2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana

2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana

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All 9 Indiana seats to the United States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Last election 4 5 Seats won 6 3 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 972,671 679,462 Percentage 55.65% 38.88% Swing 9.31% 13.01%
Republican   50–60%   60–70% Democratic   40–50%   50–60%

The 2010 congressional elections in Indiana were held on November 2, 2010, to determine who would represent the state of Indiana in the United States House of Representatives. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 112th Congress from January 2011 until January 2013, except for the winner of the 3rd District's special election, who will serve the few remaining weeks of the 111th Congress. As of 2023 this is the last time that the Democrats won more than 2 seats in Indianas house delegation .

Indiana has nine seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census.

Overview

United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana, 2010 [1]
Party		Votes	Percentage	Seats	+/–
	Republican	972,671	55.65%	6	+2
	Democratic	679,462	38.88%	3	-2
	Libertarian	84,289	4.82%	0	-
	Independents	11,298	0.65%	0	-
Totals		1,747,720	100.00%	9	-

By district

Results of the 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana by district: ^[2]

District	Republican		Democratic		Others		Total		Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
District 1	65,558	38.63%	99,387	58.56%	4,762	2.81%	169,707	100.0%	Democratic hold
District 2	88,803	46.84%	91,341	48.18%	9,447	4.98%	189,591	100.0%	Democratic hold
District 3	116,140	62.76%	61,267	33.11%	7,642	4.13%	185,049	100.0%	Republican hold
District 4	138,732	68.57%	53,167	26.28%	10,423	5.15%	202,322	100.0%	Republican hold
District 5	146,899	62.14%	60,024	25.39%	29,484	12.47%	236,407	100.0%	Republican hold
District 6	126,027	66.57%	56,647	29.92%	6,635	3.51%	189,309	100.0%	Republican hold
District 7	55,213	37.81%	86,011	58.89%	4,815	3.30%	146,039	100.0%	Democratic hold
District 8	117,259	57.55%	76,265	37.43%	10,240	5.02%	203,764	100.0%	Republican gain
District 9	118,040	52.34%	95,353	42.28%	12,139	5.38%	225,532	100.0%	Republican gain
Total	972,671	55.65%	679,462	38.88%	95,587	5.47%	1,747,720	100.0%

Congressional districts

District 1

See also: Indiana's 1st congressional district

Democrat Pete Visclosky has represented this district since 1985. The PVI is D+8. He faced Republican activist Mark Leyva and Libertarian candidate Jon Morris. Visclosky was endorsed by the Northwest Indiana Times and the Indianapolis Star . ^{[3] [4]}

2010

Indiana's 1st Congressional District Election (2010)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Pete Visclosky (incumbent)	99,387	58.56
	Republican	Mark J. Leyva	65,558	38.63
	Libertarian	Jon Morris	4,762	2.81
Total votes			169,707	100.00
Turnout
	Democratic hold

District 2

See also: Indiana's 2nd congressional district

Democrat Joe Donnelly had represented this district since 2007 and ran for reelection. He was challenged by Republican nominee State Representative Jackie Walorski, whom he defeated. ^[5]

Obama carried this district with 54% of the vote in 2008. ^[6]

• IN - District 2 from OurCampaigns.com
• Campaign Contributions from OpenSecrets
• 2010 Indiana - 2nd District from CQ Politics
• Race profile at The New York Times

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Joe Donnelly (D)	Jackie Walorski (R)	Undecided
EPIC-MRA	October 20–22, 2010	400	± 4.9%	48%	43%	n/a
EPIC-MRA	October 1–3, 2010	400	± 4.9%	48%	39%	7%
American Action Forum via South Bend Tribune	August 16–19, 2010	400	± 4.9%	46%	44%	n/a
The Polling Company	July 31-August 3, 2010	309	± 5.6%	52%	35%	11%

2010

Indiana's 2nd Congressional District Election (2010)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Joe Donnelly (incumbent)	91,341	48.18
	Republican	Jackie Walorski	88,803	46.84
	Libertarian	Mark Vogel	9,447	4.98
Total votes			189,591	100.00
Turnout
	Democratic hold

District 3

See also: Indiana's 3rd congressional district

Republican Mark Souder represented this district from 2003 until his resignation on May 18, 2010. Fellow Republican John McCain carried this district with 56% of the vote in the 2008 presidential election. ^[7]

In the Republican primary, car dealer Bob Thomas gave Souder a strong challenge in the primary. An April SurveyUSA poll showed Thomas within six percentage points of Souder. Other Republican candidates included attorney Phil Troyer and Tea Party activist Greg Dickman. Souder won the primary with 48% of the vote. He was to face Democrat Fort Wayne councilman Tom Hayhurst.

