INDIANAPOLIS — Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young is seeking a second term to his Indiana seat in Tuesday’s election, employing a front-runner strategy throughout his campaign of largely ignoring Democratic challenger Thomas McDermott.
In early returns Tuesday night, Young was leading McDermott 59.6% to 38.2% with 6.5% of the vote counted, according to the Indiana Secretary of State’s office.
Young maintained huge fundraising and organization advantages over McDermott, mayor of the Lake Michigan city of Hammond, who struggled to gain attention while attacking Young on issues spanning abortion rights, federal spending and marijuana legalization.
Young focused much of his campaign on economic issues, blaming President Joe Biden and the Democratic-controlled Congress for sparking higher inflation and gasoline prices. He also highlighted his push in the Senate for providing billions in federal money to encourage more semiconductor companies to build chip plants in the United States, saying it was needed in the face of an ambitious China.
National political groups virtually ignored Indiana’s Senate race this year after spending tens of millions six years ago during Young’s successful campaign against former Democratic U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh as former President Donald Trump easily won the state.
Young avoided a Republican primary challenge this year despite not fully embracing Trump’s presidency — or getting an endorsement from Trump. Young voted to acquit Trump in his Senate impeachment trials but voted to uphold President Joe Biden’s election win. Young was seen in a video posted to social media telling Trump supporters before the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol that he took an oath under God to uphold the Constitution and asked, “Do we still take that seriously in this country?”
Young’s campaign reported raising about $14.5 million in contributions through the end of September, according to Federal Election Commission filings, while McDermott’s campaign had collected $1.1 million.
