Sen. Mike Braun missed a critical federal spending vote. Here's why.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the distance between Indiana and Washington D.C.

The fight to fund the federal government spilled into Indiana's governor's race on Saturday.

Hours after the U.S. Senate approved a $1.2 trillion spending package to fund the federal government through September and end a short government shutdown, candidates running for Indiana governor attacked Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Braun for missing the crucial vote. Hours before the vote, Braun was in Indiana for a fundraiser for his gubernatorial campaign.

From USA Today: Congress passes $1.2 trillion spending bill after short government shutdown

The 74-24 Senate vote took place in the early morning hours Saturday, after Senate Democrats and Republicans spent hours negotiating what should be included in the package and missed the midnight deadline leading to a brief funding lapse. The U.S. House had previously approved the spending bill Friday morning with a 286-134 vote.

Braun's competitors in the governor's race took swipes at him on social media for not voting on the package, accusing him of prioritizing the fundraiser in Indiana hundreds of miles away over his current job in the Senate.

In a statement, Josh Kelley, speaking as a senior advisor on Braun's campaign, emphasized that the fundraiser had ended hours before the nearly 2 a.m. vote — plenty of time for Braun to make it to Washington D.C. had his team known the vote would happen over night.

“This is another lie peddled by desperate candidates," said Kelley, who is also Braun's chief of staff. "The accurate timeline is a Friday event that ended at 7:00 pm; he had a seat on a 9:25 pm flight to DC, but since no votes were scheduled at that time and based on his conversations with other members and leadership staff indicating a vote was not likely to occur until Saturday, he decided to spend the night at home and fly out Saturday morning."

Kelley added that Braun would have voted against the spending plan.

According to the fundraiser invitation, first shared by a Politico reporter, a reception was scheduled to take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 22, at Braun's sister's house.

Braun's opponents in the governor's race seized on the news.

"If Mike Braun can't be trusted to show up and do the job he was elected to do he should resign and let someone else," Eric Doden's campaign said in an email and on X.

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch's gubernatorial campaign weighed in on X, too.

“Most Hoosiers are confused about why Senator Braun has chosen to abandon his duties as U.S. Senator from Indiana to now run for Governor," Liz Dessauer, Crouch's campaign manager, said in a statement. "His decision to skip his responsibility to be the voice of Hoosiers on this important vote to instead attend a fundraiser is further proof that he only cares about his political ambitions, not what is best for Indiana."

Former Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers' gubernatorial campaign did the same, attributing a statement from strategist Marty Obst and calling Braun a career politician. “His priority has always been getting elected, not serving Hoosiers," the statement said.

All four candidates are running for governor as Republicans, along with former attorney General Curtis Hill and mom Jamie Reitenour. Braun, Doden, Crouch and Chambers will face off in a political debate that will be aired online and on television at 7 p.m. on Fox 59 and CBS 4 on Tuesday, March 26. The primary election is on May 7.

Here's how Indiana's Congressional Delegation voted on the spending measure:

U.S. SenateMike Braun, Republican: Not votingTodd Young, Republican: Yes

U.S. HouseFrank Mrvan, Democrat, 1st Congressional District: YesRudy Yakym, Republican, 2nd Congressional District: YesJim Banks, Republican, 3rd Congressional District: NoJames Baird, Republican, 4th Congressional District: YesVictoria Spartz, Republican, 5th Congressional District: NoGreg Pence, Republican, 6th Congressional District: YesAndre Carson, Democrat, 7th Congressional District: NoLarry Bucshon, Republican, 8th Congressional District: YesErin Houchin, Republican, 9th Congressional District: Yes

Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Alexandria Burris at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @allyburris.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Mike Braun missed critical federal spending vote. Here's why.