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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA Hamilton County Republican is planning to run for governor against incumbent Eric Holcomb.
Brian Roth, a Carmel resident and president of a consulting and leadership development firm called Employment 2 Deployment LLC, has filed paperwork to create a committee to run for governor.
According to Roth’s LinkedIn profile, he graduated from Taylor University in 1988 with a degree in physics and served in the U.S. Navy for 24 years.
Roth declined to comment, saying he would discuss his reasons for running after posting a video formally announcing the campaign in the next week or so.
Roth is the only Republican who has taken official steps to challenge Holcomb, who is favored to win re-election. Democrat Woody Myers and Libertarian Bill Levin also are running for governor.
According to the latest data from Morning Consult, 50% of Hoosiers approve of Holcomb, while 22% disapprove and 28% don’t have an opinion. Even in Indianapolis, which is largely Democratic, 60% say they approve of Holcomb and 24% say they disapprove, according to recent polling conducted by Mason Strategies on behalf of Indy Politics.
Holcomb also enjoys a hefty war chest heading into election season, with more than $6 million cash on hand as of July.
The Indiana Republican Party hasn’t had a contested gubernatorial primary since 2004.
Holcomb, who won election in 2016 over Democrat John Gregg, announced his re-election campaign in July, saying he would be “putting people first” by investing in jobs, infrastructure and ways to improve the health and education of Hoosiers.
A spokesperson for the Indiana GOP and Holcomb’s campaign did not immediately respond to IBJ’s request for comment.
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