Candidate Center

Our new candidate center is designed to help keep you up-to-date with the campaigns going on across the country. Click on your state of interest and you’ll find a list of candidates running for each federal office, a brief overview of the state, and specific information for campaigns of interest as it becomes available. In the near future, the candidate center will include polls that will be updated as new ones are released, and links to FEC data.

Indiana

Presidential primary: Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Congressional filing deadline: February 2008
Congressional primary: Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Indiana was the biggest success stories for Democrats in 2006, as they captured 3 House seats in this traditionally conservative state. Given the events of the last cycle, Democrats will be hard at work in Indiana trying to hold on to these seats, which are sure to be targets for the GOP. Indiana traditionally votes Republican in presidential elections, so an elevated Republican turnout in 2008 could pose a threat to the new Democratic seats.

President (11 Electoral Votes)

Indiana Governor - Mitch Daniels (Rep)

Mitch Daniels (Rep) - Incumbent
Jim Schellinger (Dem) - Architectural Firm Owner and Community Activist
Jill Long Thompson (Dem) - Former Congresswoman, Former Asst. US Agriculture Secretary and 1986 US Senate Nominee
Richard Young (Dem) - State Senate Minority Leader and Farmer

1st District - Peter Visclosky (Dem)

Northwest corner, Gary

Peter Visclosky (Dem) - Incumbent
Mark Leyva (Rep) - Carpenter and frequent candidate

2nd District - Joe Donnelly (Dem)

North central, South Bend

Freshman Democrat Joe Donnelly beat Republican Chris Chocola by more than seven percent in 2006. The majority of the votes cast in this district come from three important counties St. Joseph, La Porte, and Elkhart all counties where Donnelly performed substantially better than former Democratic candidates. Democratic voters that had supported Bush in 2004 closed ranks all across the district, and Donnelly received an elevated share of the independent and Republican votes, which helped propel him to a convincing victory. The Hispanic population in the county is on the rise, which bodes well for Democrats in the future. The Republican nomination for 2008 has yet to be decided, but state senator Tom Weatherwax has expressed interest in running against Donnelly.

Joe Donnelly (Dem)
Luke Puckett (Rep) - Businessman
Thomas Weatherwax (Rep) - State Senator, -State Representative and Fertilizer Service Sales Manager
Phil Williams (Rep) - Kokomo City Controller

3rd District - Mark Souder (Rep)

Northeast corner, Fort Wayne, most of Elkhart county

Mark Souder (Rep) - Incumbent
Michael Montagano (Dem) - Attorney

4th District - Steve Buyer (Rep)

North central, LaFayette

Steve Buyer (Rep) - Incumbent
Nels Ackerson (Dem) - Attorney
Rick Cornstuble (Dem) - State Teacher's Union Organizer, Vietnam War Veteran and 2006 Candidate
David Sanders (Dem) - Biodefense Researcher, Author, Community Activist and 2004/2006 Nominee

5th District - Dan Burton (Rep)

Central, suburban Indianapolis, Kokomo

Dan Burton (Rep) - Incumbent
John McGoff (Rep) - Former Marion County Coroner, Physician and National Guard Veteran

6th District - Mike Pence (Rep)

East central, Muncie

Mike Pence (Rep) - Incumbent
Barry Welsh (Dem) - Methodist Minister, Former Teacher, 2006 Nominee and 2004 State Senate Nominee

7th District - Julia Carson (Dem)

Central, Indianapolis

Following his victory in the special election, Congressman Andre Carson, grandson of longtime Congresswoman Julie Carson, faces several challengers in the primary for the nomination in 2008. Challengers include Former state health commissioner Woody Myers who has already spent over $1 million dollars on his campaign for the nomination. Other candidates include, Carolene Mays, David Orentilcher, and Frances Williams.

The DCCC backed Carson in the special election, and it is likely that they will once again back him due to his staus as the incumbent. The eventual winner will face Republican Jim Elrod in the general election.

Julia Carson (Dem) - Incumbent
Eric Dickerson (Rep) - Auto Dealer and 2006 Nominee

8th District - Brad Ellsworth (Dem)

Southwest, Evansville, Terre Haute

Democrat Brad Ellsworth cruised to a 21 percent victory over Republican John Hostettler, and with his popularity and moderate stances he will prove to be a difficult incumbent to beat. As of now there is no announced challenger for the Republicans.

Brad Ellsworth (Dem) - Incumbent
Mark Frisbee (Rep) - Putnam County Sheriff
Greg Goode (Rep) - University Lobbyist and Former Congressional Aide
Andy Horning (Rep) - Engineer, Libertarian Party Activist and frequent candidate

9th District - Baron Hill (Dem)

Southern border and southeast corner, New Albany, Bloomington

Democrat Baron Hill made his way back to Congress in 2006 by defeating the man who beat him, former Congressman Mike Sodrel. The two candidates have engaged in three close races over the past three cycles, and Sodrel just announced that he will run again in 2008 and make it four straight matchups with Hill. In 2006, Hill performed better in Republican leaning counties like Brown County and Dearborn where he severely reduced his losing margins from the 2004 race, and saw increased performance in Democratic leaning counties. Democratic voters increasingly closed ranks in 2006 across the district as opposed to 2004 where there were a large number of defections brought on by a presidential candidate that didn't resonate well in the district. Turnout will once again be higher in 2008, so maximizing turnout in Democratic counties will be important. The RNCC has already begun running adds attacking Hill in the district, so it is clear that they see this as a target.

Baron Hill (Dem)
Aaron Hankins (Rep) - Baptist Pastor and Conservative Political Organizer
Mike Sodrel (Rep) - Former Congressman and Trucking Executive