A candidate who reportedly died after the deadline to remove names from the ballot was winning the Republican primary in Indiana’s 7th District, which includes the majority of Indianapolis.
Jennifer Pace won the GOP primary with 31.2% of the vote, with the Associated Press calling the race with 99% of precincts reporting on Wednesday at 11:05 a.m. Pace bested retired Army Lt. Catherine Ping, who had 29.9% of the vote, retired postal worker Phillip Davis, who came in at 25.7%, and former Evansville mayoral candidate Gabe Whitley, who received 13.2% support.
Ping has run for the 7th District seat four times, including in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2016.
Pace, 59, died suddenly in early March, according to reporting from the IndyStar and WIBC Indianapolis, and had run for the nomination in 2022, earning 12% of the vote.
“The daughter of a World War II pilot, my father fought for the lives and freedom of our nation and the world,” Pace said in a candidate questionnaire on Ballotpedia. “My parents instilled that limiting government overreach has always been the Republican way to protect individual freedom, rights and equality of which I’m committed to doing.”
The news of Pace’s death did not appear to be widely reported. In response to a social media post, a user who lives in the district said many people did not know Pace had died.
“No one knew she was dead. Last week I researched the candidates online. I read their websites and questionnaire responses. I googled them. No mention of her death. No obituaries,” the person wrote. “Given her responses I strongly considered voting for her. Local media failed again.”
Pace’s Ballotpedia page did not include any information about her death, nor was an obituary found. The Indiana Republican Party appeared to confirm Pace’s death in an email inquiry from the Washington Examiner asking for verification.
“It is our understanding that, that is accurate,” said Griffin Reid, press secretary and digital director for the Indiana Republican Party. Asked whether the state party knew how Pace died, Reid responded: “We do not.”
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According to Indiana Code, IC 3-10-8-7.5, and 3-13-1-8, “a caucus of precinct committeemen in the 7th District will be called by the State Chair to fill the candidate vacancy.”
The eventual GOP nominee will face longtime Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN), who has served nine terms since filling the seat in a 2007 special election. Carson’s seat was held by Julia Carson, his grandmother. He will likely go on to win the November election, too, due to the Democratic-leaning makeup of the district.
