The Automotive Body Parts Association has announced that its member Meyer Distributing’s President and CEO Mike Braun was elected on November 6 to represent Indiana in the United States Senate. Senator-elect Braun (R-IN) handily won the election, defeating incumbent U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) by a margin of 52.86% to 43.15%.
Donnelly was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and two Republican congressmen, Todd Rokita and Luke Messer, spent years planning to run against Donnelly. Meanwhile, Braun, a former state representative and an owner with millions of his own dollars to spend, offered himself as a straight-talking alternative to Messer and Rokita.
After winning the primary, candidates battled over trade in the general election. Donnelly was accused of owning stock in a business that had a factory in Mexico, after which Donnelly sold the stock. Braun was criticized for sourcing many of the auto parts his business sells from China.
Braun started working for Meyer Body Co. in 1981 and transitioned its business from manufacturing to distribution, forming Meyer Distributing. Over the following decades, Braun grew the business into a national distribution and logistics company with 65 locations in 38 states. Braun has also shown a commitment to public service as a member of the Jasper School Board (2004–2014) and as an Indiana State Legislator (2015–2017).