However, as Souder announced his resignation from Congress and his resignation as the Republican candidate for Congress on May 18, 2010, the Governor of Indiana set a date for a special election to be held concurrently with the general election in November. A caucus was to be held to choose the Republican candidate for the special election and the general election. The Republican caucus to choose the nominee was held on June 12, 2010. State Senator Marlin Stutzman was selected as the Republican nominee for both the special and general elections.

Republican primary polling

Poll Source	Dates Administered	Mark Souder	Bob Thomas	Phil Troyer	Greg Dickman	Undecided
Survey USA (Link)	April 22–26, 2010	35%	29%	19%	2%	16%

2010

Indiana's 3rd Congressional District Special Election (2010)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Marlin Stutzman	115,415	62.65
	Democratic	Thomas Hayhurst	60,880	33.05
	Libertarian	Scott W. Wise	7,914	4.30
Total votes			184,209	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

Indiana's 3rd Congressional District General Election (2010)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Marlin Stutzman	116,140	62.76
	Democratic	Thomas Hayhurst	61,267	33.11
	Libertarian	Scott W. Wise	7,631	4.12
	No party	Others	11	0.01
Total votes			185,049	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

District 3 Special

The 2010 special election for Indiana's 3rd congressional district will be held November 2, contemporaneously with the regularly scheduled general election. The special election was called to fill the vacancy left by Republican Mark Souder, who resigned after an affair with a staffer was revealed. ^[8]

Democratic candidates

• Dr. Tom Hayhurst, former Fort Wayne City Councilor; 2006 and 2010 Democratic nominee.

Republican candidates

Nominee

• Marlin Stutzman, State Senator and former U.S. Senate candidate ^[9]

Lost Nomination

• Randy Borror, State Representative ^[9]
• Liz Brown, Fort Wayne City Councilor ^[9]
• Wes Culver, state representative ^[10]
• Phil Troyer, attorney and opponent of Souder in the 2010 primary ^[9]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Marlin Stutzman (R)	Tom Hayhurst (D)	Scott Wise (L)	Undecided
Riggs Research	October 27–28, 2010	400	±4.9%	36%	40%	3%	n/a
SurveyUSA	October 21–25, 2010	400	±4.9%	57%	32%	7%	2%
American Viewpoint	July 19–20, 2010	400	±4.9%	56%	29%	2%	n/a

District 4

See also: Indiana's 4th congressional district

Republican Steve Buyer did not run for re-election. McCain carried the district with 56% of the vote. Todd Rokita, the Republican Secretary of State of Indiana, Republican State Senator Brandt Hershman, Cheryl Denise Allen and Mark Seitz filed to run for Buyer's vacant seat. ^[11] Rokita won the primary and defeated Democrat David Sanders in the general election.

2010

Indiana's 4th Congressional District Election (2010) ^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Todd Rokita	138,732	68.57
	Democratic	David Sanders	53,167	26.28
	Libertarian	John Duncan	10,423	5.15
Total votes			202,322	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

District 5

See also: Indiana's 5th congressional district

Republican Dan Burton has represented this district since 2003. John McCain carried 59% of the vote in 2008. ^[13]

Former Republican candidate Brose McVey, Indiana Republican Party Executive Director Luke Messer, State Representative Mike Murphy, and 2008 primary challenger John McGoff all formally announced their intention to run. Burton won the primary with just 30% of the vote. He faced Democrat Tim Crawford in the general election. ^[14]

Republican primary polling

Poll Source	Dates Administered	Dan Burton	Luke Messer	Brose McVey	John McGoff	Mike Murphy	Andy Lyons	Undecided
Public Opinion Strategies (Link)	March 5, 2010	43%	9%	8%	8%	4%	2%	26%

2010

Indiana's 5th Congressional District Election (2010)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Dan Burton (incumbent)	146,899	62.14
	Democratic	Tim Crawford	60,024	25.39
	Libertarian	Richard Reid	18,266	7.73
	Independent	Jesse C. Trueblood	11,218	4.75
Total votes			236,407	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

District 6

See also: Indiana's 6th congressional district

Republican Mike Pence represented this district since 2003. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican nominee McCain carried the district with 52% of the vote. Pence faced Democratic nominee Barry Welsh, ^[15] a minister, and defeated him to keep his seat.

