Donnelly Crisscrosses Indiana As He Seeks A Second Term

Donnelly Crisscrosses Indiana As He Seeks A Second Term

By Dionte Coleman
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS—On a chilly morning in late October with the moon overhead, U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly stood outside a lead battery acid recycling factory to shake hands with the men and women heading inside for their first shift of the day.

Donnelly understands the importance of trying to appeal to everyone in the state as he campaigns day in and day out across Indiana. He hopes to win more votes and support before the Nov. 6 election through personal contacts like these.

A hard-fought battle is taking place as Donnelly is hoping to be re-elected and defeat challengers Republican Mike Braun and Libertarian Lucy Brenton.

The latest poll shows Braun leading 49-46 percentage points, within the margin of error. Throughout the campaign, polls have shown that the candidates are close as the lead has flip-flopped.

Donnelly has his work cut out for him as the election comes to a close as he faces a strong challenger in Braun. The Jasper Republican has held positions on his local school board and as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives.

Braun and Donnelly both have taken their fair share of shots at each other during this election season through endless television, radio and internet ads. Braun accuses Donnelly of being just another politician trying to keep his job at all costs while the incumbent portrays the challenger as promoting health care and tax policies that hurt average Hoosiers.

Donnelly has represented Indiana in the Senate since 2012 when he beat Republican Richard Mourdock from the Tea Party wing of the GOP. He earned his undergraduate and a law degree from Notre Dame.

His political career began in 1988 when he served on the Indiana State Election Board and later on the Marian High School Board from 1997 to 2001. He moved into national politics in 2006 when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in the Second District, defeating incumbent Republican Chris Chocola who had beaten him two years earlier.

Donnelly ran unopposed for the Democratic Senate nomination 2012, in part because the expected Republican candidate was expected to be six-term incumbent Richard Lugar, who had been easily re-elected in past years. But Mourdock upset Lugar in the primary and made some controversial comments about abortion and rape during the campaign, clearing the way for Donnelly’s win.

Since first being elected in 2012 Donnelly has been on numerous committees, including armed services, urban affairs, agriculture and the Special Committee on Aging.

Donnelly has said that his goal is and has always been to fairly represent Hoosiers while making life easier for them.

“I’ve had the privilege of representing Hoosiers, and my whole goal in this job has been to make life better for our families,” Donnelly said after speaking at a United Food and Commercial Workers Union training seminar at The Wellington in Fishers in mid-October.

During the seminar, Donnelly stressed the importance of voting.

“So, please make sure that everyone in your shop votes. That everyone in your store votes. Obviously, I hope they all vote for me,” Donnelly said to the laughter of those in attendance.

He noted that in the last mid-term election in 2014, Indiana was last in voter turnout. He wants that to change in this election.

“Last in the United States. That’s not who we are. We love this country. We want to make sure our voice is heard. Your vote is your voice,” Donnelly said at the seminar.

Donnelly hasn’t slowed down as he has attended an event at the Mozel Sanders Foundation, which focuses on feeding the hungry, had lunch with veterans, attended a canvass launch, and greeted workers at RSR-Quemetco Inc. as they went in for the morning shift.

“What’s really important is a chance to meet every voter, to talk to them, to say hello and answer any questions they have. Look, I work for the people of Indiana. I’m the hired help and I’m excited about being here,” Donnelly said early in the morning of Oct 24.

This election is more challenging for Donnelly because his opponent hasn’t made any mistakes, said Andy Downs, director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics.

However, Downs says that  Donnelly’s recent vote against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh probably won’t hurt him because Kavanaugh was approved and many people will likely forget that.

“Either way he would’ve lost supporters, but the no vote was the best move politically,” Downs said.

Downs said he believes that this election will not only come down to undecided voters but also those who support Libertarian candidate, Lucy Brenton. The people who say they support Brenton may change their minds because they realize she has a small chance of winning, Downs explained.

“Among the voters who have made up their mind Donnelly is doing fine,” Downs said.

Donnelly has gotten much of his financial support from individual donors and ActBlue, a nonprofit organization that helps Democrats raise money with fundraising software. The goal of the organization, according to its website, is to “empower small-dollar donors.”

Donnelly has raised a little more than $16 million, with about $1.2 million coming through ActBlue.

“ActBlue works as a conduit, so any donation you make goes directly to the campaign or organization you specify on the contribution form,” said Rae Wright, a customer relations associate for the organization. “Since we are a non-profit, we rely on tips added to the contributions we process, as well as our own fundraising campaigns to bring in income.”

As he enters the final days of the campaign, Donnelly continues to cross the state with his themes of making sure Hoosiers and their families have better paychecks, healthcare, including protections for pre-existing conditions, and their future.

“That’s what I’ve worked on every day,” Donnelly said, “and so that’s what this election is about to me is the chance to keep working on behalf of Hoosiers.”

FOOTNOTE: Dionte Coleman is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.