By Lesley Weidenbener and Ben Brown
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Republicans maintained their supermajorities in both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly on Tuesday, assuring they can continue to their priorities essentially at will.
The results of a few races remained up in the air late Tuesday but President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, predicted the GOP would pick up several seats in the Senate. And the GOP appeared to add at least one seat to its already significant majority in the House as well.
“This now gives us the responsibility to lead,†said Indiana Republican Chairman Tim Berry. “And that’s what we’re going to do over the next two years.â€
Returns tallied by the Associated Press showed that Democratic Sen. Richard Young of Milltown had lost his District 47 seat to Republican Erin Houchin.
Republicans also picked up the District 48 seat in Southern Indiana that had been represented for years by Sen. Lindel Hume, a Democrat who is retiring. Republican Mark Messmer won that contest over Democrat Larry Vollmer.
And Republican Jon Ford unseated Democratic Sen. Tim Skinner of Terre Haute in District 38.
Long announced to a cheering crowd at state Republican headquarters that those three seats would soon be back in GOP hands. He said later that two of the wins were part of a larger trend in rural areas of Southern Indiana that once had been largely Democratic but have been moving toward the GOP.
“We took the risk and stuck our necks out,†Long said. “We’ve done the right thing and done right by Indiana. It’s possible the Senate could be 40-10 (in favor of Republicans) by the end of the night tonight.â€
Going into the election, Republicans held 37 of the Senate’s 50 seats.
In the House, Republicans held 69 of the 100 seats before the election, which had been the largest majority in modern legislative history. That’s two more than Republicans need to have a quorum in the chamber even if Democrats don’t show up.
On Tuesday night, it appeared Republicans would easily hold onto that supermajority and maybe add one more seat.
Republicans picked up District 45 in Southwestern Indiana when former Rep. Bruce Borders of Jasonville took back the seat he lost two years ago to Democratic Rep. Kreg Battles of Vincennes. They had both been incumbents at the time and forced to face off when new maps put them in the same district. Battles decided to retire this year, leaving the door open for Borders to run again. He defeated Bianca Gambill.
In District 12 in Northwest Indiana, Republican William Fine defeated incumbent Rep. Mara Candelaria-Reardon by just 2 percentage points.
But Democrats did pick up one seat. In District 35, Democrat Melanie Wright unseated incumbent Rep. Jack Lutz with a narrow 51-49 percent victory.
Bosma told the crowd at the Republican headquarters that the GOP victories mean “great representation coming to Hoosiers.†He said it means giving lower-income families the opportunity to send their children to the schools of their choice and “making our public schools well funded.†Democrats had tried to use education issues – including GOP support for vouchers and school funding issues – against Republicans but the issues never gained traction.
Gov. Mike Pence said the GOP majorities are “enormously important†to his agenda and the larger Republican goals for the coming year.
“Indiana has been setting the pace in pro-growth policies and fiscal responsibility and education innovation,†Pence said. “A strong affirmation from the people of Indiana tonight is going to make it possible for us to continue to build on that momentum.â€
Lesley Weidenbener is executive editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Will the party of hypocrisy remove frivolous regulations on land based gaming and Sunday alcohol sales? Cold beer at the grocery store?
Oh whoa is poor ghosty. I bet you are about out of tears by now, right? You have done nothing but cry when you post on here.
The people of Indiana voted in the “super majority” . More than likely in an effort to offset the horrible way the Dems have run the country the last 6 years. As long as they do what is right and positive for the state and its people they will stay. If the “f” up then they will be gone come next election. That’s how the process works.
You did not adress my post.
Hypocrisy isn’t exclusive to one party.
I hope they do, it would be a plus for them. It will give the liberals one more day to do mischief and end up in jail. This is a good indication that hoosiers are seeing the ill effect on the economy caused by unions. Unions send jobs to mexico quicker than Michelle and her crew can do Tyson’s. This is a message to Bloomberg and Soros, real Americans are onto you and our vote is not for sale. Super glad to see McNamara get another term, and Chris, as always will continue to do a super job on our school board.
Super majority by either party makes bad policy. Dictatorship comes to mine, but the difference is that the super majority “was elected” from their districts.
When you speak of a dictator are you including Obama? He is the worse example of a dictator this country has had since Lincoln. He has done more to erode public confidence in our institutions than any previous president. I think the general population saw the ill effects of a compromised IRS/DOJ/DOD and voted accordingly.
When there is no balance of power, there is bad representation whatever party is involved. It is a sad day for Indiana.
Evansville is a prime example of out of balanced power. We have, a fraud center, an over priced jail, an ONB events center, all at the expense of our utilities, streets, parks, sidewalks. Years of democrat control of local politics is coming home to roost. The only way this will change is if we get a real republican in office.
the handful of crying libs can’t run to Illinois now…………the new governor with the R next to his name will kick their sorry asses back to Indiana……………
Quorum Huh ? Tears are being shed in various motels in Illinois today. The liquor stores and restaurants too.
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