2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana

2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana

← 2004 November 7, 2006 (2006-11-07) 2008 →
All 9 Indiana seats to the United States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 2 7 Seats won 5 4 Seat change 3 3 Popular vote 812,496 831,785 Percentage 48.74% 49.90% Swing 7.39% 7.28%
Democratic   50–60%   60–70% Republican   50–60%   60–70%

Elections in Indiana
Federal government Presidential elections 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 1996 2000 2004 2008 2016 2020 Republican 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1816 1818 1821 1821 sp 1824 1827 1830 1832 sp 1832 1836 1838 1842 1844 1848 1850 1853 sp 1856 1857 sp 1860 1862 1863 sp 1867 1868 1873 1879 1879 sp 1885 1887 1891 1893 1897 1899 1903 1905 1905 sp 1909 1911 1914 1916 1916 sp 1920 1922 1926 1926 sp 1928 1932 1934 1938 1940 1944 1944 sp 1946 1950 1952 1956 1958 1962 1964 1968 1970 1974 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1990 sp 1992 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 2018 2022 2024 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1816 1817 1818 1820 1822 AL sp 1824 1st sp 1826 1828 1831 1833 1835 1837 6th sp 1839 1840 7th sp 1841 1843 1845 1847 1849 1851 1852 1854 1856 1857 1st sp 10th sp 1858 1860 1862 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 2nd sp 3rd sp 1878 1880 1882 1883 9th sp 1884 13th sp 1886 1888 1889 1st sp 1890 1892 1894 1896 1897 4th sp 1898 1900 1902 1904 1905 1st 1906 12th sp 1908 13th sp 1910 1912 1914 1916 1917 6th sp 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1935 2nd sp 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1947 10th sp 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1st sp 1984 1986 1988 1989 4th sp 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 7th sp 2010 3rd sp 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2nd sp 2024
State government State elections 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Gubernatorial elections 1816 1819 1822 1825 1828 1831 1834 1837 1840 1843 1846 1849 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Secretary of State elections 2010 2014 2018 2022 Attorney General elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 State Treasurer elections 2010 2014 2018 2022 Senate elections 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 House of Representatives elections 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Indianapolis Mayoral elections 1925 1929 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 City-County Council elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Other localities Carmel (mayoral) Evansville (mayoral) Fort Wayne (mayoral) Gary (mayoral) South Bend (mayoral) v t e
v t e

The 2006 congressional elections in Indiana were elections for Indiana's delegation to the United States House of Representatives, which occurred along with congressional elections nationwide on November 7, 2006. Indiana played an important role in helping Democrats sweep Congress, when three Republican incumbents were defeated (Chris Chocola, John Hostettler and Mike Sodrel), giving the Democrats a majority of the delegation again.^[1] Republicans held a majority of Indiana's delegation, 7–2, before the elections.

Indiana was one of four states in which the party that won the state's popular vote did not win a majority of seats in 2006, the other states being New Mexico, Nevada, and Wisconsin.

This district is located in Northwest Indiana and borders Chicago. The district has been one of the most Democratic in Indiana.

This district is centered on South Bend and the Indiana portion of the Michiana region.

2006 Indiana's 2nd congressional district election

← 2004 2008 →

Nominee Joe Donnelly Chris Chocola Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 103,561 88,300 Percentage 54.0% 46.0%

County results Donnelly:      50-60%      60-70% Chocola:      50-60%

U.S. Representative before election Chris Chocola Republican Elected U.S. Representative Joe Donnelly Democratic

Chris Chocola defeated Tony Zirkle, an attorney, Navy veteran, and frequent candidate, in the Republican primary on May 2, 2006, by 70% to 30%. Zirkle, who said he was "willing to debate the idea of returning the guillotine and lynch mob for those who prey on children under the age of 12", was unable to get Chocola to debate him on that or any other subject.^[3]

Joe Donnelly raised about $1.5 million to Chocola's $3.2 million.^[4][5] In mid-August, in a report on National Republican Congressional Committee planned spending, the Associated Press reported that "the GOP has not reserved advertising time to aid Rep. Chris Chocola in Indiana even though Democrats plan to spend at least $700,000 to win the district. House Republicans have told Chocola that he must fend for himself, given his personal wealth and his ability to raise large amounts of money."^[6]