2010

Indiana's 6th Congressional District Election (2010)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mike Pence (incumbent)	126,027	66.57
	Democratic	Barry A. Welsh	56,647	29.92
	Libertarian	Talmage "T.J." Thompson, Jr.	6,635	3.51
Total votes			189,309	100.00
Turnout				41
	Republican hold

District 7

See also: Indiana's 7th congressional district

Democrat André Carson has served since 2008. President Obama carried this district with 71% of the vote, considered safe or solid by most sources. He again faced perennial Republican candidate Marvin Scott, who took issue with Carson's Muslim faith during the general election. ^[16] However, Carson defeated Scott by a large margin to retain his seat. ^[17]

2010

Indiana's 7th Congressional District Election (2010)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	André Carson (incumbent)	86,011	58.90
	Republican	Marvin B. Scott	55,213	37.81
	Libertarian	Dav Wilson	4,815	3.30
Total votes			146,039	100.00
Turnout
	Democratic hold

District 8

See also: Indiana's 8th congressional district

This was an open seat as Democratic incumbent Brad Ellsworth ran (unsuccessfully) for the U.S. Senate. The Democratic nominee was lawyer and State Representative Trent Van Haaften. The Republican nominee was Larry Bucshon, president of Ohio Valley HeartCare.

• IN - District 8 from OurCampaigns.com
• Campaign Contributions from OpenSecrets
• 2010 Indiana - 8th District from CQ Politics
• Race profile at The New York Times

Bucshon received support from the National Republican Congressional Committee and was named a GOP Young Gun. ^[18] During the campaign, Bucshon was endorsed by several conservative interest groups and elected officials, including the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Congressional Action Committee, United States Chamber of Commerce, National Right to Life Committee, Indiana Right to Life, Indiana Manufacturers Association, Campaign for Working Families, House Minority Leader John Boehner, U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. ^[19]

Bucshon received significant campaign contributions from medical groups ^[20]

Bucshon defeated van Haaften by a margin of 21 points, winning all 18 counties in the district. ^[21]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Trent Van Haaften (D)	Larry Bucshon (R)	Undecided
Public Opinion Strategies	July 21–22, 2010	400	± 4.9%	27%	43%	n/a
OnMessage	September 13–14, 2010	400	± 4.9%	20%	41%	n/a

2010

Indiana's 8th Congressional District Election (2010)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Larry Bucshon	117,259	57.55
	Democratic	Trent Van Haaften	76,265	37.43
	Libertarian	John Cunningham	10,240	5.03
Total votes			203,764	100.00
Turnout
	Republican gain from Democratic

District 9

See also: Indiana's 9th congressional district

Democratic incumbent Baron Hill was challenged by Republican Todd Young (campaign site, PVS, WhoRunsGov), Libertarian Greg Knott (campaign site Archived 2013-07-21 at the Wayback Machine , PVS), and Independent Jerry Lucas (campaign site, PVS). He was defeated, and was defeated by Todd Young.

• IN - District 9 from OurCampaigns.com
• Campaign Contributions from OpenSecrets
• 2010 Indiana - 9th District from CQ Politics
• Race profile, nytimes.com; accessed November 9, 2016.

Primaries

Five-term Congressman Democrat Baron Hill has won in the ninth district since 1998, except for in 2004, when he lost to Republican Mike Sodrel by 1,425 votes. Hill narrowly regained his seat from Sodrel in 2006 and won another race with Sodrel in 2008 by a wider margin. McCain carried the district with only 50% of the vote. In 2010, Sodrel sought another rematch, but lost to former Marine Captain and Orange County Deputy Prosecutor Todd Young in the Republican primary. ^{[22] [23]} Independent Jerry Lucas, a nurse and army veteran, has also filed to run. ^{[24] [25]} Greg Knott entered the race as the Libertarian Party candidate.

Prior to the campaign season, Hill came under increasing public pressure following the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. At public meetings, Hill had to be escorted by state police for his protection and had heated verbal exchanges with the public which made local news on several occasions and leading Hill to refuse to hold additional public meetings in person. ^[26]

General

Hill launched a series of campaign ads beginning in mid August questioning Young's intentions for the future of Social Security and highlighting a comment made by Young referring to it as a "Ponzi scheme". ^[27] Local media covering the debate questioned both candidates about their ads; Hill defended his support of healthcare, stimulus, and new regulatory legislation as the correct votes for the future of the country.

Young reconfirmed his position, stating Social Security was indeed a "Ponzi scheme" and needed reform to remain financially viable and called on Hill to explain his financial plans for the nation. ^[28]

The last week of August, the Young campaign began running ads on radio and television pointing out Hill's record of supporting spending legislation and calling on fiscal restraint in Congress. On the night of August 30, Young's Bloomington campaign headquarters were vandalized; the air conditioner was stolen, the phone and internet lines into the building were cut, the power disconnected. ^[27] The Young campaign requested that Hill participate in seven town hall style debates. ^[29] The first scheduled debate will be held October 18 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater in Bloomington. ^[30]

