Attacks and ambushes - the GOP battle for Indiana’s open Senate seat could turn into a ‘Republican civil war’

It’s not even officially a race yet, but the burgeoning Republican primary battle for Indiana’s open Senate seat is showing signs of becoming very heated quite

quickly. Rep. Jim Banks, a 43-year-old former state senator and a veteran of the Afghanistan war who is in his fourth term representing a district in northeast Indiana, on

Tuesday formally launched his candidacy for the Senate in a 2024 run to succeed GOP Sen. Mike Braun, who last month announced that he’s bidding for governor of the Hoosier State

rather than seek re-election. Potentially joining Banks in the coming weeks is former two-term Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, a 73-year-old former top official in

then-President George W. Bush’s administration who until stepping down at the end of last year served the past decade as president of Purdue University. With attacks and

counter-attacks already underway even before Daniels has made a decision on running, and former President Donald Trump’s political allies taking part in the political fireworks,

the GOP Senate primary in reliably red Indiana could turn into a new skirmish in the ongoing Republican civil war. GOP REP. BANKS IS FIRST IN - IN INDIANA'S SENATE GOP

PRIMARY Banks, who became the first candidate to declare, is highlighting his conservative credentials, telling Fox News Digital as he announced his candidacy that "Indiana

deserves a conservative senator" and showcasing that he’s "been a leading conservative voice in the House."