District 63 State Representative Mike Braun of Jasper says he plans to resign from the Indiana House of Representatives next month.
The representative who has served in the house since 2014, is leaving to focus on his campaign for U.S. Senate.
Braun announced his candidacy for Senate in August. His resignation will be effective November 1. He is the founder and owner of Jasper based Meyer Distributing.
Braun is presenting himself as an alternative to Republican U.S. Reps. Todd Rokita and Luke Messer, who’ve been engaged in a bitter feud for the GOP nomination. They are hoping to defeat Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly in the 2018 election. He has pumped $800,000 of his own money into his U.S. Senate campaign
In an emailed statement Friday Braun says serving the people of Southwest Indiana for the past three years has been both a rewarding and humbling experience.
He says during his time in the General Assembly, he’s helped craft two balanced budgets and pass the largest state and local infrastructure investment in Indiana’s history.
He adds that he has utilized his expertise as a business owner when supporting laws that continue to create a welcoming environment for businesses to start and grow their operations in the state and says he’ll miss working alongside fellow House members, but hopes to continue serving Hoosiers in a different capacity in the future.
A caucus of Republican precinct committee members will choose his replacement in the House. That person will serve the remainder of Braun’s term, which runs through next year.
