Indiana Republicans celebrate being first state called for Trump
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Indiana was the first state on the board for former President Trump Tuesday night, awarding him his first 11 electoral college votes in the race for 270 and the presidency.
The big picture: Trump will be the 47th U.S. president, the Associated Press projected on Wednesday, marking the culmination of a divisive campaign and cementing himself as one of the most significant political figures in U.S. history.
- Trump's victory was buoyed by strong performances across several key battleground states, including North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
State of play: Indiana Republicans were exuberant during a watch party at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis Tuesday night as races for president, governor and Senate were called right around 7pm, once all polls had closed in the state. The GOP won the attorney general's race, too.
- The Associated Press declared victory for Sen. Mike Braun in the governor's race even faster than his own team expected.
What they're saying: State Treasurer Daniel Elliott, who is not up for election this year, said he spent Election Day driving to polling places around southern Indiana to stump for fellow Republicans and found many voters motivated by the presidential race.
- "A lot of them were coming to vote for Trump," he said, "and that's helping the down-ballot candidates."
The intrigue: While early voting results looked like they would confirm an expected "purpling" of the Indianapolis suburbs — Hamilton County, in particular — Election Day voting erased any apparent gains for Democrats.
- Trump netted the same 52% share of voters in Hamilton County as he did in 2020.
- Trump actually gained a bit of ground in Marion County, improving his performance by 1 percentage point.
Inside the room: Despite the initial uncertainty at the national level, Indiana Republicans appeared supremely confident early Tuesday night.
- Rather than supporting state or local politicians, many party-goers showed up decked out in Trump attire — everything from MAGA hats and shirts to a giant gold chain with a Trump medallion.
- The state party had a garbage truck with Trump/Vance decals parked in front of the swanky downtown hotel that still bore a 300-foot decal of Taylor Swift from her three-night stint in Indianapolis over the weekend.