The Indiana GOP convention ran late into Saturday afternoon after a floor fight for the Indiana Treasurer nomination went through multiple votes.
There were three candidates for the Republican nomination for state treasurer going into the vote: financial advisor Don Bates; state employee Kelly Mitchell; and Marion Mayor Wayne Seybold.
The first ballot was a relative toss-up, and while the second ballot showed Mitchell gaining votes, no candidate received a majority.
According to the rules, Bates was dropped after the second vote.
Mitchell handily won the nomination on the third ballot, which she says was the result of intense campaigning by her team before and during the convention.
“What I really found that worked is just – delegate by delegate, conversation by conversation – our delegates really do the research,” Mitchell said. “They really care about who they elect, and they appreciated a candidate with experience in the [Indiana Treasurer's] office and experience in local government.”
Mitchell will face Democrat Mike Boland in the November general election.
The other GOP nominees for statewide office, Secretary of State Connie Lawson and Indiana Auditor Suzanne Crouch, are incumbents and were unopposed at the convention.