2024 Indiana Gubernatorial Race

[Muda69]

Let's start with this: 

Briggs: Mike Braun deserves every minute of his new political hell https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/columnists/james-briggs/2024/06/17/micah-beckwith-isnt-here-to-play-no-2-to-the-next-indiana-governor/74117500007/

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Mike Braun is going to spend his twilight years trapped in a political hell of his own making.

Braun, 70, is on path to become Indiana's next governor and he's already lost control of his impending administration. Christian nationalist pastor Micah Beckwith on Saturday defeated Braun's preferred running mate, Julie McGuire, in a convention vote to win the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.

This campaign just became all about Beckwith from here to November, when Beckwith … err, I mean, Braun … is slated to face Democrat Jennifer McCormick in the general election, barring a surprise run-in from former Sen. Joe Donnelly.

Beckwith is not here to be subservient to Braun. He ran on a platform — tax cuts, pro-gun legislation and fighting the "woke agenda in our schools" — that falls entirely under the purview of the governor and Indiana General Assembly.

Does that sound like a No. 2 to you?

Welcome to the Micah Beckwith show

The Micah Beckwith show is just getting started. Beckwith is a master at drawing attention to himself, often for spouting deranged ideas. One video clip making the rounds over the weekend shows Beckwith claiming that, while in prayer, God told him he sent the rioters to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021.

That's just perfect, because, as I wrote on that infamous day, Braun also invited the rioters to Washington, posing for a photo to show he was “signing my objection to Arizona electors,” as he jockeyed with other Republicans to placate their man-toddler president who was seeking to overturn the election.

When the mob broke in, threatened to kill then-Vice President Mike Pence and forced all of Congress into hiding, things got a little too real for Braun. He dropped his objections to election certification, in contrast to other Republicans who were more committed to the bit.

Now, Braun marches toward the governor's office under the cattle prod of an enforcer who's there to ensure he remains committed to the bit … or else. Braun thought he could play voodoo with the forces of MAGA while reaping all rewards and no consequences.

It's time to pay the piper.

Mike Braun almost gets it

It's a befitting final chapter for a heretofore respectable man who put on the armor of nihilism and shape-shifted his way from Democratic-voting businessman to Trump toady, all for the sake of ego and power. Even now, Braun deludes himself into thinking he's taming the current that's sweeping him away.

"There's no doubt about this: I'm in charge," Braun told reporters Saturday, mere moments after 891 Republican delegates voted for Beckwith and sent a clear message that he is not in charge. "Micah is going to be someone that works with me. And, if he doesn't, I think that means that it will probably not be as fruitful in terms of what we can get done."

You see there? Beckwith has all the leverage and Braun has nothing. You think Beckwith cares whether Braun's time as governor is "fruitful," as defined by Braun?

Braun is processing his fate in real time and almost getting it. Let me spell it out. Braun's footsie with the dark arts summoned a MAGA high priest who just subsumed Braun's gubernatorial campaign, his dignity and any hope of successful governance.

Braun is not alone in his delusion. Just two years after Diego Morales executed a similar convention coup to become one of the most embarrassing statewide office holders in Indiana history, establishment-wing Republicans again approached Saturday's convention professing unearned confidence that their lieutenant governor pick, McGuire, would come out on top by a wide margin.

 

It's like they're not paying attention to their own party.

The Indiana Republican Party, like Braun, is blinded by hollow victories of the past eight years. The country club Republicans think they've harnessed MAGA to achieve their own ends, but MAGA has put the establishment's head on a pike. Even the most mild-mannered Republicans have spent the Trump years catastrophizing enemies, trading policy for cruelty, and embracing words and behaviors that no responsible parent would want their children to emulate.

Republicans' decade of moral and cognitive corrosion has put Morales atop the Secretary of State's Office that once fired him; sent Twitter troll Jim Banks on an unabated path to the Senate; and catapulted Beckwith toward statewide office and, possibly, frontrunner status to win the next Republican nomination for governor, maybe in as few as four years.

Hell, as I mentioned, Braun is 70 and has a habit of giving up when things get hard. We might not even have to wait four years to see Beckwith as governor. If you hadn't considered that prospect yet, well, you're welcome.

Republicans think their base is stupid

So many Republicans fooled themselves into thinking they could contain a duality, performing for the unwashed masses in public and playing businesslike leaders in private. Establishment Republicans think Trump supporters are too simplistic and stupid to see who's with them and who isn't.

