By DANIEL SUDDEATH
Baron Hill won Floyd County over native son Mike Sodrel for the first time in the pair’s four contests Tuesday. This victory came while successfully defending his 9th District seat.
The incumbent Democrat garnered 19,973 votes, or 55.1 percent, of the Floyd County vote, with Republican Sodrel receiving 15,023 votes, or 41.5 percent, and Libertarian Eric Schansberg with 1,223, or 3.4 percent.
Hill also held his ground in Clark County, which Sodrel has never won — even when he defeated Hill in 2004. Hill got nearly 57 percent of the vote in Clark.
“I’m humbled by the margin of victory the people have given me in both Floyd and Clark counties,” Hill said after receiving the final results.
“I’m very appreciative of their support and want them to know I will roll up my sleeves and return the favor.”
Hill won the 9th District by an unofficial tally of 57 percent to 39 percent over Sodrel.
In a news release, Sodrel thanked his family, friends and volunteers who supported him in the race.
“I have known victory and I have known defeat. I am at peace with the outcome,” he said.
Schansberg congratulated Hill for winning the race and thanked Sodrel for running what he described as a “clean campaign”.
“People say they want change — we wanted to give them that opportunity. We did everything we could with the resources we had,” Schansberg said.
“We learned a lot and look forward to using this effort to help build the Libertarian Party and to promote freedom.”
Hill said the primary issue for voters was the economy, which is consistent with most exit poll data. He touted his “no” vote on the economic bailout package as giving him a boost in the 9th District.
“We also had a superb organization that did a good job of getting the vote out,” Hill said.
As he promised during his campaign, Hill again said he will encourage fellow Congress members to reconvene in Washington before the end of the year for a lame duck session to deal with pressing issues, such as the economy.
All nine of Indiana’s U.S. Representatives won re-election.
“All of those winners are now breathing a sigh of relief,” James McCann, a political science professor at Purdue University told The Associated Press.
McCann credited Democratic momentum for making races in the 3rd and 4th districts closer than expected.
Republican Mark Souder regained his position in the 3rd District, as did Republican Steve Buyer in the 4th District.
“The lesson those incumbents learned is that they dodged a bullet,” McCann told the AP.
Looking back
• 2006: Hill beats Sodrel 50 percent to nearly 46 percent. Schansberg garnered nearly five percent of the vote. Sodrel wins Floyd County with 12,572 votes to Hill’s 11,895 votes, or 49 percent to 46 percent, while Hill won Clark County 49 percent to 47 percent.
• 2004: Sodrel beats Hill by 1,425 votes with a 57 percent voter turnout in the district. The total was Sodrel with 49 percent and Hill with 48 percent. Sodrel defeats Hill in Floyd County 50 percent to 49 percent. Hill wins Clark County over Sodrel with 50 percent to 48 percent.
• 2002: Hill defeats Sodrel by 51 percent to 46 percent. Hill won Clark County 51 percent to Sodrel’s 47 percent. Sodrel won Floyd County by just 38 votes.
• 2000: Hill defeats Republican Michael Bailey 54 percent to 44 percent.
• 1998: Hill beats Republican Jean Leising 50 percent to 48 percent.
