Rudy Yakym, candidate endorsed by Jackie Walorski's husband, picked in Indiana GOP caucus

MISHAWAKA — Rudy Yakym, a former Walorski campaign finance director, has been named Indiana Republicans' nominee to succeed Jackie Walorski for the 2nd congressional District race this November.

Yakym was a campaign finance director for Walorski in 2011 and 2012 and was endorsed by the late Congresswoman's husband Dean Swihart earlier this week. He won the nomination to represent the Indiana GOP this November in the first round of voting during a Saturday caucus.

The initial voting caucus of nearly 375precinct committee members selected Yakym as Republicans' 2nd district nominee to run this November in place of Walorski, who ran unopposed in this spring's primaries. Walorski and three others were killed in a car crash earlier this month.

2nd District Caucus:What you need to know about Saturday's vote

A special election to determine who will finish out the current term, which extends through the end of this year, will take place on Nov. 8, the same day as this year's general election. Yakym was also selected as the party's nominee for this race.

Yakym will face Democrat Paul Steury in the general election. Second district Democrats are expected to caucus Tuesday to decide their representative for the special election.

"There's a number of good people who stepped up to run for this seat," Yakym said of the caucus Saturday. "I make no bones about it. I'm a free-market enterprise guy. I believe that competition is good for the marketplace and the competition this week has been stiff."

Yakym selected among a dozen candidates

Candidates needed at least 187 members' support in the first round of voting to carry a win, Indiana GOP Chair Kyle Hupfer said Saturday. Hupfer did not say how many votes Yakym ultimately garnered in his decisive, first-round win, but support for the candidate appeared strong. In the second decision, to nominate Yakym in the special election, the former campaign finance director was chosen through acclamation, or an enthusiastic voice vote.

"Rudy will be a strong voice for northern Indiana and continue Jackie Walorski's legacy of fighting for conservative values in Washington D.C.," Hupfer said in a provided statement.

A dozen candidates — including former Attorney General Curtis Hill, Milford State Rep. Curt Nisly and former state Rep. Christy Stutzman — vied for the Republican nomination Saturday at Grissom Middle School in Mishawaka.

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In prepared three-minute speeches, candidates echoed common goals of the conservative party. Some pegged themselves as political outsiders and "fighters like Jackie" resolved to "fix the swamp in D.C." Multiple candidates pointed the finger at the Biden administration for the rising costs of inflation and pledged to push back against the "woke ideology" they say has swept the country.

"We need a proven fighter who knows how to get things done, someone who has successfully crafted, authored and passed effective legislation multiple times," said Stutzman, who is former 3rd district Congressman Marlin Stutzman. "From protecting women's sports to strong pro-life laws to fighting SEL and CRT in our schools, I've done it."

Republicans in the Indiana Statehouse this year did successfully push forward legislation restricting abortion and banning transgender girls from playing girls sports in school. However, Stutzman resigned her House seat in 2020 over Gov. Eric Holcomb's response to the coronavirus pandemic. And, CRT-inspired legislation in Indiana ultimately failed amid backlash from a broad coalition of Hoosier educators, parents, business leaders and civil rights organizations.

The state's new transgender sports ban is being challenged in federal court.

Nisly, also seen as a contender in Saturday's caucus, tapped into political divisions and pledged to use the U.S. Constitution as a guide for federal office.

"The Constitution lists the things the federal government is supposed to do — things like immigration and currency, which controls inflation," Nisly said. "They should be doing those things and they should be doing those things well. Now, the problem is, they're doing a million others things and neglecting the things they're actually supposed to do."

Curtis Hill fails to pick up party endorsement

Hill, however, was perhaps the most closely watched candidate in Saturday's caucus. Once a rising star of the Republican party, his momentum scuttled after four women — including three Democrats and one Republican —accused him of groping them in an Indianapolis bar in 2018.

In the days leading up to the caucus, Victoria Reardon — the daughter of one of those women — penned an open letter urging state Republicans not to support the former attorney general whose law license was temporarily suspended after the Indiana Supreme Court found he violated professional conduct rules.

Reardon to Indiana GOP:Don't replace Walorski with Hill

Hill did not directly address the widely reported misconduct investigation, but referenced many conservative talking points in his pledge to fight for election integrity, secure borders and "keep an eye on the FBI" in an apparent reference to the recent federal search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.

"The left wants to shut you up, shut you out and shut you down. The woke cancel culture wants to destroy your American dream," Hill said, addressing the Republican caucus. "You need a warrior, who like hardened steel, who is made stronger by fire."

Yakym describes priorities

It was ultimately Yakym, however, who garnered the support of the party, led by an introduction from Swihart who described the candidate as a "pro-Trump, pro-life and Christian family man."

"I don't take this endorsement lightly at all," Swihart said. "Rudy and I had a brutally honest conversation about what it would mean to continue the work that Jackie did in D.C. That's not backing down from a fight, that's never losing sight of your principles and beliefs and always putting the people in the 2nd district first."

Yakym, in his speech to precinct committee members, said he's been traveling the district and speaking to constituents from Fulton to St. Joseph county about concerns ranging from ambulatory resources in Rochester, Indiana, to the economic shutdown during the onset of the pandemic.

The GOP nominee said he will prioritize fighting inflation, supporting Israel and funding military and veteran services. Yakym made clear his support for former President Donald Trump, emphasizing his own role as an avid Trump fundraiser in 2020.

"Jackie taught us that character and integrity matter, and that's why she served on the House Ethics Committee," Yakym said, turning to Swihart. "Dean, you have my word that I will work every day to honor Jackie's legacy and make you proud."

Email South Bend Tribune education reporter Carley Lanich at clanich@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @carleylanich