The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the state, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election, an election to the U.S. Senate, and a gubernatorial election.
Overview
Redistricting
A redistricting bill was passed by both houses of the Indiana General Assembly in April 2011 and signed into law by Governor Mitch Daniels on May 10, 2011.
The newly drawn map was designed to produce seven districts which are favorable to the Republican Party and two which favor the Democratic Party. Republicans described the districts as being more compact and more in keeping with existing county boundaries than the previous map, while Democrats argue that the map is intended to protect Republican incumbents and help the Republican Party win the 2nd district.
District 1
The district, based in the suburbs and exurbs of Chicago, acquired parts of LaPorte County, including Michigan City, in redistricting.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Pete Visclosky , incumbent U.S. Representative
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Joel Phelps, industrial engineer
Primary results
General election
Results
District 2
In redistricting, parts of the state which typically favor Republicans, including Elkhart County, Miami County, Wabash County and much of Kosciusko County, were moved into the 2nd district, while Democratic-leaning areas such as Kokomo and part of LaPorte County were removed from the district.
Democratic primary
Prior to announcing his Senate campaign, Donnelly commented that he was confident that a Democrat would be able to win the district, noting that then-Senator Barack Obama would have received 49% of the vote in the district in the 2008 presidential election had it been held under the newly drawn boundaries.
Candidates
Nominee
Brendan Mullen, Army veteran and military contractor
Eliminated in primary
Dan Morrison, small business owner
Withdrawn
Andrew Straw, attorney and an assistant dean at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Declined
Joe Donnelly, incumbent U.S. Representative (running for the U.S. Senate)
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Jackie Walorski, former state representative and nominee for this seat in 2010
Eliminated in primary
Greg Andrews, physician
Withdrawn
Mitch Feikes, real estate developer and broker
Primary results
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
Joe Ruiz
Green primary
Andrew Straw, an attorney, switched from the Democratic Party to Green Party and ran for this seat. Straw was an Indiana Supreme Court analyst and an assistant dean at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in charge of the International Program. He was however was disqualified from the ballot in July.
General election
Endorsements
Predictions
Results
District 3
The 3rd district is expected to remain favorable to Republicans. Among the changes made in redistricting were the removal of Elkhart County from the 4th district to the 2nd, and the addition of areas south of Fort Wayne, which might have made Stutzman vulnerable to a primary challenge.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Marlin Stutzman, incumbent U.S. Representative
Primary results
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Kevin Boyd, pastor of Fort Wayne's Trinity Presbyterian Church
Eliminated in primary
Stephen Hope
Justin Kuhnle, family case manager
John Roberson, former police officer
Tommy Schrader
David Sowards
Primary results
General election
Results
District 4
Republican incumbent Todd Rokita ran for re-election in 2012. Rokita's home lies "about 500 yards" outside the boundaries of the newly drawn 4th district, a phenomenon he attributed in May 2011 to "a kind of comeuppance thing" on the part of members of the Indiana General Assembly in return for his having supported a nonpartisan redistricting process during his tenure as Secretary of State of Indiana. Sue Landske, a Republican member of the Indiana Senate, denied that this was the case. The 4th district is expected to remain favorable to Republicans.