In the three
Indiana congressional districts most likely to switch from red to blue in November, Democratic primary winners drew much greater numbers of voters than Republican winners. In the southern part of the state (IN-09) moderate former Congressman Baron Hill won his DCCC-backed primary against progressive grassroots Dem Gretchen Clearwater with 20,390. The far right rubber-stamp incumbent, Mike Sodrel drew less than 17,000 votes in his primary battle against Sam Schultz.
(Below the fold: the 2 other districts Indiana Republicans are about the give up to the Forces of Light)
Meanwhile in the western part of Indiana (IN-08), neither Democrat nor Republican had a primary challenger and Sherrif Brad Ellsworth, the popular and admired Democrat, swamped hysterical rightist lunatic John Hostettler 43,213 vs 27,366 in what many see as just a taste of what's in store for the pathetically rubber-stamping, somewhat whacky Hostettler in November. And in the north central portion of the state that goes from South Bend down to Kokomo (IN-02), the DCCC-backed Joe Donnelly outpolled progressive Steve Francis with 29,541 votes while Tom DeLay-clone Chris Chocola barely managed to gather 22,000 votes against a Republican challenger.
Primary victor and progressive hero Barry Welsh faces a much tougher challenge against entrenched and extremist Bush-ally Mike Pence in IN-06, the east-central part of the state (around Muncie and Richmond).