John Rust files lawsuit to face US Rep. Jim Banks in Senate primary in Indiana

John Rust, who announced a run for U.S. Senate against U.S. Rep. Jim Banks in the 2024 Republican primary, filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking a judge to declare an Indiana law that would prevent him from getting on voting ballots unconstitutional. 

Rust, who is the former board chair of Seymour-based egg producer Rose Acre Farms, filed the lawsuit against Secretary of State Diego Morales, the Indiana Election Commission and Jackson County Republican Party Chair Amanda Lowery. 

Rust told IndyStar Tuesday he hopes the lawsuits allows Hoosiers that identify with their party to run for office without following requirements in Indiana statute on political party affiliation.

According to the statute, a candidate’s past two primary elections must be cast with the party the candidate is affiliated with or a county party chair must sign off on a candidate to run. In the lawsuit, Rust states that this statute “should be struck down as being unconstitutionally vague and overly broad.”