‘We sent a message’: Donald Rainwater doesn’t win, sets Indiana Libertarian record

Selena Ortiz, 21, from Indianapolis is cheered as she arrives to vote at the City-County Building in downtown Indianapolis on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Indianapolis Star

He may not have won the governor’s race, but Donald Rainwater is on track to to become the most successful Libertarian to run for office in Indiana in at least 20 years. 

Rainwater, 57, carried a message that opposed any restrictions tied to the global pandemic, including incumbent Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb’s mask mandate. While Holcomb easily won the three-way race that also included Democrat Woody Myers, Rainwater’s campaign revealed the growing discontent among conservative voters for the Holcomb administration’s response to Covid-19. 

“While we didn’t win,” Rainwater told his supporters Tuesday night, “the day was a success because we sent a message.”

With 53% of the votes counted at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Rainwater had collected 12.5% of the votes — far more than the 3% to 4% that Libertarians typically receive in an Indiana gubernatorial race. 

The percentages in the 2020 election, which are not final, could still change. Ballots continue to be counted. 

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Libertarian candidate for governor, Donald Rainwater, speaks to a small crowd during a campaign event at Bare Arms Gun Rage off of 206th St., Thursday, October 8, 2020.

 (Photo: Grace Hollars/IndyStar)

Preliminary numbers show Rainwater smashing the 5.6% that Andrew Horning tallied in the 2012 U.S. Senate race, which is the next-highest total for an Indiana Libertarian seeking a statewide office in a three-way race. 

Steve Osborn collected 12.6% of the vote as a Libertarian in the 2006 U.S. Senate race against Richard Lugar, but no Democrat ran that year.

Rainwater’s campaign jolted to life in September with the release of an Indy Politics poll that placed Rainwater’s support as high as 24% among those surveyed. (Holcomb held 36%, according to the poll, and Myers stood at 30%.)

Throughout much of the election cycle, Rainwater remained in the double digits in various polls.

Rainwater, a Westfield resident and Navy veteran, also campaigned on several other issues dear to conservative voters, such as reducing government regulations and eliminating personal income and residential property taxes. 

In his closing comments to supporters Tuesday night, Rainwater said Hoosiers should keep fighting fighting for smaller government.

“I want you to leave here remembering that this is not good enough,” Rainwater said. “This is not good enough. It won’t be good enough until we get control of our government back.”

Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Ryan Martin at ryan.martin@indystar.com or by phone, Signal or WhatsApp at 317-500-4897. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter: @ryanmartin.

Call IndyStar reporter Chris Sikich at 317-444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisSikich.

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