INDIANAPOLIS — Monday was the final day to register to vote, and just a few weeks from the election, the governor's race is getting a lot more attention, national attention. That's bringing new money to the race, and a lot of it.
With election day a little less than a month away, a $600,000 donation might seem a little late in the game to some. But the Democratic Governor's Association (DGA) says the investment they're making at this stage in the race, is right on time.
"When you make an investment at this point when voters are really just tuning in, that's when it has the biggest impact," Sam Newton with the DGA said.
Newton says McCormick's campaign is gaining momentum, pointing to polling by the Democrats that shows McCormick is closing the gap on Republican candidate and current U-S senator Mike Braun.
"We see a race getting increasingly competitive in the last month and that's because Jennifer McCormick is running a strong race," Newton said.
Other polls though still show Braun with a comfortable lead in front of McCormick and Libertarian candidate Donald Rainwater.
"I'm not convinced that the race is close yet, but that's not to say it wouldn't be," University of Indianapolis political science professor Dr. Laura Merrifield-Wilson said.
Merrifield-Wilson says a sudden large donation like the one from the DGA could have an impact.
"Whenever you see the infusion of money like this, that will help move the needle," she said.
"That will help impact the race. That is going to help in favor of McCormick because naturally that's what they're trying to do with that funding is to get voters that they think they can flip sides or they think they can motivate to get out to vote, who may have otherwise not," Merrifield-Wilson added.
But McCormick's campaign isn't the only one with money still coming in. Recent campaign finance filings show the Republican Governor's Association just made its own large donation of $250,000 to Braun's campaign, with another $250,000 coming in from other donors in recent days.
"I think this is why money matters a lot at this very moment is it's not really on election day anymore, it's an election season," Merrifield-Wilson said. "So as voters are already starting to make their decisions for contributors to campaigns this is a last moment to really reach everyone."
Money helps that reach go further.
13 News reached out to all three gubernatorial candidates' campaigns for comment on this story. Only Jennifer McCormick's campaign responded saying in part her campaign was gaining traction by the day.
If you want to vote and have your say you must be registered to vote by midnight tonight. You can do it online right now.