Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita not seeking higher office

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, a firebrand conservative who attracted the national spotlight last year for his comments about the doctor who performed an abortion on an Ohio 10-year-old, announced on Twitter Wednesday he is seeking reelection in 2024.

"I am proud of my work bringing back nearly $1 billion to taxpayers in just over two years, fighting wokeism, protecting citizens and our jobs from federal overreach, bureaucrats and special interests while always standing up for liberty," he tweeted Wednesday afternoon.

His announcement ends speculation that he would run for Indiana governor or U.S. Senate, seats being vacated by Gov. Eric Holcomb and U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, respectively.

The road to those two seats looks increasingly competitive.

Braun is running for governor in a crowded Republican primary that so far includes Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and businessman Eric Doden. U.S. Rep. Jim Banks is the Republican frontrunner for U.S. Senate, securing endorsements and fundraising support from both the conservative Club for Growth and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

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Rokita, 53, was elected attorney general in 2020. He previously served eight years as a U.S. representative from Indiana's 4th Congressional District before losing a Republican primary for U.S. Senate to Braun. He briefly served as general counsel for Apex Benefits, an employee benefits advisory firm based in Indianapolis.

Prior to his time in Congress, Rokita served two terms as Indiana's Secretary of State.

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This would be his second term as attorney general. He defeated embattled incumbent Curtis Hill in the Republican state convention to pave the way for his first term.

Rokita is perhaps most known for his outspoken stance on social issues, from immigration to "Big Tech" to abortion. Last year, he went on Fox News and said his office would be investigating Dr. Caitlin Bernard, the Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim. He also claimed without evidence that she has a "history of failing to report." He is now the focus of a probe by the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission, which looks into allegations of lawyer misconduct.

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Rokita also frequently files lawsuits against scammers, like robocallers, and in 2021 sued a large Indianapolis landlord for "uninhabitable" conditions at their properties.

Kayla Dwyer is a transportation reporter at IndyStar. Contact her at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita not seeking higher office