TERRE HAUTE — More than $730,000 has been spent during the midyear election season on just a handful of Indiana House legislative district races in the Wabash Valley.
House districts 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46 all include sections of Vigo County and, with Democrats holding a very slim advantage in the Indiana House, could be critical in determining the direction of Indiana government over the next two years.
The most midyear spending, according to campaign finance papers filed in mid-October, has come in Democratic challenger Nancy Michael’s effort to unseat incumbent Republican Amos Thomas in the 44th House District, which includes Brazil in Clay County, portions of Parke and Putnam counties and Nevins Township in Vigo County.
Michael, a former multi-term Greencastle mayor, spent more than $228,000 and raised $229,000 between April 12 and Oct. 10 of this year, according to campaign finance documents filed Oct. 17.
Thomas spent more than $66,000 and raised more than $76,000 between mid-April and Oct. 10, his campaign finance papers show.
The second-most midyear spending in a Wabash Valley House race during the midyear reporting period has come from another Democrat — incumbent Vern Tincher, who is defending his seat against Republican challenger Bob Heaton.
Tincher reports spending more than $135,000 between April 12 and Oct. 10, while Heaton reports spending more than $116,000 during the same period, according to campaign finance papers.
The third-highest individual spending figures for a Wabash Valley House seat are in the 45th District where Republican incumbent Bruce Borders is facing a well-funded challenge from Democrat Rick Marshall. According to campaign finance documents filed Oct. 17, Marshall spent more than $120,000 between April 12 and Oct. 10 on his campaign. Borders reports spending just less than $40,000 during the same period.
In the battle for the legislative seat with the most Terre Haute voters, Democrat Clyde Kersey reports spending around $6,000 from April 12 to Oct. 10. His challenger, Republican Ryan Cummins, listed total expenditures of more than $10,000 during the same period. Kersey reports raising $12,000 during the midyear reporting period. Cummins raised more than $14,000 during the same period, mid-October campaign finance documents show.
While all six districts include portions of Vigo County, Districts 43 and 46 include the largest number of Terre Haute-area voters. District 43 includes the city of Terre Haute, northeastern Vigo County and a portion of Clay County. District 46 includes much of southern and eastern Vigo, as well as portions of Clay, Owen and Monroe counties.
District 46, which pits Tincher against Heaton, has seen more than $300,000 in total campaign spending this year. While Tincher has represented the district 22 of the past 26 years, he lost the district twice – once in 1994 and again in 2002.
According to campaign finance documents, the largest single contributor to Heaton’s campaign is the political action committee representing the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The PAC, known as Indiana Business for Responsive Government, has donated around $80,000 to Heaton in television ads, mailing, polling and other in-kind contributions.
Tincher has received more than $77,000 in in-kind donations from the Indiana Democratic Party and $50,000 from I-PACE, a political action committee representing social workers.
Heaton reports receiving more than $19,000 in individual donations from April to October while Tincher reports individual donations of $750. Apart from I-PACE, other PACs, many representing organized labor, contributed more than $42,000 to Tincher’s campaign during the midyear campaign season.
In the 43rd District, which includes the city of Terre Haute, Kersey reports receiving more than $11,000 in contributions from organized labor, corporations and political action committees in the midyear reporting period. In the same period, Kersey, who has represented the district since 1996, reported no individual contributions to his campaign.
Cummins, a former Terre Haute city councilman, raised the bulk of his midyear contributions – nearly $9,000 – from individual contributors donating $200 or less. He also raised $2,550 in contributions from local businesses and $400 from the Terre Haute area Pachyderm Club.
Indiana’s 42nd District, which includes a portion of western Vigo County and extends north to Interstate 74, is uncontested with incumbent Dale Grubb the lone candidate on the ballot. Grubb reports raising more than $26,000 and spending nearly $12,000 between April 12 and Oct. 10.
Final campaign finance figures are due from all candidates Jan. 21.
For detailed candidate contribution and expenditure figures, see the Indiana Secretary of State’s Web site at www.in.gov/sos.
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
Election 2008
November 1, 2008
House campaigns spending big bucks
- Election 2008
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Vigo County election results
More than 44,000 ballots were cast Tuesday of the nearly 80,000 registered voters, giving Vigo County a 55.76 percent voter turnout. Voters who cast provisional ballots have until noon Nov. 14 to show proper identification in the clerk’s office. Members of the Election Board will certify the results by the end of Nov. 14.
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Obama triumphs, will be first black U.S. president
Barack Obama swept to victory as the nation’s first black president Tuesday night in an electoral college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself. “Change has come,” he told a huge throng of jubilant supporters.
- Ellsworth downs Goode in District 8 In a strong Democratic election year, U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth was re-elected Tuesday to a second term as the 8th District congressman representing southwestern and western Indiana.
- House District 44: Former Greencastle major wins A former Greencastle mayor will head off to the Statehouse come January, and she said Tuesday night she’s ready to go.
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YOUTH VOTE: Sarah Scott students elect Obama, Daniels
Tribune-Star
Students and staff at Sarah Scott Middle School voted to make Barack Obama president and Mitch Daniels governor during a mock election Tuesday. - Vigo picks presidential winner again Vigo County voters chose Democrat Sen. Barack Obama as president, maintaining its status as a “bellwether” county, picking the winner in every presidential election since 1892 with only two exceptions.
