INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – All three candidates told News 8 Monday that they are feeling optimistic heading into Election Day on Tuesday.

Voters will decide who will succeed term-limited Gov. Eric Holcomb and become Indiana’s 52nd governor. Sen. Mike Braun survived a six-candidate Republican primary that was the most expensive primary in state history. Jennifer McCormick carries the Democratic flag after serving from 2017 to 2021 as the state’s last elected superintendent of public instruction under the Republican label. Libertarian Donald Rainwater is looking to surpass his 2020 vote total by more than 11%, the best performance of any third-party candidate in Indiana since before the Civil War.

Braun told News 8 he believes his campaign’s focus on economic issues and his record in the U.S. Senate and as a business owner have resonated with voters. He just wrapped up a 12-county bus tour with other Republican candidates and elected officials. Braun said he is not concerned about some polls that suggest a closer-than-expected margin between him and McCormick.

“I’m always going to run like it’s a close race,” he said. “I put in a lot of time, I was working hard, I declared on December 22nd and I feel very good about how we have run a comprehensive campaign on common issues.”

McCormick had five more campaign stops planned for the day when he stopped by the News 8 studios Monday afternoon. She said she sees a lot of energy around her campaign and added that she has heard from some voters who voted for Donald Trump and her. He said he believes voters want to restore balance in the House of Representatives, where Republicans have controlled the governor’s seat for the past 20 years.

“It’s really a question of whether Hoosiers get out and vote,” he said. “We are getting a lot of Republican votes, which we need. “We need Democrats to act strongly and we need those independents to make a decision and make sure they follow our path.”

Rainwater said he continues to campaign in his spare time while maintaining a full-time job. He said the campaign has shown he is the only candidate in the race who truly favors smaller government and less regulation. Rainwater said anyone who votes, whether during early voting or on Election Day, has his personal gratitude for participating in the process.

“It doesn’t matter if we win tomorrow, if we finish second or third, I think we had a good race,” he said. “We have put forward the right policies, the right positions and the right perspective on how government should move forward in the state of Indiana.”

Early voting turnout has been strong in Indiana. After early voting concluded at noon, Marion County election officials reported that 133,727 early votes had been cast. Hamilton County recorded 98,093. The secretary of state’s office had tallied a total of more than 1.5 million early votes statewide as of Sunday. State totals that include Monday’s voters won’t be available until Tuesday. All candidates said they were encouraged by the turnout.

Voting on Tuesday will take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday. Anyone who is in line to vote when the polls close will be able to cast their vote.