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Voter turnout at the polls was light Tuesday. In Marion County, eight percent of the county's 647,895 registered voters went to the polls. It was the first time in more than a decade that the ballot did not include a statewide race. Three statewide races will take place this fall – Secretary of State, Treasurer and Auditor – but candidates for those positions will be decided at party conventions this summer.
U.S. House of Representatives
All 9 Indiana House Incumbents Win In Primaries
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Voter dissatisfaction with Congress didn't stop Indiana's nine members of the U.S. House from breezing to victories Tuesday in the state's primary.
Although voters said they were unhappy with the job Congress was doing, three of the nine incumbents — Reps. Pete Visclosky, Jackie Walorski and Luke Messer — didn't face primary challenges, and none of the remaining six faced serious threats on Tuesday.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman, who easily defeated two Republican challengers in northeast Indiana and is expected to be heavily favored in the fall, said he understands why voters are upset.
"When you look at Congress as a whole and the policies that have come out of Washington, it's very easy for all of us to say that Congress is not getting the job done. I would be in that group as well," he said. "We need people in Washington who are going to understand that a balanced budget is important. That getting debt under control is important."
Rep. Larry Bucshon, who easily defeated conservative Andrew McNeil in southwestern Indiana's 8th District, said he thinks people are frustrated that the House and Senate are controlled by different parties and can't agree on issues.
"But I think they recognize their individual members are doing the best they can to represent their districts," said Bucshon, who will face Democrat Tom Spangler, a Jasper businessman, in November.
Tuesday's congressional primaries were a much quieter affair than the last two elections, which each featured only three open seats. All the incumbents will likely be favored in the fall, although Andrew Downs, director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, said Democrats' best chance might be in the 2nd District. Walorski won that seat two years ago with 49 percent of the vote after Democrat Joe Donnelly ran for Senate.
The northern Indiana district has long been viewed as a swing district, Downs said. But it has leaned more Republican since congressional maps were redrawn.
Walorski will be challenged by University of Notre Dame faculty member Joe Bock, who defeated three other Democrats. Bock was director of global health training at Notre Dame's Eck Institute for Global Health until he announced his candidacy but remains on the school's faculty.
In northwest Indiana, Visclosky will face Republican Mark Leyva of Highland in November. Visclosky, who is seeking a 16th term as Indiana's longest-serving congressman, has faced Leyva in five elections since 2002. Visclosky has won handily each time.
Rep. Todd Young, who didn't face a challenger two years ago, easily beat two challengers in southern Indiana to earn the chance to seek a third term in Congress. He campaigned on a promise to work to repeal the Affordable Care Act and to reduce federal spending.
In Indianapolis, Rep. Andre Carson defeated two Democratic challengers in Indiana's 7th Congressional District and will be heavily favored in the heavily Democratic district in the fall against Catherine Ping.
If they win in November, they'll still face voters unhappy with Washington gridlock.
Bruce Jones, 51, a stock broker from South Bend, said his displeasure with Congress is a reason he votes, even in quiet years like this one.
"I want the person who best represents us in Congress, and somehow I never seem to get that," he said.
U.S. Rep. Carson Holds Off 3 Democratic Challengers
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — U.S. Rep. Andre Carson has defeated two Democratic challengers in Indiana's 7th Congressional District as he seeks a fourth full term in Washington.
Carson finished ahead of former Black Panther Militia leader Mmoja Ajabu, self-described community activist Curtis Godfrey and Pierre Quincy Pullins, who also ran in 2006 and 2008. Ajabu, Godfrey and Pullins didn't file campaign reports with the Federal Election Commission indicating they had raised any money.
Carson will face a Republican challenger in November in his bid to retain the seat formerly held by his late grandmother, Julia Carson. The district is heavily Democratic and covers much of Indianapolis.
Ajabu finished fourth to Julia Carson when she emerged from a nine-candidate field to win the seat left open when Rep. Andy Jacobs retired in 1996.
Freshman U.S. Rep. Brooks Wins Republican Primary
CARMEL, Ind. (AP) — Freshman U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks has held off a challenge by Carmel insurance broker David Stockdale to win the Republican primary in Indiana's 5th Congressional District.
Brooks is a former U.S. attorney and former deputy mayor of Indianapolis. She is seeking to retain the seat Republican Dan Burton held for 30 years before retiring two years ago.
Brooks will face Democrat Shawn Denney in the November election. He's a history teacher at Indiana Connections Academy who won a three-way Democratic primary.
Stockdale had the support of some tea party groups and said he was running because he believes too many members of Congress had been selected by party leaders. He also said he wanted to put the Constitution first instead of the party.
Young Wins Primary Run vs. 2 GOP Challengers
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Todd Young has held off two Republican challengers to earn the chance to seek a third term in Congress.
Young didn't face a primary challenger two years ago. But on Tuesday he defeated Kathy Lowe-Heil of Elizabeth and Mark Jones of Indianapolis. Both challengers were political newcomers, and neither filed a report with the Federal Election Commission indicating they had raised any money.
Young didn't attend a debate organized by the Grassroots Conservatives tea party group in March and was criticized by his opponents as not being conservative enough.
Young won the 9th District seat in 2010 by defeating incumbent Democratic Rep. Baron Hill. He is campaigning on a promise to work to repeal the Affordable Care Act and to reduce federal spending.