- Harrison Township opts to keep assessor Voters in eight precincts in Harrison Township opted to retain a township assessor under a referendum vote on Tuesday’s election ballot. That’s was good news to Mick Love, who will retain his elected seat as Harrison Township assessor. The final tally on Public Question No. 1 was 6,587 for a “yes,” which would remove the office, to 9,506 for “no” which would retain the office.
- House District 46: Tincher pulls out win The race between Democrat incumbent Rep. Vern Tincher and Republican challenger Bob Heaton for the Indiana House District 46 seat went down to the wire Tuesday night, with Tincher pulling out a win.
- Republican Daniels wins 2nd term as Indiana governor Republican Mitch Daniels defeated former Democratic congresswoman Jill Long Thompson on Tuesday to win a second term as governor, but he may need a supply of olive branches to advance his agenda if Democrats retain control of the Indiana House.
- House District 45: Borders wins close race The Indiana House District 45 race between incumbent Republican Bruce Borders and Democrat Rick Marshall was too close to call for much of the evening Tuesday, with the final outcome apparent near midnight.
- House District 43: Kersey remains in seat Rep. Clyde Kersey, D-Terre Haute, will remain in the Indiana General Assembly for another two years, as the 12-year incumbent defeated Republican challenger Ryan Cummins for the House District 43 seat.
- Clay County's turnout one for record books Clay County’s voter turnout was one for the record books, officials said Tuesday evening.
- Parke County incumbents retain their seats Parke County incumbents retained their seats in Tuesday’s election. Republican County At-large Councilmen Dale Gerrish and John Pratt will be joined by fellow Republican J.B. Butler, a newcomer who received more votes than Gerrish and Pratt. The three GOP candidates won over the three Democrats in that race.
- Nearly 64 percent of registered Vermillion voters cast ballots Vermillion County voters turned out in big numbers Tuesday to hand victories to Democrats up and down the ballot. Nearly 64 percent of registered voters turned out in the mostly rural county, which includes the towns of Clinton and Newport.
- Sullivan County votes Repbulican in national election For the second time in its traditionally Democratic history, Sullivan County voted Republican in the national election. Overall, Democrats saw unexpected upsets, incumbent Republicans lost a few offices, and voter turnout here was exceptionally high, as expected.
- Indiana State students await impact of their votes Ashley Roce sat in the Cunningham Memorial Library eating pizza with her friends, waiting to see the impact of her first vote in a presidential election.
- Indiana transplants watch from east coast Indiana has done what couldn’t have been predicted in 2004: It has gone Blue — and by so doing, the Hoosier state has broken its 44-year tradition of being a Red state, and helped put a Democrat in the White House.
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Voter turnout in Clark County, Ill., highest it's ever been
Voter turnout in Clark County, Ill., was the largest it has ever been, but it wasn’t as high as County Clerk Bill Downey had hoped for.
- Presidential election turnout down in Edgar County Despite an increase in registered voters for Tuesday’s election, turnout was lower than the last presidential election in Edgar County, Ill.
- Incumbents easily win school board seats Three Vigo County School Board incumbents readily won re-election Tuesday. In District 1, Mel Burks and Jackie Lower retained their seats, defeating Larry Faulkner. In unofficial results, Lower had 24,321 votes, Burks, 19,253, and Faulkner, 11,383.
- Democratic Commissioner Mason gets another four years Vigo County voters on Tuesday returned Democratic Commissioner Paul Mason for an additional four-year term as one of the county’s top executive officials.
- Rader wins Vigo judge Superior Court Divisioin 5 The winner of Vigo County judge for Superior Court Division 5 is Dr. Michael Rader. With 23,636 votes, or 56 percent, Rader defeated Republican challenger Dan Kelly, who earned 18,216 votes, or 44 percent. Totals are unofficial results from the Vigo County Election office.
- Allsup defeats Royer in Vigo Recorder race In a night that was friendly to Democrats, Nancy Allsup won the office of Vigo County Recorder, defeating Republican Bruce Royer. Allsup, with 26,486 votes, or 65 percent, celebrated her victory Tuesday night with friends and family at the Paradise Pavilion in West Terre Haute.
- Mansard wins another term as Vigo County clerk Democrat Patricia “Pat” Mansard has won another term as Vigo County clerk. Mansard, who has served as county clerk for 20 years, was busily working Tuesday night to finish up election results, but she took a minute to savor her win.
- FINAL: VIGO COUNTY ELECTION 2008 RESULTS Final election night results from Vigo County
- FINAL: VERMILLION COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS 2008 Election results from Vermillion County
- FINAL: CLAY COUNTY ELECTION 2008 RESULTS Election results from across Clay County
- FINAL: PARKE COUNTY ELECTION 2008 RESULTS Election results from Parke County
- FINAL: SULLIVAN COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS 2008 Results from Sullivan County
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NEW: Vigo County’s election record cited by Karl Rove
Karl Rove, the man credited with orchestrating President George W. Bush’s two successful campaigns for the presidency, reportedly singled out Vigo County as a place to watch tonight when election returns start coming in.
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