
Republican Sen. Richard Lugar’s defeat in the Republican primary has given Democrats hope that they have a shot at this seat. They contend that state Treasurer Richard Mourdock, the GOP nominee and a Tea Party disciple, is too conservative, even for Republican-leaning Indiana. By contrast, they say that U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, the Democratic standard bearer, is much more in tune with Hoosier voters. Republicans counter this argument, saying that Mourdock is a mainstream conservative and that Donnelly will be undone by his congressional voting record, particularly his support for health care reform and economic stimulus legislation. Recent polling suggests that Democrats’ arguments against Mourdock have stuck, while Mourdock hasn’t been able to deliver a knock out punch against Donnelly. This race is a statistical dead heat and is in the Toss Up column.
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