In a post-primary June Public Opinion Strategies poll, Hill had a 41–33 lead over Young. ^[31] An August poll conducted by the Young campaign suggested only 37% of voters believed Hill deserved another term. ^[28] During the first week of September Real Clear Politics had the race rated as a toss-up. ^[25]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Baron Hill (D)	Todd Young (R)	Undecided
Public Opinion Strategies	May 25–26, 2010	300	±5.7%	41%	34%	n/a
Public Opinion Strategies	July 26–28, 2010	300	±4.9%	42%	41%	n/a
The Hill/ANGA	October 16–19, 2010	400	±4.9%	46%	44%	9%
Public Opinion Strategies	October 24–25, 2010	n/a	±5.7%	37%	49%	n/a

2010

Indiana's 9th Congressional District Election (2010)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Todd Young	118,040	52.34
	Democratic	Baron Hill (incumbent)	95,353	42.28
	Libertarian	Greg "No Bull" Knott	12,070	5.35
	No party	Others	69	0.03
Total votes			225,532	100.00
Turnout
	Republican gain from Democratic

References

1. "Indiana General Election November 2, 2010". In.gov. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
2. Haas, Karen L. (June 3, 2011). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives . Retrieved November 12, 2019.
3. "EDITORIAL: We endorse Visclosky, Donnelly". October 31, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
4. "U.S. House endorsements | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com". www.indystar.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
5. South Bend Tribune. "Walorski announces plans to run for Congress". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
6. Member Profile (September 29, 1955). "Profile for Rep. Joe Donnelly, Indiana Democrat, North central - South Bend, parts of Elkhart and Kokomo". CQ Politics. Archived from the original on February 25, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
7. Giroux, Greg (April 29, 2010). "Poll: Souder's Small Lead in Indiana - The Eye (CQ Politics)". Blogs.cqpolitics.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
8. Cilizza, Chris; Burke, Aaron (May 18, 2010). "Mark Souder to resign after affair". Washington Post.
9. Isenstadt, Alex (May 18, 2010). "Stutzman to seek Souder seat". Politico 2010.
10. "State Rep. Culver enters race for Souder's seat". South Bend Tribune. May 27, 2010.
11. de la Bastide, Ken (February 3, 2010). "Hershman throws hat into ring". Pharos-Tribune . Logansport, Indiana. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
12. Karen L. Haas (June 3, 2011). Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010 (PDF) (Report). Retrieved February 25, 2019.
13. Member Profile (June 21, 1938). "Profile for Rep. Dan Burton, Indiana Republican, East central - part of Indianapolis and suburbs". CQ Politics. Archived from the original on July 5, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
14. "Burton gets a win, but not a majority". Archived from the original on May 8, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
15. "The Ball State Daily News - Rep. Pence, challenger Welsh to meet again in midterm elections". Bsudailynews.com. May 4, 2010. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
16. Tully, Matthew (September 15, 2010). "Marvin Scott's tactics are ugly, shameless, par for the course". The Indianapolis Star . Retrieved January 3, 2011.
17. King, Mason (December 22, 2010). "Leading Questions: Carson talks Congress, whips, soft rock". Indianapolis Business Journal . Retrieved January 3, 2011.
18. "Candidates". GOP Young Guns. NRCC. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
19. "CQ Politics | Ellsworth's Seat Looks to Be a Difficult Hold". Archived from the original on September 18, 2010. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
20. Isenstadt, Alex (October 6, 2010). "Doc groups helping their own". Politico.com. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
21. "Election Results, United States Representative". Indiana Secretary of State. November 22, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
22. "Indiana poised to play major role in battle for Congress". Fwdailynews.com. January 11, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
23. "Todd Young Bio". Real Clear Politics.com. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
24. "November 2, 2010 General Election" (PDF). In.gov. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
25. "Online Guide to Indiana Politics". Politics1. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
26. "Hill's Town Hall Meeting on Healthcare". Fox41.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
27. Shella, Jim (August 31, 2010). "Rep. Todd Young's headquarters hit by vandals". WISHTV8.
28. Arnold, Joe (July 12, 2010). "Hill and Young Spar Over Social Security". WHAS 11 . Retrieved September 1, 2010.
29. "Young Hill Campaign debate schedule". Indiana Public Media. Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
30. Salomon, Evie (September 20, 2010). "Questions for the Debate". Indiana Daily Student. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
31. Howley, Brian (August 27, 2010). "Baron Hill Walks to Save His Career". Pilot News. Archived from the original on January 1, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2010.

External links

• Election Division at the Indiana Secretary of State
• U.S. Congress Candidates for Indiana at Project Vote Smart
• Indiana U.S. House from OurCampaigns.com
• Campaign contributions for U.S. Congressional races in Indiana from OpenSecrets
• 2010 Indiana General Election graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
• House - Indiana from the Cook Political Report
• Imagine Election look up congressional districts and candidates by zip code or address