Convention delegates saw through it. They saw Beckwith, an unhinged pastor who's unqualified to lead most mainstream churches, as one of their own and correctly identified Braun and McGuire as fakers.

Braun tried everything. He tried reverse psychology, saying nice things about Beckwith to show he's cool and of the people, while also cajoling statewide officeholders (even Morales!) to endorse McGuire. Braun got the big gun, Trump himself, to fire off an endorsement at the last minute.

Hopeful delegates thought the Trump endorsement sealed the deal for McGuire. I didn't. Neither did Beckwith, who noted Trump doesn't even know McGuire and correctly viewed the endorsement as a sign of how close he was to winning.

Establishment Republicans refused to believe Beckwith had the votes and, after he won, they blamed their defeat on McGuire supporters for failing to show up to the convention. It's a turnout problem, you see, and not a party problem.

No. It's a party problem. Republicans put their true faith in Trump, a showman who tricked them all into thinking he is a great and powerful wizard. MAGA is not only about Trump, the person, though. It's a movement powered by airing grievances, finding scapegoats and taking vengeance against them. Beckwith is the man for this moment, with or without a Trump endorsement.

Beckwith is the new conservative movement leader in Indiana. Braun must answer to that movement every step of the way from here on out. He deserves every minute of this oncoming dumpster fire. So do state Republican Party leaders. They brought it on themselves.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, we'll pay the price for Republicans' education in MAGA.

It appears the political left is really afraid of this Beckwith character, and to some extent parts of the Indiana GOP as well.  Can Mr. Braun control him if he wins the election?  Does having a Christian Nationalist like Mr. Beckwith holding a political office move Indiana just a sliver closer to the reality depicted in The Handmaid's Tale?

 

[Muda69]

Beckwith poses a ‘serious threat’ to Braun’s campaign, says GOP powerhouse lawyer: https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/06/17/beckwith-poses-a-serious-threat-to-brauns-campaign-says-gop-powerhouse-lawyer-jim-bopp/?emci=89bb8f6a-d52c-ef11-86d2-6045bdd9e096&emdi=8937d408-672d-ef11-86d2-6045bdd9e096&ceid=577105

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Republican gubernatorial nominee Mike Braun faces a “serious threat” to his candidacy after Noblesville pastor Micah Beckwith was selected as his running mate, according to an internal campaign memo penned by prominent conservative attorney Jim Bopp.

The five-page report, obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle Sunday evening, outlines “several negative effects” of Beckwith’s nomination, including concerns that Beckwith will cause “division and chaos” and “undermine” Braun’s leadership.

Chief among Bopp’s worries, however, is the possibility that Beckwith could keep Braun out of the Statehouse altogether.

“Beckwith’s nomination as Lt. Gov poses a serious threat to the Braun candidacy, election and administration,” Bopp wrote, later saying in the memo that “the Democrats have a real opportunity to launch a serious campaign in the fall because of Beckwith’s nomination, and it has already begun.”

 

The Terre Haute-based lawyer and staunch anti-abortion advocate theorized that current Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jennifer McCormick could be swapped out with Joe Donnelly, a former U.S. senator from Indiana, and she would be moved to the lieutenant governor spot on the ticket. 

Bopp said the Democrats’ campaign “would focus almost exclusively” on Beckwith and his “radical” views. He pointed specifically to a video Beckwith made after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, in which he said the assault was “divinely inspired.”

Bopp predicted “tens of millions would be spent” on “endless ads quoting and featuring” the radical pastor’s statements on that issue and others, forcing Braun to begrudgingly support or distance himself from Beckwith — either of which could sacrifice votes.

“Braun will be asked, and held in account, for every statement Beckwith has ever made. So how does Braun respond? If he is viewed to be repudiating Beckwith or even distancing himself from him, he loses support from hardcore Beckwith supporters and if he embassies Beckwith, he feeds into the Democrat campaign,” Bopp wrote. “And since Beckwith wins if Braun wins, how can Braun really separate himself from Beckwith if he tried? And does saying ‘I am in charge’ really work when the convention has just nominated Beckwith to hold Braun in account(?) (A)nd it is obvious that Beckwith has no interest in following Braun’s lead if he does not want to.”

 

“By running against Beckwith, the Democrats will be able to (raise) unlimited funds from their left wing allies and billionaire liberal supporters,” Bopp continued. “In taking down Beckwith, they take down Braun. And they will paint the whole ticket, including Todd (Rokita), with this brush.”

When asked about the memo, Bopp said in a statement to the Capital Chronicle that, “I do not discuss confidential communications with others. And I think it was despicable that someone leaked it.”

