2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana

Overview

Redistricting

A redistricting bill was passed by both houses of the Indiana General Assembly in April 2011 and signed into law by Governor Mitch Daniels on May 10, 2011.

The newly drawn map was designed to produce seven districts which are favorable to the Republican Party and two which favor the Democratic Party. Republicans described the districts as being more compact and more in keeping with existing county boundaries than the previous map, while Democrats argued that the map was intended to protect Republican incumbents and help the Republican Party win the 2nd district.

District 1

Visclosky: The district, based in the suburbs and exurbs of Chicago, acquired parts of LaPorte County, including Michigan City, in redistricting.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Pete Visclosky, incumbent U.S. Representative

Primary results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Joel Phelps, industrial engineer

Primary results

General election

Predictions

Results

District 2

In redistricting, parts of the state which typically favor Republicans, including Elkhart County, Miami County, Wabash County and much of Kosciusko County, were moved into the 2nd district, while Democratic-leaning areas such as Kokomo and part of LaPorte County were removed from the district.

Democratic primary

Prior to announcing his Senate campaign, Donnelly commented that he was confident that a Democrat would be able to win the district, noting that then-Senator Barack Obama would have received 49% of the vote in the district in the 2008 presidential election had it been held under the newly drawn boundaries.

Candidates

Nominee

• Brendan Mullen, Army veteran and military contractor

Eliminated in primary

• Dan Morrison, small business owner

Withdrawn

• Andrew Straw, attorney and an assistant dean at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Declined

• Joe Donnelly, incumbent U.S. Representative (running for the U.S. Senate)

Primary results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Jackie Walorski, former state representative and nominee for this seat in 2010

Eliminated in primary

• Greg Andrews, physician

Withdrawn

• Mitch Feikes, real estate developer and broker

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Joe Ruiz

Green primary

Andrew Straw, an attorney, switched from the Democratic Party to Green Party and ran for this seat. Straw was an Indiana Supreme Court analyst and an assistant dean at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in charge of the International Program. He was, however, disqualified from the ballot in July.

General election

Endorsements

Organizations

• Blue Dog Coalition
• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Red to Blue" Program

Organizations

• National Republican Congressional Committee "Young Guns" Program

Predictions

Results

District 3

The 3rd district was expected to remain favorable to Republicans. Among the changes made in redistricting were the removal of Elkhart County from the 4th district to the 2nd, and the addition of areas south of Fort Wayne, which might have made Stutzman vulnerable to a primary challenge.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Marlin Stutzman, incumbent U.S. Representative

Primary results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Kevin Boyd, pastor of Fort Wayne's Trinity Presbyterian Church

Eliminated in primary

• Stephen Hope
• Justin Kuhnle, family case manager
• John Roberson, former police officer
• Tommy Schrader
• David Sowards

Primary results

General election

Predictions

Results

District 4

Republican incumbent Todd Rokita ran for re-election in 2012. Rokita's home lies "about 500 yards" outside the boundaries of the newly drawn 4th district, a phenomenon he attributed in May 2011 to "a kind of comeuppance thing" on the part of members of the Indiana General Assembly in return for his having supported a nonpartisan redistricting process during his tenure as Secretary of State of Indiana. Sue Landske, a Republican member of the Indiana Senate, denied that this was the case. The 4th district was expected to remain favorable to Republicans.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Todd Rokita, incumbent U.S. Representative

Primary results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Tara Nelson, information technology project manager

Eliminated in primary

• Lester Moore, former Newton County Assessor

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Benjamin Gehlhausen, economics and professional flight technology major at Purdue University

General election

Predictions

Results

District 5

The 5th district continues to include Hamilton County and the north side of Indianapolis, but received Democratic-leaning areas in northern Marion and Madison, and lost rural areas near Fort Wayne. The district was expected to continue to favor Republicans.

Republican incumbent Dan Burton, who had represented the 5th district since 2003 and previously represented the 6th district from 1983, retired rather than seeking re-election in 2012.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Susan Brooks, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana

Eliminated in primary

• Jason Anderson
• Jack Lugar, attorney
• John McGoff, physician and candidate for this seat in 2008 & 2010
• David McIntosh, former U.S. Representative and lobbyist
• Matthew Mount
• Bill Salin, business analyst and Air Force veteran
• Wayne Seybold, Mayor of Marion and former Olympic pair skater

Withdrawn

• Dan Burton, incumbent U.S. Representative

Declined

• Mike Delph, state senator

Primary results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Scott Reske, state representative,

Eliminated in primary

• Tony Long, general motors retiree

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Chard Reid, economics and finance teacher at Plainfield High School

General election

Endorsements

Organizations

• National Republican Congressional Committee "Vanguard" Program

Predictions

Results

District 6

The 6th district was made more favorable to Republicans in redistricting, and now stretches from Muncie to the Ohio River.

