This rich guy could derail a GOP senator's plan to become Indiana's next governor

Former Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers announced Thursday that he was joining the race to succeed his old boss and fellow Republican, termed-out Gov. Eric Holcomb, and the first-time candidate's presence will likely make what's already a pricey May primary even more expensive. And while Sen. Mike Braun had long looked like the favorite to win the nomination, Chambers' decision to run could also be a sign that the senator's status is not secure.

Chambers spent nearly four decades running the Buckingham Companies, a prominent Indianapolis-based commercial real estate firm that he founded, before becoming both state commerce secretary and head of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation in 2021. Howey Politics wrote last month that Chambers, who at the time was about to step down from Holcomb's cabinet, would "likely" self-fund a campaign, though it's not clear how much money he's willing and able to throw down.

Some of the cash that Chambers long ago parted ways with, though, could give him trouble as he tries to win over conservatives. Journalist Adam Wren reported in March that Chambers has donated a total of $20,000 to state and federal Democrats, including a committee to support Barack Obama's 2008 presidential bid and to then-Sen. Joe Donnelly in 2015. (Braun unseated Donnelly three years later.) His most recent contribution to a Democrat came in 2020, when he gave $250 to support a state lawmaker.