Mike Braun Wins NWI Primary, Welcomes Trump Thursday
CHICAGO (CBS) -- President Donald Trump visits Elkhart, Indiana Thursday to claim his tax cuts have powered that town's economic revival.
And Mr. Trump has already called the upset winner of Tuesday's Republican senate primary.
More from CBS 2 political reporter Derrick Blakley.
Some say wealthy businessman Mike Braun was the most Trump-like candidate in the three-way GOP primary. Tuesday night, Braun got a congratulatory call from President Trump.
Braun ran as an outsider and spent almost five million dollars of his own money. He upset two incumbent Republican congressmen, Luke Messer and Todd Rokita.
"Is that why Mike Braun got such an overwhelming vote? Are people just really tired of Washington? That may be the reason," Munster Town Councilman John Reed.
Many called it a savage campaign, with Rokita and Messer ripping each other to shreds.
"After those two guys destroyed themselves to the voters, he came in and cleaned up the mess and there you go," said Rick Ryfa, Griffith Town Council President. "They set the table for him perfectly."
Now, Braun's setting the table for Trump's visit with hefty praise for the president's tax cuts.
"With the fruits of our labor and the fact we've got more jingle in our pocket, we've got to prove to people in our country that free enterprise works," said Braun.
Come Novemeber, Braun will face Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly.
"I'm not afraid of a fight. I'm fifth of five in an Irish family and you didn't eat dinner if you weren't ready to scrap and get going when you got to the table," said Donnelly.