Thu. Nov 7th, 2024

primary

(Photo illustration by John McGauley)

Republicans appeared poised to maintain their longstanding supermajorities in Indiana’s House of Representatives and its Senate on Tuesday, despite several races with razor-thin margins.

Going into Election Day, Democrats held 30 seats in the 100-person House and needed four more to break the Republican supermajority. Only 10 Democrats serve in the 50-member Senate, meaning they’d need seven more to gain power. 

Close races in the House

Several seats in the House remained too close to call as of 11 p.m., according to AP vote counts — including House District 61, which includes portions of Brown, Jackson and Monroe counties. 

Incumbent Dave Hall, a Republican, held a slim lead over Democrat Thomas Horrocks, with 51.5% of the vote compared to Horrocks’ 48.5%. Hall won the seat with less than 100 votes in 2022. 

Republicans were also leading in House District 10, held by Democrat Rep. Chuck Moseley. Republican challenger Jeff Larson had 50.9% of the vote while Moseley had 49.1%.

In one closely watched central Indiana race, Republican Hunter Smith — a former Colts player — was declared the victor over Democrat Josh Lowry. Smith succeeds Rep. Donna Schaibley, also a Republican, who retired earlier this year. 

Another open seat in Hamilton County — formerly held by GOP Rep. Jerry Torr — showed Republicans with a slim lead. With over 39,000 votes counted, Republican Daniel Lopez had 53.7% compared to 46.3% for Democrat Matt McNally. 

Also in central Indiana, incumbent Rep. Becky Cash, a Republican, led by just over 300 votes over Democrat challenger Tiffany Stoner at 11 p.m. Voters in Boone and Hendricks counties favored Cash with 50.4% over Stoner’s 49.6%.

House District 71 had barely any votes counted by 11 p.m., which is likely to be another close race. Democrat incumbent Wendy Dant Chesser won a caucus vote for the seat after former Rep. Rita Fleming, also a Democrat, retired earlier this year. Republican Scott Hawkins is running for the seat a second time after losing narrowly to Fleming in 2022. 

In the House, nearly two dozen Republicans ran unopposed, as did a dozen Democrats. 

Wider margins in the Senate

A last-minute funding push from Republicans appeared to have paid off, with Republican Sens. Scott Baldwin, Cyndi Carrasco and Aaron Freeman all appearing to keep their seats. 

In Hamilton County, Baldwin had 59.9% of the vote while Democrat Joel Levi had 40.1%. 

With just under two-thirds of votes counted, Carrasco led with 63.3% of the vote compared to Democrat Suzanne Fortenberry’s 36.7%. Fellow southern Marion County lawmaker Freeman had 61.9% of the vote over Democrat Katrina Owens’ 38.1%.

Also in Marion County, incumbent Republican Sen. Mike Young led with 58.4% of the vote while Democrat Jessica McCormick had 41.6%.

Incumbent Republicans in five other seats, along with one Democrat, were also favored to win their races as of 10:30 p.m., with larger projected margins of victory.

A dozen legislators, four Democrats and eight Republicans, didn’t have any competition and were declared winners shortly after polls closed. 

However, the chamber will have at least two new faces in January, including Republican Brett Clark. At 10:30 p.m., Clark led with 67.4% of the vote over Democrat Veronica Pejril, who had 32.6%. Sen. John Crane announced he would retire earlier this year, creating an opening in the west central seat that includes parts of Hendricks and Putnam counties.

Mark Spencer, a Democrat, will also join the Statehouse in January. According to The Associated Press, he had 70.9% of the vote compared to the 29.1% held by Republican Will Miller, as of 10:30 p.m.

Spencer won the May primary over former Sen. Dave Vinzant. Vinzant served one session after winning a 2023 caucus to succeed former Sen. Eddie Melton, who become the mayor of Gary. 

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