Congressman Messer’s entry into the race ends what’s only been the prologue of a stunningly bloody primary race between himself and Congressman Rokita. Even though Washington Republicans’ first choice of candidate didn’t run, Indiana is still shaping up to have the only member-on-member Senate primary race in the country. With no daylight between the two men’s harmful policies on the important issues facing Indiana, both men have had to rely on increasingly brutal personal attacks to get a leg up in their race. Congressman Rokita has already zeroed in on Congressman Messer’s vulnerabilities from his lobbying career and D.C. residency. It’s made for a debilitating primary that’s already stretched on for months.
- May 11: The AP runs its first story detailing Congressman Messer’s wife $20,000 monthly retainer from the City of Fishers for part-time work, which she does from the Messer home in McLean, VA. [AP, 5/11/17]
- May 18: Politico publishes a story noting that Congressman Rokita has reimbursed himself roughly $110,000 in funds from taxpayers and campaigns for flying around the state. Congressman Rokita pins it on Congressman Messer, calling it a “ham-handed, false attack” to distract from his residency issues and the AP report. [Politico Pro, 5/18/17]
- May 21: Congressman Messer’s team calls Congressman Rokita “unhinged” in a Fort Wayne Journal Gazette article following a campaign email Congressman Rokita sent the previous week starting with the phrase “Republicans shouldn’t do this to other Republicans.” [Journal Gazette, 5/21/17]
- June 7: One GOP operative tells The Hill that “this seems to be heading toward an opposition air war, because nothing has been brought to my attention where they are legitimately different on the issues” in an article on the growing primary. Congressman Rokita’s team uses the opportunity to say that “Indiana Republicans should be glad there’s a primary, because Luke Messer is a flawed candidate that needs the primary,” while Congressman Messer claims his opponent’s attacks aren’t sustainable. [The Hill, 6/7/17]
- July 2: Congressman Messer appears on IN Focus to defend his wife from the AP story and attack Congressman Rokita for pushing the report, saying “I’ve known Todd a long time, and very little surprises me… It’s not typical that someone starts the campaign by coming after someone’s spouse.” [WTTV, 7/2/17]
- July 15: After Congressmen Messer and Rokita announce they’ve finished the second quarter with roughly the same cash on hand, Congressman Rokita takes to social media to crow about his fundraising success relative to Congressman Messer—even though neither candidate has declared yet. [Indy Star, 7/15/17]
- July 16: Congressman Rokita appears on IN Focus several weeks after Congressman Messer ‘s appearance. Congressman Rokita responds, saying that he doesn’t have the “baggage” of Congressman Messer and that Congressman Messer has to do his interviews by satellite because he doesn’t live in the state. [WTTV, 7/16/17]
- July 17: Congressman Messer sends an email to supporters titled “I’m tired of Todd Rokita lying about my family,” claiming that Congressman Rokita “will do and say almost anything to advance his political career.” [Twitter, 7/17/17; Indy Politics, 7/17/17]
- July 17: Congressman Rokita’s campaign responds by calling Congressman Messer “a ticking time bomb” and “unhinged,” becoming the second candidate in the race to call his opponent that. [Indy Politics, 7/17/17]
- July 18: Congressman Rokita sends his own email to supporters, saying that Congressman Messer has been launching “desperate attacks” against him and that Congressman Messer would be an “out of touch, absentee Senator” if elected. [Twitter, 7/18/17]
- July 20: Howey Politics goes deep on the primary feud, where Congressman Rokita’s team mentions the fact that it’s been conducting a “whisper campaign” to lean on Congressman Messer and stop him from getting into the race. Congressman Messer’s team hits back, saying that Congressman Rokita doesn’t have the “juice” to stop him. [Howey Politics, 7/20/17]
- July 20: Congressman Messer’s team releases internal polling claiming that the two men are tied, and that Congressman Rokita’s attacks on Congressman Messer’s wife and his out-of-state ties are backfiring. Congressman Rokita’s team refutes the claim. [Politico Pro, 7/20/17; Twitter, 7/20/17]
- July 23: Congressman Rokita’s campaign puts out a second fundraising email attacking Congressman Messer, writing that “earlier this week, our potential primary opponent, unhinged and angry over his lackluster fundraising, sent out a panicked, dishonest email lashing out at Todd.” [Release, 7/24/17]
- July 25: A story splashed across the front page of the Indy Star and the Richmond Palladium-Item deals that the fight between Congressmen Messer and Congressman Rokita has spilled onto Wikipedia, as anonymous users have been editing Congressman Messer’s page to make it less appealing to a GOP primary audience and the opposite for Congressman Rokita. Fingerpointing ensues, including Congressman Messer reiterating that “Todd has already established he will say or do anything to get elected.” [Indy Star, 7/25/17]
What people are saying about the primary:
FORT WAYNE NEWS-SENTINEL: EDITORIAL: “[Messer and Rokita are] too busy beating each other up… Things could get really brutal later on.” [News-Sentinel, 7/19/17]
INDY POLITICS: “The primary is 10 months away… If a third candidate was thinking of getting into the race, this just might do it. Strap yourselves in, it’s going to be a bumpy flight, to say the least.” [Indy Politics, 7/17/17]
POLITICO: “Luke Messer and Todd Rokita are very similar members of Congress, and that similarity is breeding contempt.” [Politico, 7/6/17]
WASHINGTON TIMES HERALD: “[It’s] a primary run that has already shown signs of being brutal before anyone even formally commits.” [Washington Times Herald, 6/8/17]
ROB KENDALL, WIBC: “You got the street brawlers against the guys with the cash. This is going to be a phenomenal, an absolutely phenomenal Republican primary… It’s like Christmas coming soon, the 2018 Indiana Republican primary.” [WIBC, 6/11/17]