Micah Beckwith
Micah Beckwith | |
|---|---|
| 53rd Lieutenant Governor of Indiana | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2025 | |
| Governor | Mike Braun |
| Preceded by | Suzanne Crouch |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 1982 (age 42) Hillsdale, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Susan |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Huntington University (BA) |
Micah Beckwith (born August 1982) is an American pastor and politician who is serving as the 53rd lieutenant governor of Indiana, since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he won the 2024 election as the running mate of Mike Braun.
Early life and education
[edit]Beckwith is from Hillsdale, Michigan, and graduated from Huntington University with a Bachelor of Arts in business economics.[1] He is a pastor at Life Church in Noblesville, Indiana, and he calls himself a Christian nationalist.[2]
Political career
[edit]Beckwith sought the Republican Party's nomination for Indiana's 5th congressional district in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections.[3] He finished in third place with 13.1% of the vote, losing to Victoria Spartz.[4]
The Hamilton County, Indiana county council appointed Beckwith to a vacant seat on the Hamilton East Public Library board of trustees on September 7, 2022. Beckwith's appointment attracted local controversy due to his stated views on LGBTQ issues, and his belief that public school students were being taught "gay" and "oral sex" and being "indoctrinated with Marxist ideology." In comments to The Indianapolis Star, Beckwith denied charges that he had an "agenda to censor books."[5] During his tenure, Beckwith supported revisions to the library's collection development policy that barred materials containing "depictions of sex, violence and repeated profanity" from being shelved in the library's young adult section. Nearly 2,000 titles were relocated as a result of the policy. The board suspended the new policy in August 2023 following public backlash that attracted national press attention and criticism from local authors such as John Green.[6][7] The board subsequently voted to repeal the new policy in December 2023 following the resignation of several conservative board members. Beckwith resigned from the board of trustees in January 2024 in order to pursue his candidacy for lieutenant governor.[2]
Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
[edit]In 2023, Beckwith announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor of Indiana in the 2024 election.[8] Beckwith faced Julie McGuire for the nomination, and won with 891 votes against McGuire's 828.[9] He won the election on a ticket with U.S. senator Mike Braun, defeating the Democratic Party nominees Jennifer McCormick and Terry Goodin.[10]
Personal life
[edit]Beckwith lives in Noblesville, Indiana, with his wife Susan and their two children.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "Your guide to Indiana's 5th District primary candidates". WRTV Indianapolis. May 25, 2020.
- ^ a b Tuohy, John. "Micah Beckwith, pastor who led book removal policy in HamCo, resigns from library board". The Indianapolis Star.
- ^ Noblesville, The Times of (April 13, 2022). "1 in 10 Hoosiers Identify with at Least One Sign of Alcoholism". The Times of Noblesville.
- ^ Lange, Kaitlin. "Spartz, Hale claim victory in Indiana 5th District". The Indianapolis Star.
- ^ Tuohy, John (October 16, 2022). "Hamilton East library board choice sparks furor: Critics question process, say conservative pastor will try to ban books". Indianapolis Star.
- ^ Appleton, Rory (May 7, 2023). "Kids' books under fire at Noblesville library". The Indianapolis Star.
- ^ Gaines, Lee V. (August 24, 2023). "After criticism from John Green, HEPL library pauses policy to review, reshelve teen books". WFYI Indianapolis.
- ^ Reporter, The. "Micah Beckwith announces run for Lt. Governor".
- ^ Smith, Brandon (June 15, 2024). "Pastor Micah Beckwith is Indiana GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, beating Mike Braun's pick". WFYI Public Media.
- ^ Forrest, Jack (November 5, 2024). "Mike Braun wins Indiana governor race, Micah Beckwith to be lieutenant governor". Indiana Daily Student. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ Davies, Tom (June 15, 2024). "Beckwith prevails in Republican lieutenant governor race over Braun's choice". State Affairs Pro. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- 1980s births
- Living people
- 21st-century American Christian clergy
- 21st-century Indiana politicians
- Candidates in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections
- Christian nationalists
- Christians from Indiana
- Huntington University (United States) alumni
- Indiana Republicans
- Lieutenant governors of Indiana
- People from Noblesville, Indiana