solution in politics, but switching from primaries to conventions is the best way to transform the party. If every red state used conventions to choose most of its nominees, the party would change in one election cycle.

As we work to strengthen party conventions in other states, Indiana should build on Saturday's momentum. Mike Braun needs to align with the party's base instead of expecting Beckwith to conform to the establishment. We want more governors like Ron DeSantis and fewer like Eric Holcomb.