Republican Sen. Young wins 2nd term in holding Indiana seat
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young won his Indiana seat for a second term on Tuesday after employing a front-runner strategy throughout his campaign of largely ignoring Democratic challenger Thomas McDermott.
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.