Substantial pay raises for Indiana statewide elected officials starting 2025
In 2025, Indiana’s statewide elected officials will experience a substantial increase in their salaries, following the recent passage of the state budget by the General Assembly. The budget includes pay raises for the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor, treasurer, and secretary of state.
The new spending plan stipulates that the governor’s salary will match that of a state Supreme Court justice, which currently stands at $198,513. This equates to a 48% raise. In 2021, Governor Holcomb‘s salary ranked 33rd among all governors in the United States, with his $134,051 income falling almost $15,000 short of the national average for a state executive.
These salary increases will come into effect in January 2025, with the commencement of the next term. Holcomb, who is term-limited, will not be eligible for re-election in the upcoming race for state officers.
However, the decision to raise salaries has been met with some criticism. Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who has announced her intention to run for governor, voiced her disapproval, stating that she could not endorse pay raises while “the far-left policies of Joe Biden are economically squeezing many Hoosier families.” Crouch also expressed her commitment to transparency during her tenure as state auditor from 2014 to 2017 and was “surprised and disappointed” by the inclusion of salary adjustments in the budget without discussion.
Under the new budget, the lieutenant governor’s salary will equal 88% of a Supreme Court judge’s earnings, while the attorney general will receive 83%, and the auditor, treasurer, and secretary of state will each get 66%. The governor’s pay raise will be effective from January 13, 2025, while the other raises will begin on January 1, 2025.
Julia Vaughn, executive director of Common Cause Indiana, expressed disappointment at the late addition of pay raises to the budget without allowing public feedback. She emphasized the importance of transparency in the legislative process and criticized the secretive nature of this decision.