A poll released in mid-June by the Donnelly campaign showed him leading 48% to 38%, with 14% undecided. The campaign did not release all of the poll findings.^[7] A poll released six days later, taken by the South Bend Tribune, showed the race to be at the margin of error with Donnelly at 46% and Chocola at 41%. The telephone poll asked 400 likely voters whom they would vote for "if the election were held now".^[8]

On August 16, the Cook Political Report changed the rating for the race from "Lean Republican" to "Toss-Up", saying, "Despite a significant fundraising advantage over Democrat Joe Donnelly, which has helped fuel a barrage of negative attack ads, incumbent GOP Rep. Chris Chocola looks more like an underdog than the frontrunner." Also in August 2006, Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball, a website run by the University of Virginia Center for Politics, added the race to their "Ferocious Forty" list of the 40 most competitive House races in the nation.^[9]

On November 7, 2006, Chocola lost his congressional seat to Democratic candidate Donnelly, whom Chocola had defeated in 2004. The final tally showed Chocola losing by a 54–46 margin, almost an identical reversal of his fortunes in 2004. The election had a much lower turnout than the previous campaign, and the difference appeared to come in St. Joseph County. Historically a Democratic stronghold, Chocola lost it by only a few hundred votes while cruising to victory in 2004. In 2006, however, Donnelly won the county by nearly 14,000 votes, garnering 58% of the vote in what is by far the most populous county of the district.^[10]

This district is located in the northeast corner of Indiana and has a large population center in Fort Wayne.

This district is located in west-central Indiana. Located within the district are the city of West Lafayette and the western suburbs of Indianapolis.

This district located mostly north of Indianapolis, including the largest suburbs of Indianapolis in Hamilton County.

This district takes in a large portion of eastern Indiana, including the cities of Muncie, Anderson, and Richmond.

This election pitted five-term incumbent Democrat Julia Carson against Republican Eric Dickerson.

Automobile dealer Eric Dickerson^[12] is a native of Detroit, Michigan and a graduate of Western Michigan University where he received his B.S. in engineering. Dickerson is a former U.S. Marine Corps officer and served with the HMA 269 Attack Squadron in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He later served in the Indiana National Guard.

Julia Carson had held this Congressional seat based in urban Indianapolis since 1997, and had always won by comfortable margins. Republicans hoped to take the seat in the 2006 elections after redistricting made the 7th slightly more Republican, though Democrats still held the advantage.

Dickerson ran an aggressive grass-roots campaign, defeating the party-endorsed candidate, Ronald Franklin, and two other candidates in the Republican primary on May 2, 2006. He gained further support as the campaign progressed, with an October poll shocking observers of both parties when it showed Dickerson narrowly leading Carson 45% to 42%. Carson dismissed the poll, saying that she always polled more strongly than expected on election day. She was proven correct, winning her sixth term on November 7, 2006.

This district is in the heart of Central Indiana and encompasses most of Marion County/Indianapolis.

2006 Indiana's 8th congressional district election

← 2004 2008 →

Nominee Brad Ellsworth John Hostettler Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 131,019 83,704 Percentage 61.0% 39.0%

County results Ellsworth:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Hostettler:      50-60%

U.S. Representative before election John Hostettler Republican Elected U.S. Representative Brad Ellsworth Democratic

Population centers of Evansville and Terre Haute are located within its limits along with numerous other small towns.

2006 Indiana's 9th congressional district election

← 2004 2008 →

Nominee Baron Hill Mike Sodrel Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 110,454 100,469 Percentage 50.0% 45.5%

County results Hill:     40-50%      50-60%     60-70% Sodrel:      40-50%     50-60%

U.S. Representative before election Mike Sodrel Republican Elected U.S. Representative Baron Hill Democratic

This district is located in southeast Indiana. Suburbs of Cincinnati and Louisville are located within the district. The largest city is Bloomington, followed by Columbus, New Albany, Jeffersonville, and Clarksville.

• United States House of Representatives elections, 2006
• Indiana's 7th congressional district election, 2006
• United States Senate election in Indiana, 2006