Josh Kelley, a senior advisor to Braun, separately told the Capital Chronicle that Bopp’s memo “represented his personal views, and there was no way that he implied otherwise.”

“Mike Braun is excited to lead the Indiana Republican Party with Micah Beckwith to historic victories in November,” Kelley said in a statement. “Braun remains focused on enacting a bold conservative agenda as governor and is excited to have Micah Beckwith as his partner to get the job done.”

A ‘serious threat’

Indiana’s GOP delegates narrowly named Beckwith as the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in a shocking vote at the party’s convention Saturday, rebuffing first-term Rep. Julie McGuire — Braun’s handpicked choice for the role — who had received a last-minute endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

Beckwith ran an unorthodox solo campaign for the number two spot, publicly pitching himself as both the prospective governor’s cheerleader and a check on his power.

 

Bopp noted he ran a campaign to the right of Braun, and that his agenda to “hold the Republican Establishment in account” includes Braun, “most particularly.”

“He will do so with the bully pulpit of Lt. Gov. and endorsement of the Indiana Republican Party at our convention. He has been very active in public speaking over the years, expressing his views on numerous subject(s), and has explicitly run as a Pastor and Christian who will bring that to state government,” Bopp said. “Since both Braun and Beckwith are voted on together as a team, this poses special challenges to the Braun campaign.”

Beckwith is the pastor at Life Church’s Noblesville campus and co-hosts a podcast called “Jesus, Sex and Politics” with another pastor. He also operates a small business — a music school — and remains involved in his family’s dairy company. 

He has additionally spent about five years doing policy work with the Indiana Family Institute and was prominent in a Hamilton County public library effort to relocate allegedly inappropriate books.

In his assessment of Hoosier voters, Bopp looked to the 2022 general election to surmise that 25% is the “default Republican margin” expected this November. 

He looked, too, at Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales, who in 2022 won by 15%, despite facing a “modest” counter-campaign that detoured some “soft/moderate Republican voters.”

A door opening for Democrats?

Bopp cautioned that Braun might not fare so well against campaign attacks, however.

The memo highlights Trump’s May primary results in Indiana, which suggest 10% of GOP voters were “not convinced to support” the former president. Bopp further noted Braun “only got 40% of the Republican primary vote,” and that Libertarian nominee Donald Rainwater will be on the ballot “to drain off some conservative votes,” as well.

“ … it is perfectly plausible that 8% of Diego’s general election vote could be (peeled) away by a vigorous campaign by the Democrats targeting Beckwith …” Bopp said. “This makes the general election very dicey.”

Bopp also expressed concern for incumbent Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, who could still face additional charges from the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission.

“… if disciplinary charges are brought against Todd during the general election, this will add an additional threat to Todd that he will have to meet. And those charges will also be used to smear the whole team,” Bopp wrote.

 

Donnelly did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the suggestion he could be tapped to run.

The only way this could happen is if McCormick withdraws from the ballot.

The Indiana Democratic Party has so far excoriated Beckwith’s positions as “extreme,” and in a statement, Democratic Party Chairman Mike Schmuhl told the Capital Chronicle that Beckwith’s “absurd views have Republicans scrambling, and rightfully so.”

“The Bopp memo shows that even the lawyer who wrote Indiana’s draconian abortion ban thinks that Micah Beckwith’s views are out of the mainstream,” Schmuhl said. “(Beckwith’s) presence on the ticket shows how far the Indiana GOP has gone to appease the most extreme members of its base at the expense of the majority of Hoosiers.”

 

“As we move toward November, Hoosiers deserve to hear and see all of the outlandish claims Beckwith has made and his views on the issues of the day,” he continued. “He is not remotely qualified to step into the Statehouse, let alone be next in line to be governor, and the Bopp memo outlines the real danger he poses to their ticket and our state’s future.”

Jennifer McCormick has the experience to be a leader for all Hoosiers from day one, and her administration will put Hoosiers’ freedoms and their hard work first. She’ll support our local schools, and reject divisive extremism.”

A spokesperson for McCormick’s campaign told the Capital Chronicle late Monday that “she has not been asked to step aside, nor would she consider doing so.” The campaign said in an announcement last week that McCormick’s lieutenant governor pick is expected soon.

“Jennifer is in this race to win it. Hoosiers deserve better than what they have now and certainly better than a radical, extreme Braun-Beckwith administration,” said Kelly Wittman, McCormick’s campaign manager. “It is time for a return to common sense, bipartisanship, and civility. Indiana does not need nor want more chaos and fear. Hoosiers want optimism and opportunity, and that is exactly what a McCormick administration will bring.”

