By Whitney Downard
Indiana Capital Chronicle
Indiana’s new governor was sworn into office before an enthusiastic crowd of hundreds of the state’s most powerful politicos and everyday Hoosiers on Monday, with speakers focusing on the Hoosier State’s future under the new administration — which coincides with new leadership at the federal level.
Mike Braun, a former U.S. senator, took the oath of office on two Bibles — one used by his family and the other used for Benjamin Harrison’s presidential inauguration. Harrison is the only Hoosier to ever hold the nation’s highest office.
“Now is the time to empower the next generation of Hoosiers and once again pursue freedom and opportunity without fear,” Braun said. “I am committed to being a governor of not just words, but actions, as we create a prosperous future for all Hoosiers.”
The ceremony showcased the 70-year-old’s personal ties, with the national anthem performed by the Wabash College Glee Club — his alma mater — and the Pledge of Allegiance led by three of his grandchildren. The Rev. Andrew Thomas with the St. James and Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Haubstadt delivered the benediction for the devout Catholic’s inauguration.
Braun will be the state’s 52nd governor to take office and succeeds Eric Holcomb, who held the office for eight years. Braun won a contentious six-way Republican primary in May and overcame challenges from Democrat Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian Donald Rainwater in a November election.
Inaugural speeches
Between elections, party delegates selected Micah Beckwith, a conservative Noblesville pastor, as his running mate over Braun’s preferred pick. Beckwith was also sworn into office on Monday alongside Attorney General Todd Rokita, who won re-election in November.
Beckwith thanked God and referenced scripture, calling for collaboration and unity by concluding that, “We all share the same dreams for our families (and) our communities.”
“We all want to see Indiana thrive. We all want our children to have a brighter future. We all want safe and prosperous communities,” Beckwith said.
In his speech, Rokita targeted transgender Hoosiers and “woke” ideologies.
“Together, we will make Indiana a truly free state where we are rewarded for the results of our work and not the politics of DEI, ESG, CRT or whatever other acronyms and pronouns,” Rokita said. “Where innocent life is respected, just as our Constitution allows; where we can raise our children the way God intended, without interference by woke schools, doctors or courts; [and] where there are two genders, male and female.”
After being sworn in, Braun delivered the final speech, praising Indiana’s early pioneers for being “trailblazers” but not mentioning the state’s indigenous inhabitants.
“When I walk through the woods near my home in Jasper, and I do it often, I think of these early pioneers that built our great state out of the wilderness. Hard-working Hoosiers gazed upon the same forests,” Braun said. “Our early settlers faced a crossroads: retreat in fear of the challenges this new land would bring, or view the vast contours of our state as an opportunity worth embracing.”
His inauguration, one week before President Donald Trump is sworn in for a second term, is a “new crossroads,” he said. Braun repeatedly referenced the Washington D.C. transition in his brief speech, saying he was “optimistic that the next four years will see not only a change in each leadership … but also a transfer of assumed power from the federal government back to the states.”
In the weeks since claiming victory, Braun unveiled a restructured cabinet streamlined into eight “verticals,” rather than each agency head directly reporting to him. He said the additional layer of government would increase efficiency and be “entrepreneurial.”
Braun’s inauguration comes in the midst of budget negotiations during the 2025 legislative session — with far less spending leeway for ambitious projects. Despite the constraints, Braun has vowed to reform the state’s property tax system following unprecedented, double-digit growth.
Other agenda items include addressing health care and energy costs.
