Spartz Claims Victory But Hale Says Not So Fast

The race for Indiana's 5th District was too close to call as election night ended. Before midnight, Republican Victoria Spartz claimed victory at a speech in Carmel.  Near the same time, Democratic candidate Christina Hale said the race is not over.

“There are still tens of thousands of mail-in votes in the Fifth District that have not yet been counted, particularly in Marion and Hamilton counties, where we have done a significant amount of voter outreach,” Hale's campaign manager Joann Saridakis said in an email statement.

Spartz took the stage with outgoing Republican Congresswoman Susan Brooks who announced her retirement last year. At that time Spartz had 51 percent of the vote compared to Hale’s 45 percent.

The race brought national attention to a close fight for the open Congressional seat. Political action groups considered the 5th District seat as one likely to flip and spent more than $10 million in advertising for both candidates.

The district makes up a diverse area including most of Hamilton, Tipton, Madison and Grant counties as well as the northern part of Marion County.

The close race indicates a shift for the historically Republican stronghold.