Political newcomer Republican Trey Hollingsworth captured the hotly contested 9th Congressional District’s Republican primary.
In the 9th District’s Republican primary, newcomer Hollingsworth defeated four other contenders, including two Indiana Senators – Erin Houchin and Brent Waltz – and Indiana’s Secretary of State Greg Zoeller.
With 100 percent of the vote in, Hollingsworth captured 40,634 with 34 percent of the vote.
Houchin earned 30,276 with 25 percent of the vote. 
Houchin has one more term to serve as Indiana Senator.
In Washington County, Houchin earned 2780 votes with Hollingsworth taking only 1,228.
Hollingsworth, who moved to Indiana from Tennessee in September, had about 34 percent of the vote with more than 90 percent of the vote counted, ahead of Erin Houchin (25 percent), Zoeller (22 percent) and Brent Waltz (13 percent).
Hollingsworth’s victory comes after he and his father spent at least $1.7 million of their own money on his campaign.
Other Republicans accused Hollingsworth of trying to buy the congressional seat, but his television and radio commercial-heavy campaign presented him as a political outsider and strong conservative. Critics labeled him “Tennessee Trey.”
The district spanning from the Ohio River to the southern suburbs of Indianapolis is now held by Republican Rep. Todd Young, who gave it up to run for the Senate.
Hollingsworth will take on Democrat Shelli Yoder of Bloomington, a former Miss Indiana who easily won her primary Tuesday, defeating three other candidates with more than 70 percent of the vote.
She lost to Young in 2012.
“Tonight’s results are a victory for conservative values and principles,” Hollingsworth said in an emailed statement. “Hoosiers came together during this campaign with a common desire to fix a broken political system and that began by changing who we send to Washington. It is a message that the political insiders in Washington and Indianapolis heard this evening in one resounding voice.”
