Former Bush Aide Wins Ind. Primary
INDIANAPOLIS — Former White House budget director Mitch Daniels easily defeated his conservative activist opponent Tuesday to win the GOP nomination for governor, drawing on the support of President Bush and Indiana’s Republican leadership in the nation’s first gubernatorial primary of the year.
Daniels, who left the Bush administration to run in Indiana, will now face Gov. Joe Kernan, a Democrat who took office in September after the death of Gov. Frank O’Bannon and is seeking a full term in the November election.
With 92% of precincts reporting, Daniels had 305,676 votes -- or 66% -- in his victory over Eric Miller, who had 156,639 votes -- or 34%.
Kernan ran unopposed in the primary.
In his victory speech, Daniels said Indiana deserved better leadership than it was getting under Kernan’s administration.
“To the customers of state government and to state employees laboring under bloated, unimaginative leadership, we say, ‘Help is on the way,’ ” Daniels said to a cheering crowd in Bloomington.
Miller, an activist lawyer, had been counting on backing from Advance America, the organization he founded in 1980 that has lobbied state government on what it calls pro-Christian issues.
Bush stopped in South Bend on Monday for an appearance with Daniels. The president called Daniels smart and capable.
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