Micah Beckwith

Micah Beckwith
Born	Micah Adam Beckwith August 1982
Birthplace	Hillsdale, Michigan, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Pastor, politician
Education	Huntington University (BA)
Spouse(s)	Susan Beckwith
Children	2

Micah Adam Beckwith (born August 1982) is an American pastor and politician serving as the 53rd lieutenant governor of Indiana since January 2025. A member of the Republican Party, Beckwith won the office on the ticket with Governor Mike Braun in the 2024 general election, though his path to the nomination was unusual — he was selected by Republican state convention delegates rather than by Braun himself, who had preferred a different running mate. Before entering politics, Beckwith served as a pastor in Hamilton County, Indiana, and became known for his involvement in conservative activism, including efforts to influence public library book policies. His tenure as lieutenant governor has been marked by a series of public controversies, including remarks about the Three-fifths Compromise, conflicts with state legislative leadership, a grand jury investigation into his office, and public disputes with media organizations.

Early Life

Micah Adam Beckwith was born in August 1982 in Hillsdale, Michigan. Details about his upbringing and family background in Hillsdale are limited in publicly available sources. He later relocated to Indiana, where he would pursue both a career in ministry and involvement in Republican politics.

Education

Beckwith attended Huntington University, a private Christian university located in Huntington, Indiana, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Huntington University is affiliated with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and is known for its liberal arts curriculum grounded in a Christian framework. The institution would later feature in public references to Beckwith's background during his political career.

Career

Ministry and Early Activism

Before entering electoral politics, Beckwith served as a pastor in Hamilton County, Indiana, one of the wealthiest and most politically conservative counties in the state. His ministry and public profile were closely linked with conservative social advocacy.

Beckwith gained significant public attention for his involvement with the Hamilton East Public Library (HEPL) board. He served on the library's board and was involved in efforts to implement book removal policies, particularly targeting materials he considered inappropriate for young readers. The controversy drew national attention when author John Green, whose novel The Fault in Our Stars was among the works affected by policy changes at the library, became involved in the public debate. In January 2024, Beckwith resigned from the HEPL library board as he ramped up his campaign for lieutenant governor.

2020 Congressional Campaign

Beckwith made his first bid for elected office in 2020, when he entered the Republican primary for Indiana's 5th congressional district. The seat was an open race, and Beckwith was among several candidates seeking the Republican nomination. He did not win the primary. Despite the loss, the campaign established Beckwith's profile as a politically active figure within Indiana Republican circles and among conservative evangelical communities.

2024 Lieutenant Governor Campaign

Beckwith announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor of Indiana, entering a contest that would become one of the most unusual nominating processes in recent Indiana political history. Under Indiana law, the lieutenant governor nominee is chosen by delegates at the state party convention rather than directly by the gubernatorial nominee. Governor-elect Mike Braun, who secured the Republican gubernatorial nomination, had selected a different preferred running mate. However, Beckwith campaigned aggressively among convention delegates and won the nomination over Braun's chosen candidate, a result that attracted considerable media attention both in Indiana and nationally.

During the general election campaign, Beckwith drew scrutiny for his rhetoric. In October 2024, reports highlighted that Beckwith had compared Indiana Democrats to the "Jezebel spirit," a reference with biblical origins that some observers characterized as inflammatory and divisive.

In November 2024, Braun and Beckwith won the general election, with Beckwith becoming lieutenant governor-elect.

Lieutenant Governor of Indiana

Beckwith was inaugurated as the 53rd lieutenant governor of Indiana on January 13, 2025, succeeding Suzanne Crouch. In Indiana, the lieutenant governor serves as president of the Indiana Senate and is also involved in various executive branch functions, including agriculture and rural development.

Conflict with Indiana Daily Student

Shortly after the November 2024 election, Beckwith engaged in a public dispute with the Indiana Daily Student, the student newspaper of Indiana University Bloomington. Beckwith publicly criticized the newspaper, and his remarks drew responses from both the publication and media observers who framed the incident as raising free speech concerns.

Three-Fifths Compromise Remarks

In April 2025, Beckwith attracted national media coverage for comments he made about the Three-fifths Compromise, the provision in the original United States Constitution that counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for purposes of congressional apportionment. The Washington Post reported on the remarks, which were characterized by observers as a defense or mischaracterization of the compromise's historical significance. Governor Braun publicly distanced himself from the comments, telling the Indianapolis Star, "I don't like it."

School Referendum Opposition

In October 2025, Beckwith publicly urged voters to reject a property tax referendum renewal sought by the Avon Community School Corporation. The lieutenant governor's direct intervention in a local school funding vote was unusual for a statewide officeholder and prompted criticism from education advocates and some local officials.

Social Media Post on Haitian Immigrants

In September 2025, Beckwith made a social media post about Haitian asylum seekers that drew backlash, including from some conservative commentators. Beckwith subsequently defended a follow-up post praising Haitian pastors and immigrants, stating, "I haven't flip-flopped."

Grand Jury Investigation

In October 2025, it was reported that a grand jury in Marion County, Indiana, was investigating allegations of "ghost employment" and the distribution of deepfake pornographic imagery within Beckwith's office. Ghost employment refers to the practice of paying individuals for government jobs they do not actually perform. The investigation was reported by multiple Indiana media outlets, including Fox 59 and WTHR. According to court records cited by WTHR, the testimony before the grand jury also related to an investigation into the "distribution of an intimate image" within the office.

Senate Reprimand

In November 2025, Beckwith received a written reprimand from the Indiana Senate's leadership, specifically from the Senate President Pro Tempore. The reprimand was issued in response to Beckwith's posts on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and his use of "AI glasses" while presiding over the Senate. The reprimand was an extraordinary rebuke of a sitting lieutenant governor by the legislature's own leadership, underscoring the tensions between Beckwith and the Republican-controlled Senate.

Involvement in Republican Primary Challenges

In February 2026, reporting indicated that Beckwith was publicly criticizing incumbent Republican state legislators and involving himself in primary challenges against them, including state Senator Ron Alting. This activity further highlighted Beckwith's contentious relationship with members of his own party's legislative caucus.

Personal Life

Beckwith is married to Susan Beckwith, and the couple has two children. The family resides in Indiana. Beckwith has identified publicly as a Christian pastor, and his faith has been a central element of both his ministry career and his political identity. Details about his personal life beyond these publicly documented facts are limited in available sources.

Recognition

Beckwith's tenure as lieutenant governor has been the subject of extensive media commentary in Indiana. Columnist John Krull, writing for TheStatehouseFile.com and reprinted by The Indiana Citizen, published multiple opinion columns analyzing Beckwith's conduct in office, including pieces titled "Micah Beckwith being Micah Beckwith" in August 2025 and "Micah Beckwith and other human train wrecks" in November 2025.

Beckwith's unconventional nomination at the state convention — overriding the gubernatorial nominee's preference — was itself widely covered as noteworthy in the context of Indiana's political process, prompting discussions about whether the state's convention-based system for selecting lieutenant governor nominees should be reformed.

The grand jury investigation into his office, the Senate reprimand, and his public controversies have made Beckwith one of the most scrutinized lieutenant governors in recent Indiana history.