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Owens Drops Out Of Gubernatorial Race; Myers Will Be Democratic Nominee

Josh Owens for Governor
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Democrats won’t have a competitive primary for governor this year after tech entrepreneur Josh Owens dropped out Wednesday.

That leaves former State Health Commissioner Woody Myers as the only Democratic candidate challenging incumbent Gov. Eric Holcomb.

Friday is the deadline for gubernatorial candidates to submit 4,500 signatures to qualify for the ballot. Josh Owens’s campaign says he has enough but he’s dropping out to avoid a “divisive” primary and endorsing Woody Myers.

In a statement, Owens said Myers has the “experience, the background and the vision for success Indiana deserves.”

Myers says in a statement he’s “humbled and honored” by Owens’s decision to drop out. The health care executive says the focus is now on bringing new leadership to the governor’s office.

Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb finished 2019 with more than $7 million in his campaign war chest. Myers ended the year with about $1,900 in the bank.

Contact Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.