Indiana Recount Flips GOP Primary by 3 Votes to Paula Copenhaver, Triggering Court Appeal
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Aug 11
Indiana Recount Flips GOP Primary by 3 Votes to Paula Copenhaver, Triggering Court Appeal
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Aug 11
Summary
New certified totals gave Paula Copenhaver 6,332 votes to Spencer Deery’s 6,329 after Indiana’s Recount Commission reversed Deery’s earlier three-vote lead in the Republican Senate primary.
Eight Deery ballots and two Copenhaver ballots were thrown out, largely over missing signatures or initials from county election officials on absentee or provisional ballots; seven of Deery’s losses were decided 2-1.
Deery’s lawyer said she would quickly appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals, calling the ruling unprecedented and arguing voters were disenfranchised over clerical errors, while Copenhaver said the result reflected a statewide redistricting mandate.
The race was the last unresolved contest in a Trump-backed effort against Indiana Republican senators who opposed congressional redistricting; challengers beat six of the seven other targeted incumbents, a wave that helped push Senate leader Rodric Bray to step aside.