Intense lobbying squeezes GOP panel set to select Pence replacement

The race to choose Gov. Mike Pence’s replacement on the November ballot is heating up ahead of Tuesday’s Republican caucus, with intense lobbying by three leading candidates or their surrogates.

One contender, Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb, who Pence endorsed Friday, sent an email to the 22-member committee responsible for filling the vacancy, saying the outgoing governor pledged “financial backing” to his efforts. That shows Holcomb could receive critical support from the $7 million that remains in Pence’s re-election fund for governor.

“That is something no other candidate in this race can boast, and Governor Pence has made it crystal clear that he will assist me in maintaining control of the governor’s office,” Holcomb wrote Saturday in an email obtained by IndyStar.

Another contender, U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks, shared a poll with the committee showing among the three frontrunners in the race — herself, Holcomb and U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita — that Holcomb trailed the most behind Democrat John Gregg. Comparatively, Rokita issued a poll last week indicating he was in a virtual tie with Gregg.

The appeals to the Indiana Republican State Committee ahead of Tuesday’s unprecedented meeting show just how competitive the process to replace Pence on the ballot has become. Brooks and Rokita have argued they’re the best to win against Gregg in November, while Holcomb has worked to show his close ties to Pence, who abandoned his re-election efforts to become Donald Trump’s running mate.

In the email, Holcomb, named lieutenant governor in March, said the governor offered an “unambiguous demonstration of confidence” in his campaign. Holcomb wrote, “I know from speaking directly with him that his support is not symbolic, but rather it is a commitment to the financial backing, staffing, and resources available through the Mike Pence for Indiana Campaign Committee.”

Holcomb also released a list of fundraising surrogates, which boasts several Republican heavy hitters including Bob Grand, the national finance chairman for Pence’s vice presidential campaign; Jim Kittle, former CEO of Kittle’s Furniture; and Fred Klipsch, chairman of Hoosiers for Economic Growth.

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Absent from that list is Al Hubbard, another influential donor, who told The Associated Press on Sunday that he saw Holcomb’s letter as “threatening.”

“I’m annoyed that Eric and his people would suggest that Mike is not going to support 100 percent who the committee chooses,” Hubbard told The Associated Press. He went on say that “if Mike does not use that money to support the party’s nominee, his major donors will go crazy.”

During the meeting with Pence, Holcomb indicated he spoke about his campaign — and his campaign only, Holcomb spokesman Pete Seat said.

Campaign staff for Brooks and Rokita point to a line Pence included in his endorsement of Holcomb where he told the committee, “This decision is yours alone, and I will respect that decision and support the nominee you deem fit to serve."

Tim Edson, a Rokita spokesman, said the Republican Governors Association, a key donor for Pence, has committed to supporting the party’s nominee for governor — whomever it is.

“At this point, we still think the race is very wide open,” Edson said. He said he believes the committee will make its ultimate decision based on facts, such as statewide name recognition, their fundraising network and who is best positioned to beat Gregg.

Murray Clark, a Brooks' backer and former state GOP party chief, said the best path for Republicans is to support the congresswoman. A poll conducted on behalf of the Brooks campaign by The Tarrance Group showed all three frontrunners down against Gregg. Brooks and Rokita tied in the ground they’d have to make up with the poll placing them each 5 percentage points behind Gregg. Holcomb trailed by 8 percentage points.

The poll surveyed 503 registered voters this past Wednesday and Thursday and had a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points. It also showed Brooks had support among women voters — a key voting group — and once voters learned about her she saw a 7-point lead.

The task ahead of the state committee is “extraordinary,” Clark said.

“And why I believe the state committee members are taking this very, very seriously and trying to look at all angles because they know their sole responsibility is to select the individual who gives us the best chances of success in November against John Gregg,” Clark said, “in a race that is going to be tough.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Call IndyStar reporter Chelsea Schneider at (317) 444-6077. Follow her on Twitter: @IndyStarChelsea.