 

[temptation]

On 6/17/2024 at 8:15 AM, Muda69 said:

Let's start with this: 

Briggs: Mike Braun deserves every minute of his new political hell https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/columnists/james-briggs/2024/06/17/micah-beckwith-isnt-here-to-play-no-2-to-the-next-indiana-governor/74117500007/

It appears the political left is really afraid of this Beckwith character, and to some extent parts of the Indiana GOP as well.  Can Mr. Braun control him if he wins the election?  Does having a Christian Nationalist like Mr. Beckwith holding a political office move Indiana just a sliver closer to the reality depicted in The Handmaid's Tale?

 

“Christian nationalist” lol.

[Muda69]

1 hour ago, temptation said:

“Christian nationalist” lol.

You don't believe Mr. Beckwith is a Christian Nationalist?

 

[temptation]

Just now, Muda69 said:

You don't believe Mr. Beckwith is a Christian Nationalist?

 

I think the term is hysterical.

[Muda69]

Just now, temptation said:

I think the term is hysterical.

Why?  Mr. Beckwith has described himself as such.

 

 

Edited June 18, 2024 by Muda69

[temptation]

1 minute ago, Muda69 said:

Why?  Mr. Beckwith has described himself as such.

 

 

Cool.  Still ridiculous that this is perceived as a bad thing.

[Muda69]

1 minute ago, temptation said:

Still ridiculous that this is perceived as a bad thing.

Why?  Do you believe the USA should officially be a Christian Nation, that the federal or a state government should make Christianity the official religion?

[temptation]

13 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

Why?  Do you believe the USA should officially be a Christian Nation, that the federal or a state government should make Christianity the official religion?

Nah.

[Muda69]

Briggs: 70-year-old Mike Braun can't pretend Micah Beckwith's anti-vax views don't matter: https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/columnists/james-briggs/2024/09/11/micah-beckwith-anti-vax-views-mike-braun/75160099007/

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Sen. Mike Braun is responding to questions about his running mate's extreme, conspiracy-laden views by saying they don't matter.

"Most people are not voting for Terry Goodin or Micah Beckwith," Braun told reporters Sept. 6, referring to the lieutenant governor candidates. "You can try to tie at the hip, and that’s OK, but I’ll plow through that."

It's true that Braun, the Republican candidate for Indiana governor, carries far more policy weight than Beckwith. On the other hand, Braun is 70 years old, an age at which shopping for life insurance becomes difficult — for a reason.

 

Anyone remotely aware of political news over the summer watched what can happen to an aging chief executive. President Joe Biden sought to defy the limits of aging until he couldn't anymore, and now his No. 2, Kamala Harris, has taken his place on the November ballot.

That's not exactly a fair comparison to Braun, for now. Braun is exhibiting no apparent signs of cognitive decline. But Braun would be 74 while running for a second term and 78 by the end of that term. Father Time comes for us all, as the saying goes.

If Braun at any point falters in his capacity to perform the duties of governor, he would be replaced by Beckwith, a person constantly espousing unhinged views about vaccines, immigrants, religion and many other topics.

Now, I think Beckwith is a well-meaning person. He's the kind of guy I probably would have been friends with during my late-teens and early-20s, a period when I attended a small Christian college in Michigan. Some of my friends from that time made it through college with no particular grounding in history, science or even the tenets of their own faith.

That worked out mostly fine. They formed families and got good jobs. Some developed weird and unfortunate views about America, Jesus and vaccines, but I know them to be goodhearted people who don't seem to be causing any harm outside of annoying Facebook posts.

They also haven't accumulated any real power, though.

Beckwith is on the threshold of being a heartbeat away from the Indiana governor's office.

When Beckwith calls for "health freedom" in the form of rolling back routine vaccine schedules that have prevented once-common childhood deaths and disabilities, he's not just some rando posting for his college buds. He's a person gaining power to actually make these changes.

Even if Braun doesn't agree with Beckwith, their campaign is elevating the platform for a subset of conspiracy-minded Republicans to make policy on the basis of their friends' crazy social media posts.

Jerome Adams, the former U.S. surgeon general under Donald Trump, said last week that plummeting vaccination rates among 3-year-olds have Indiana "rapidly going backwards on a major predictor of life expectancy."

State Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers, responded by saying, "Can’t imagine why people don’t trust the gov’t on vaccines…"

I noted to Jeter that, as an elected official, he is the government and asked if he thinks children should be receiving routine vaccines. He didn't reply.

