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Republican state party chair resigns following party losses on election day

Gov. Mike Braun, left, endorsed Lana Keesling, right, to serve as chair of the Indiana Republican Party. Keesling stepped down following a tough election night for Republicans.
Photo courtesy of Mike Braun for Indiana
Gov. Mike Braun, left, endorsed Lana Keesling, right, to serve as chair of the Indiana Republican Party. Keesling stepped down following a tough election night for Republicans.

Indiana’s Republican Party chair has stepped down.

The move comes following an election night that saw Republican seats flip across the state, and the party lose two statewide offices.

Those losses included the sixteen seats in the Indiana House. Former speaker of the House Todd Huston (R-Fishers) was among them.

The aftermath of that night has left many Republicans asking what the party missed and where things went wrong - both at the state and national level.

In a statement, Chair Lana Keesling said it had been an incredible honor to serve the party.

“I wish the next chair and the entire Indiana Republican Party continued success,” she said. Keesling did not give any specific reasons for her resignation.

She has only served in the role since 2025.

Vice Chair Jim Johnson will assume the role of interim chair until a new one is elected.

Gov. Mike Braun thanked Keesling for her service and called the change in leadership a “golden opportunity to strengthen our party and address the kitchen table issues facing families.”

Braun said he looked forward to working with the GOP State Central Committee to select a new party chair.

Contact Government Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org

Benjamin Thorp is an enterprise health reporter for WFYI and Side Effects Public Media. Before coming to Indiana, Ben was a reporter for WCMU public radio in Michigan. His work has been heard on multiple national broadcasts, including All Things Considered and Morning Edition.