U.S. Rep. Rokita Wins Indiana Republican Primary
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Todd Rokita has won an Indiana primary race against a Republican challenger who pledged to unseat the two-term congressman without spending any money.
He defeated Kevin Grant in the 4th District primary, advancing to a November matchup where he'll be heavily favored.
Rokita received at least 62 percent of the vote the past two elections. No Democrat has received more than 40 percent of the vote in the district since Republican Steve Buyer defeated three-term Democratic Rep. Jim Jontz in 1992.
Rokita supported the 2013 federal government shutdown and said not raising the debt ceiling could become a good tool for curbing federal spending.
Grant is a former military pilot and owner of a wealth management firm who said he ran because he was unhappy with Congress.
Stutzman Wins GOP Primary In Northeast Indiana
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman has defeated two little-funded Republicans to win the GOP nomination for northeastern Indiana's 3rd District seat.
Neither Mark Barringer nor James Mahoney had filed campaign reports with the Federal Election Commission. Stutzman reported raising nearly $800,000 and having more than $430,000 on hand.
None of the three Democrats running, Justin Kuhnle, Jim Redmond and Tommy Schrader had filed a first-quarter campaign report. Kuhnle reported receiving $101 in contributions last year.
Stutzman is seeking a third term in Congress. He is the senior Republican in Indiana's delegation because he took office in November 2010 after Mark Souder resigned. The seat has been held by a Republican since 1976 except for from 1989-95, when it was held by Democratic Rep. Jill Long.
Bock Defeats 3 Democrats In Congressional Primary
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — University of Notre Dame faculty member Joe Bock has defeated three other Democrats and will challenge freshman Republican Rep. Jackie Walorski in November for northern Indiana's 2nd District congressional seat.
Bock was director of global health training at Notre Dame's Eck Institute for Global Health until he announced his candidacy but remains on the school's faculty. He defeated Dan Morrison of Elkhart, political newcomer Douglas Carpenter of South Bend and Bob Kern in Tuesday's primary.
Morrison finished second in the 2012 primary. Kern has run unsuccessfully for a congressional seat in Indianapolis eight times.
Bock focused on the November race during the primary and refused to debate the other Democratic candidates.
Both of the last two November elections in the district have been decided by fewer than 4,000 votes.
Bucshon Staves Off Challenger In Indiana's 8th
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon staved off a challenge by conservative Andrew McNeil in the Republican primary in southwestern Indiana's 8th District.
Bucshon will seek a third term in November against Tom Spangler. The Jasper businessman ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
McNeil is a father of seven who owns a family farm. He was a former territory manager for a Midwest coffee company until resigning to focus on the campaign.
He criticized Bucshon for not being conservative enough. Bucshon had defeated tea party favorite Kristi Risk in the previous two primaries.
McNeil was heavily outspent by Bucshon during the primary.
Bucshon was a heart surgeon before being elected to Congress. He is chairman of the House subcommittee on research and science education.
State and Local Results
Fadness Wins GOP Race for Mayor in Fishers
FISHERS, Ind. (AP) — The current town manager for the fast-growing Indianapolis suburb of Fishers has won a tight race for the Republican nomination to become its first mayor.
Scott Fadness defeated former Town Council president Walt Kelly and four other candidates in the GOP mayoral primary. Voters in 2012 approved the process for shifting to a city government led by a mayor in a 2012 referendum.
Fadness currently doesn't have an opponent for the November election, but Democrats could still select a mayoral nominee.
Besides its first-ever mayor, Fishers voters this fall will also elect seven members for the new city council and a city clerk.
Fishers now has about 80,000 residents — about 10 times its population in 1990.
Incumbent Sheriff Layton Wins Democratic Primary in Marion Co.
Marion Co. Sheriff John Layton defeated longtime Indianapolis police officer Mark Brown in the Democratic primary, with 64 percent of the vote to Brown's 36 percent. Layton will face Republican Emmitt Carney, a former federal agent, in the November general election.
Turner Turns Back Challenger Gillim After Ethics Probe
House Speaker Pro Tem Eric Turner has won his primary battle just a week after being cleared in an ethics investigation stemming from his lobbying against a proposed nursing home ban.
Turner beat Sheridan architect Parvin Gillim in Tuesday's Republican primary.
A House ethics panel decided last week that Turner did not violate any ethics rules when he lobbied to kill the proposed construction ban. But the panel said his actions showed a need for new ethics rules.
Turner owns part of Mainstreet Property Group, which develops and sells nursing homes. The proposed ban could have cost his family business millions.
Turner says he was simply offering his expertise on the issue.
Incumbent Republican Reps. Lose in Primary
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Three incumbent Indiana legislators have lost their re-election bids in the Republican primary, while some others won tough races.
Veteran Republican Sen. John Waterman of Shelburn lost a close race to Washington City Councilman Eric Bassler in southwestern Indiana.
Rep. Rebecca Kubacki of Syracuse and Rep. Kathy Heuer of Columbia City lost to challengers who targeted their votes against the proposed state constitutional gay marriage ban.
Kubacki was defeated by Curt Nisly of Goshen. He's the husband of the Elkhart County Republican chairwoman. Heuer lost to tea party conservative Christopher Judy of Fort Wayne.
Meanwhile, House Education Chairman Robert Behning of Indianapolis defeated a critic of state-funded private school vouchers. Fort Wayne Rep. Bob Morris won a narrow race two years after his criticism of the Girl Scouts drew scorn.
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