Beckwith's ideas are like invasive species, and Beckwith has hitched his ride to Bruan to spread conspiracies across Indiana's fertile lands. Even if Braun wins and completes one or two terms as governor with perfect health, he will have unwittingly elevated Beckwith into a prime position to succeed him.

One thing I've learned from talking to friends with twisted views is there's no value in debating them. If you think vaccines cause autism, for example, I'm not going to be the one to talk you out of that idea. Most people who reach such conclusions are sincerely doing what they think is best for themselves and their families.

The majority of people support vaccines, though, and for good reason. Most people want to keep living in a world where measles and polio are not threatening our children.

Beckwith's ideas are a serious threat to that world. As much as Braun wants to minimize it, Beckwith is in fact on the ballot.

A vote for Braun is a vote for Beckwith.

 

[Muda69]

More commentary on the danger of Mr. Beckwith becoming 2nd in command over the Indiana state government:  https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/2024/10/08/micah-beckwith-christian-nationalist-indiana-lieutenant-governor/75380536007/?tbref=hp

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Mitch Albom once said, “Most of us walk around as if we’re sleepwalking. We really don’t experience the world fully, because we’re half-asleep, doing things we automatically think we have to do.” Indiana is sleepwalking. One quick review of what’s happening in North Carolina should be enough to get Hoosiers to snap out of it.

When Micah Beckwith took his unusual, though not entirely novel, route to the Republican nomination for Indiana lieutenant governor in June, I didn’t think voters fully understood what it meant. I still don’t.

Beckwith is a self-described Christian nationalist. Again, I question whether Hoosiers understand that. Understanding it is important. In 2024, much of the national campaign rhetoric has been focused on which candidate or party is more committed to democracy. If anyone had told me 10 years ago that “democracy” would be a campaign issue this year, I would have questioned their sobriety.

David French wrote an excellent column in February for the New York Times that defines and contextualizes “Christian nationalism.” It’s not an empty mudslinging term that is common during election season. It has a specific meaning.

French writes: “The sociologists Samuel Perry and Andrew Whitehead define Christian nationalism as a 'cultural framework that blurs distinctions between Christian identity and American identity, viewing the two as closely related and seeking to enhance and preserve their union.'"

In other words, it doesn’t distinguish between religion and government. This mindset obviously leads directly to conflict with the First Amendment. But, to the nationalist, this "blurred distinction" justifies anything, provided it can be called Christian.

Recent initiatives like the separation of families attempting to migrate to America and the subjective banning of books are good examples of things a Christian might oppose. They are also things most Americans oppose. But the blurred distinction of Beckwith’s preferred cultural framework permits and supports both.

Yes, the Christianity dilutes the patriotism and vice versa, resulting in a package of convenient and flexible extremism. The resulting platform’s goal isn’t solutions. It’s fueled by the creation and continuation of the problems themselves. 

So, what? The lieutenant governor in Indiana isn’t all that powerful anyway, right?

Wrong. The office actually is powerful with specific governmental responsibility. The lieutenant governor has the constitutional duty of serving as president of the Indiana Senate, along with 27 other statutory responsibilities that occupy his or her time. However, Beckwith is probably more interested in the political power and opportunity that having the job creates.

There have been 49 lieutenant governors in Indiana history, and 10 of them have ascended to the office of governor to fill a vacancy before a governor’s term ended. DraftKings would call those great odds — 20% of the time in Indiana, the lieutenant governor becomes governor without being elected.

Sen. Mike Braun, the GOP nominee for governor, said after Beckwith won the nomination through his surprise victory at the convention, “There’s no doubt about this. I am in charge.” That is merely a temporary distinction 20% of the time, which is scary, but only part of the problem that Beckwith’s presence on the ticket creates.

More certainly, Beckwith serving in the highest echelon of Indiana government for an entire term would solidify his place near the top of the GOP power structure for years to come. The scenarios leading to Beckwith rising beyond the lieutenant governor's office are too numerous to detail if his ticket happens to win in November.

Do Hoosiers want their No. 2 spot designated to a man who proudly claims to be a Christian nationalist? I’m pretty sure they don’t. As French wrote, “Christian nationalists represent only 10% of the population, according to a 2023 PRRI/Brookings Christian Nationalism Survey.”