Republican incumbent Mike Pence announced in May 2011 that he would run for Governor of Indiana rather than for re-election to the House of Representatives.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Luke Messer, former state representative, former executive director of the Indiana Republican Party, and candidate for the 5th District in 2010

Eliminated in primary

• Don Bates Jr., financial adviser and candidate for Senate in 2010
• Bill Frazier, former state senator
• Travis Hankins, developer and candidate for 9th District in 2010
• John Hatter, human resources director at Ivy Tech Community College
• Joe Sizemore, factory worker
• Allen Smith, Bartholomew County coroner and The Biggest Loser contestant
• Joseph S. Van Wye Sr., part-time service technician and part-time worker for Lifetime Resources

Declined

• Nate LaMar, president of the Henry County Council
• Jean Lesing, state senator
• Mike Pence, incumbent U.S. Representative
• Andrew Phipps, retired educator and candidate for Indiana Senate in 2002 and 2006
• Mike Sodrel, former U.S. Representative
• T.J. Thompson, candidate for this seat in 2010

Primary results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Bradley Bookout, former Delaware County council member

Eliminated in primary

• Dan Bolling, biotech entrepreneur
• Jim Crone, sociology professor at Hanover College
• Susan Hall Heitzman, small business owner
• George Holland, salesman

Declined

• Lane Siekman, attorney;
• Barry Welsh, nominee for this seat in 2006, 2008 & 2010

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Rex Bell, owner of a contracting business in the New Castle area

General election

Endorsements

Organizations

• National Republican Congressional Committee "Vanguard" Program

Predictions

Results

District 7

The 7th district lost Democratic-leaning areas in northern Marion County in redistricting, while acquiring more Republican areas in the south of the county. Nonetheless, the district was expected to remain favorable to Democrats.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• André Carson, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

• Bob Kern, paralegal
• Pierre Pullins, warehouse worker
• Woodrow Wilcox

Primary results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Carlos May, former aide for Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard

Eliminated in primary

• Steve Davis, former Southport police chief
• Tony Duncan, Army veteran and union worker
• Wayne Harmon, parole agent and former Marine
• J.D. Miniear, Christian ministry outreach
• Catherine Ping, Army Reserve lieutenant colonel and business owner
• Larry Shouse

Primary results

General election

Predictions

Results

District 8

The 8th district was made slightly more favorable to Democrats in redistricting, as a result of the removal of Fountain County, Putnam County and Warren County, all of which favor Republicans, and the addition of Dubois County, Perry County, Spencer County and part of Crawford County, all of which strongly favor neither party. Republican incumbent Larry Bucshon ran for re-election.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Larry Bucshon, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

• Kristi Risk, stay-at-home mom

Primary results

Democratic primary

The 8th district's Democratic candidates agreed to participate in a caucus in which the chairs and vice chairs of 38 counties would vote to decide the party's nominee; after which the candidates not selected would support the winner. Former state representative Dave Crooks was endorsed as the Democratic nominee by party leaders on December 10, 2011.

Candidates

Nominee

• Dave Crooks, former state representative

Eliminated in primary

• Thomas Barnett
• William Bryk, attorney and perennial candidate

Withdrawn

• Patrick Scates, former aide to former U.S. Representative Brad Ellsworth
• Terry White, chair of the Warrick County Democratic Party

Declined

• Brad Ellsworth, former U.S. Representative and nominee for Senate in 2010
• Trent Van Haaften, former state representative and nominee for this seat in 2010

Primary results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Bart Gadau

General election

Endorsements

Organizations

• Blue Dog Coalition
• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Red to Blue" Program

Predictions

Results

District 9

The 9th district previously consisted mostly of rural areas in southeastern Indiana but was made more favorable to Republicans when the legislature extended it northwards to include Johnson County and Morgan County while also incorporating suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky. Republican incumbent Todd Young ran for re-election.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Todd Young, incumbent U.S. Representative

Primary results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Shelli Yoder, professional development director at Indiana University in Bloomington Kelley School of Business and former Miss Indiana

Eliminated in primary

• Jonathan D. George, former Air Force officer who served on the United States National Security Council
• John Griffin Miller, activist
• John Tilford, military veteran and activist for veterans
• Robert Winningham, former employee of U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton

Declined

• Sam Locke, Air Force veteran and candidate for State Auditor in 2010
• Peggy Welch, state representative

Primary results

General election

Jason Sharp was nominated by the Libertarian Party but later dropped out.

Predictions

Results

References

References

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