Washington, D.C (Washington Insider Magazine)— John Rust, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, has officially ended his campaign. According to federal documents, Rust zeroed out his campaign accounts and filed to terminate his committee. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) received Rust’s termination report on May 29, showing that the Seymour egg farmer’s campaign has no cash remaining after covering expenses and returning approximately $6,000 in contributions to himself and his brother.
Financial Details
Rust’s campaign finance records indicate he largely self-funded his campaign with personal contributions totaling $2,610,898. Additionally, he raised a little over $8,000 from individual donors, including a $6,000 contribution from his brother, Anthony Rust. By April 1, Rust’s campaign had $97,432.20 in cash. Further contributions and transactions, including a $69,000 credit to buy back his campaigning RV, brought the cash total to over $177,000.
Between April 1 and May 28, Rust’s campaign expenses amounted to about $171,000. Key expenditures included $45,000 to Victory Research for survey research, $27,400 to Lekse Harter LLC for legal consulting, and $22,000 for campaign advertising with Lamar Advertising. The remaining funds were used to issue refunds to himself and his brother.
Focus Shifts
Despite ending his Senate campaign, Rust has not ruled out future political endeavors. He plans to focus on promoting his book and advocating for ballot access reforms in Indiana. Rust aims to amend the state’s two-primary rule, which requires candidates’ last two primary votes to align with their preferred party, a rule that kept him off the GOP primary ballot.
“I’m not going to be running as an independent or anything like that. I’m going to bide my time and do right by the party rules,” Rust stated. He also intends to continue supporting Republican candidates and participating in political events.
Legal Challenges
According to IBJ, Rust faced major legal challenges in his attempt to run for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination. Indiana’s two-primary rule, which disqualified him due to his voting history, led to legal battles. While a Marion County judge considered the requirement unconstitutional, the state appealed, and both the Indiana Supreme Court and the Indiana Election Commission ultimately upheld the law.
Rust has vowed to take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the law prevents the majority of Hoosiers from running for office. He expects to file his appeal by the end of the month.
Election Context
Republican Congressman Jim Banks, who faced no opposition in the May primary, secured the GOP nomination for Indiana’s U.S. Senate seat. He will compete against Democrat Dr. Valerie McCray and Libertarian Andrew Horning in the November general election. The Senate seat is being vacated by Republican Mike Braun, who is running for governor against Democrat Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian Donald Rainwater.
Conclusion
John Rust’s departure from the U.S. Senate race marks the end of his first foray into political office. While he has closed his campaign accounts and terminated his committee, Rust continues promoting electoral reforms and backing Republican candidates in Indiana.