Attorney General Todd Rokita is unopposed in reelection bid at the state GOP convention
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Update: This story has been updated to reflect no candidates filed to run against Rokita during the June state Republican party convention.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita will face no competition at the state Republican convention in June, making him the party’s official choice for the office on election ballots this November.
The filing deadline for candidates running for attorney general and lieutenant governor at the Republican state convention next month was Thursday, May 16 at 5 p.m. Rokita filed for the convention in April.
Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings, who had sent a letter to county party officials about his interest in the position, told IndyStar Wednesday he had no plans to file.
The lack of opponents for Rokita shut down rumors that circulated earlier this year whether another Republican would come forward to run against Rokita due to complaints filed with the Indiana Supreme Court's disciplinary commission.
More: The Republican race for lieutenant governor is closed. Here's who is officially running
Indiana Justices disciplined Rokita last year for comments he made on Fox News about Indianapolis OB-GYN Caitlin Bernard in 2022 following the news that she provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio. Two Indianapolis-area attorneys in November filed additional complaints about Rokita’s public response to the court’s public reprimand.
That means Rokita could still face further discipline that would put his law license at risk if the Supreme Court's disciplinary commission files charges and justices determine a punishment is warranted. Holding a law license is a requirement in order to run for attorney general.
A spokesperson for the Indiana Supreme Court on Wednesday said attorney discipline investigations are confidential. She could not confirm whether the court's disciplinary commission is investigating someone, but in November the executive director of the disciplinary commission in a letter asked Rokita to respond to claims in one of the complaints. As of Wednesday there are no pending charges against Rokita and the attorney general remains a lawyer "in good standing," the spokesperson said.
Latest AG lawsuit: Indiana AG Todd Rokita takes legal action against 22 manufacturers of toxic PFAS forever chemicals
Hoosier candidates for attorney general and lieutenant governor do not have primary elections and party nominees are instead chosen by elected political insiders in the state Democratic and Republican parties. The 2024 Indiana GOP State Convention is scheduled for June 14-15.
Some of the names floated earlier this year as potential opponents to Rokita included state Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, Hamilton County Republican Party Chair Mario Massillamany and Cummings. All three told IndyStar Wednesday they did not plan to challenge Rokita. (Freeman ran unopposed in the Republican primary for his state Senate seat last week.)
Cummings said his interest in running centered on whether another disciplinary decision would have impacted Rokita’s candidacy and opened a path for Democrats to win the office.
“There’s no chance I’ll be a candidate at the convention,” Cummings said Wednesday.
Brent Littlefield, an advisor to Rokita’s campaign, said Republican delegates and Indiana voters know the attorney general’s record and will choose him in 2024, as they did four years ago when he bested then Attorney General Curtis Hill.
“Attorney General Todd Rokita has built an impressive record of protecting Hoosiers and defending liberty, standing up for parents, helping keep criminals behind bars and safeguarding Hoosier values,” Littlefield said in a statement.
Rokita will face the winner selected by Democratic delegates at that party’s convention in July.
Two Democrats so far have announced plans to run for attorney general: Destiny Wells, who unsuccessfully ran for Secretary of State in 2020, and Beth White, an attorney and president and CEO of the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking.
IndyStar reporter Kayla Dwyer contributed to this story.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana AG Todd Rokita is unopposed at state Republican convention