Which leads me to the Tar Heel State. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is running for governor there. His rise to the office started with his 2018 protest speech to the Greensboro City Council over their canceling of a gun show. His rant went viral, and the furniture factory worker left his job and took up public speaking. This life change led to his first campaign, the 2020 lieutenant governor's race, one he won.

As Robinson’s public brand has grown while in office, he has adopted many of the same policy positions Beckwith has. Yes, they both support abortion bans with no exceptions. Yes, they are both at least occasional ministers.

When CNN uncovered Robinson’s commentary on multiple adult internet sites, he became a liability for the GOP in North Carolina, and for his biggest supporter, Donald Trump. Beckwith will also become a GOP liability sooner or later.

That is, if Hoosiers keep sleepwalking. 

Mitch Albom also once said, “Nothing haunts us like the things we don’t say.” Well, I’m saying it. Micah Beckwith is trouble.

 

[Muda69]

Mr. Beckwith continues to be a thorn in Mr. Braun's side during this campaign.   I can't wait to see what havok he causes should Braun/Beckwith win the election.

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/15/beckwith-says-pronoun-use-in-emails-could-lead-to-firing-braun-weighs-in/75673502007/

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GOP lieutenant governor candidate Micah Beckwith told a group of Republicans recently that if elected, he would fire or demote state employees who include their pronouns in their email signatures ― behavior legal experts say is discriminatory and could open his office up to lawsuits.

Beckwith made the comments at a Monroe County Republican Party meeting in early October; on Monday, the head of his ticket, gubernatorial nominee and U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, gave a curt statement to IndyStar expressing disapproval.

“My administration will hire and fire employees based solely on their merit and commitment to delivering efficient, effective state government to make life better and more affordable for Hoosiers, period," he wrote.

Why Beckwith brought up pronouns

The comments were rooted in a conversation about whether there is a "deep state" within Indiana's state government. Beckwith believes there is, and he defined it as unelected bureaucrats that are "rooted deep in the system that have their own agenda" ― one that he described as left-leaning ― and who undermine the leadership of elected officials.

One way to identify such people, he said, is whether they include their pronouns in their email signature.

"If I get an email from anyone in my office or in agencies that I oversee as lieutenant governor, and their signature has their pronouns on it, they're going to be gone," he said, which the audience applauded.

Asked by an attendee how much power he would have to do this, Beckwith said he'd have to consult with the HR department.

"You can't fire people real easily, but we can certainly relegate them to places that they will have no influence," he said. "We're not going in there saying that we're going to fire anyone and everyone, but you need to come over to the values that we have. Just do your job in good faith in alignment with those that have been elected."

Would this be illegal?

Beckwith doubled down on that last part in clarifying his comments to IndyStar Monday: He said any adverse action he might take against an employee would be based on the merits of the job they're doing, not on their use of pronouns alone.

That might not matter in a court of law if an employee can show they are part of a protected class, such as gender identity, and have suffered an adverse employment action, such as firing or demoting.

"If he were to follow through, there would be pretty direct evidence, I think, that he is discriminating on the basis of someone’s gender," Indianapolis employment law attorney Sandra Blevins said.

Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act protects employees from discrimation on the basis of their gender identity or sexual orientation, as reinforced most recently by the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County.

And, the First Amendment protects rank-and-file government employees from being fired for their political beliefs. Cases that Blevins has worked have drawn the line at state employees who are in charge of policy-making decisions, however.

Even announcing such an intention, before following through, reveals a discriminatory attitude and could have a chilling effect on existing or potential state employees, argues IU law professor emeritus Jennifer Drobac.

"It will cause harm and anxiety to the people who already work for government, and it could prevent other qualified people from applying," she said.

Despite the directness of his remarks in Monroe County, Beckwith insists that he would not move to discipline someone based on their gender expression in emails ― that it would merely be one way to identify people whose job performance he'd investigate further.

"You’re obviously not just going to go in and fire random people just because of your email signature," he said. "But it’s a great place to start a conversation."

"I don’t care if you have pronouns in their signature," he continued. "If you’re doing the job, well, great, who cares."

It wouldn't be the first attention-grabbing statement from Beckwith drawing attention to social issues that Braun would prefer not to. Braun also expressed some discontent with Beckwith's comments a few weeks ago comparing Democrats to the "Jezebel spirit."

Indiana Democrats have jumped on such comments for political points.

"All Hoosiers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and Beckwith has shown his LG office would know no such virtues toward anyone who disagrees with him," party chair Mike Schmuhl wrote in a statement Monday.

Convention delegates elected Beckwith on the ticket over Braun's preferred running mate in June.

The election is Nov. 5.