INDIANAPOLIS — 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.
Daniels wasn't shy about advancing his call for change into a second term as he celebrated his victory with supporters at Conseco Fieldhouse about 9:30 p.m.
"The movement for change is moving ahead," he declared.
"This is less an endorsement than an instruction, this is less a victory than an assignment," Daniels said. "And what the people of Indiana have said is that they want us to press forward with change and improvement and reform to make education better, taxpayers better protected and make this the great state it can be."
With 97 percent of Indiana precincts reporting, Daniels had won 58 percent of the vote, according to unofficial returns tabulated by The Associated Press.
Long Thompson conceded the race shortly after 9 p.m. A victory would have made her the first woman elected governor in Indiana history.
"This didn't turn out as we had hoped, but we put a big crack in that glass ceiling," she told supporters at the downtown Marriott in Indianapolis. "And it's only a matter of time before that thing shatters here in Indiana."
Daniels, a former policy adviser to President Reagan and President George Bush, had a huge fundraising advantage throughout the campaign and outspent his Democratic rival by at least $10 million.
Democrats had hoped to capitalize on the momentum of Barack Obama's presidential campaign and voter unhappiness over changes in Daniels' first term, which included decisions to observe daylight saving time statewide and lease the Indiana Toll Road to a foreign venture.
Many of those changes came during his first two years in office, with help from a House then controlled by Republicans.
Democrats regained the House in 2006 but held a 51-49 edge that left open the possibility that Daniels could again find friendly territory in House chambers after Tuesday's votes were tallied. But as of about 11:30 p.m., while vote counting continued in some districts, Democrats had won 49 seats and Republicans 46 — with results in five districts pending.
Republican Ed Clere of New Albany beat Rep. William Cochran of New Albany by 114 votes for a seat the Democratic incumbent had held since 1974.
Former Democratic Greencastle Mayor Nancy Michael beat Rep. Amos Thomas, R-Brazil, in District 44, and Democrat Mary Ann Sullivan defeated Republican Rep. Jon Elrod in District 97 in Indianapolis. Democrat John Barnes also won District 89 in Indianapolis for a seat being vacated by longtime Republican Rep. Larry Buell.
Republican Mark Messmer of Jasper won an open District 63 seat being vacated by Rep. Dave Crooks, D-Washington.
Senate Republicans, meanwhile, maintained the 33-17 advantage they went into Election Day with. They have controlled the chamber since late 1978.
Even with Democrats controlling the House the past two years, Daniels won approval of a cigarette tax increase to create a new health insurance program for low-income residents and a major property tax relief and restructuring package.
His agenda for a second term includes further expansion of full-day kindergarten, taking the next step toward amending property tax caps into the state constitution and keeping the budget balanced — which he says is his top priority given the tanking economy.
He has suggested that will be easier to accomplish with a GOP-controlled House, calling Democratic House Speaker Patrick Bauer of South Bend "an expensive date."
Long Thompson had blamed Daniels for thousands of jobs Indiana has lost this year and had pledged to overhaul the state's tax structure and implement a new economic development program to boost the economy.
She also had promised to restore bargaining rights for state employees, which Daniels rescinded on his first day in office, and end what she called Daniels' "privatization madness" that she said had resulted in bad financial deals and worse services.
Outcomes in about a dozen House races were likely to determine which party would yield the gavel in 2009 and 2010.
All 100 seats in the House were on the ballot, with 44 Democratic incumbents and 43 Republican incumbents seeking re-election. Eighteen Democrat candidates and 16 Republicans — including one for each party running in 13 open-seat contests — faced no major party challengers.
Twenty-five of the 50 Senate seats are on the ballot, with eight candidates unopposed. Republican Jean Leising of Oldenburg won back her seat after years out of office, and Democrat Lonnie Randolph from East Chicago was expected to do the same.
Election 2008
November 5, 2008
Republican Daniels wins 2nd term as Indiana governor
- 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.
- More Election 2008 Headlines
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