Egg tycoon tries to horn his way into Republican primary for U.S. Senate

Though Indiana's Republican U.S. Senate primary has all but been declared for U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, another Republican has announced his candidacy.

John Rust, board chair of Seymour egg producer Rose Acre Farms, announced his campaign Tuesday afternoon, branding himself a Christian, capitalist, America-first conservative who would bring an "outsider's voice" to Washington. As a gay man who says "wokism" and his opposition to transgender children participating in sports or undergoing gender transitions inspired him to make the leap from the private sector to politics, Rust believes he'll be "the Democrats' worst nightmare in the Senate."

"I just think my message is something that has to get out, and I think Republicans deserve a choice," he told IndyStar. "I know I’m gay, and I know that puts me in a box, but I’m absolutely not in that box. I’m an American first."

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But the state GOP says Rust doesn't meet the qualifications to run, and they've already made a high-profile, unusually early endorsement of Banks.

Rust is using this as ammunition, differentiating himself by calling Banks a "career politician."

"It’s incredulous to me that the party establishment is pushing an establishment pick like him on Indiana voters and then not even wanting to give Republicans a chance on the ballot for having a choice," he said. "It’s shocking."

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Here's the sticking point for Rust's potential bid. Under Indiana law, a candidate can only run under a political party if their two most recent primary election votes in Indiana were for that party or their county party chair signs off on their candidacy.

Rust voted as a Republican in the 2016 primary but as a Democrat in the 2012 primary. He said his Democratic votes were for people running for office who he knew personally or went to church with in Jackson County, where he lives. But he says he's always been a conservative Republican and voted for Republicans in the general elections.

Jackson County Republican Party Chair Amanda Lowery told IndyStar she has no plans to sign off on Rust's candidate certification. She said she wouldn't sign off on any Republican candidate who doesn't meet the voting requirements in state law, adding that it's "nothing personal" against Rust.

"John feels like he wants and needs to move forward, and that’s what he’s going to do," she said. "I’ve explained my position; I’m not going to waver from that position."

Rust said his campaign is looking into a path around the statute, declining to specify how he could get on the ballot without Lowery's signoff.

"I don’t think it’s a surprise I’m a conservative Republican, and it’s just kind of shocking that she would be opposed to me being on the ballot with my position and what people know about me in the county," Rust said.

State party press secretary Luke Thomas said Tuesday that Rust was free to run but that his candidacy will be subject to a challenge since he hasn't met the criteria. The Banks campaign, for one, plans to file that challenge.

Potential challenges aside, Rust faces a significant hurdle going up against Banks, who has more than $2.5 million in his campaign coffers. The Indiana Republican Party officially endorsed Banks in an unprecedented pre-primary Senate endorsement and gave the Republican National Committee the OK to put their resources toward Banks.

A Banks spokesperson dismissed Rust's candidacy.

"John Rust is a longtime Democrat who does not represent Indiana's values," the spokesperson said. "Hoosiers will not elect a Democrat to be their next U.S. senator."

Rust's six-generation family farm is one of the largest egg producers in the country. He bookends his campaign launch video with that legacy, saying that such tenants of the American dream ― faith, family and hard work ― are "under attack" by President Joe Biden, the "radical left" and career politicians under whom the country is experiencing high inflation.

Much of Rust's campaign video focuses on hard-right stances on social issues. He accuses the political left of pursuing a "cult of identity politics and moral depravity" and criticizes transgender girls' participation in sports.

Beyond social issues, he said he cares about addressing inflation and the national debt. As an egg farmer, inflation hits close to home ― right now, the cost of producing the eggs is higher than the price they're selling.

Rust has not yet reported any campaign fundraising dollars to the Federal Election Commission, but says he plans to self-fund a significant portion of his campaign.

On the Democrat side, former state Rep. Marc Carmichael and Indianapolis City-County Councilor Keith Potts have announced campaigns.

The election is on Nov. 5, 2024.

Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.