Published: November 01, 2008 11:57 pm            

House campaigns spending big bucks

TERRE HAUTE — More than $730,000 has been spent during the midyear election season on just a handful of Indiana House legislative district races in the Wabash Valley.

House districts 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46 all include sections of Vigo County and, with Democrats holding a very slim advantage in the Indiana House, could be critical in determining the direction of Indiana government over the next two years.

The most midyear spending, according to campaign finance papers filed in mid-October, has come in Democratic challenger Nancy Michael’s effort to unseat incumbent Republican Amos Thomas in the 44th House District, which includes Brazil in Clay County, portions of Parke and Putnam counties and Nevins Township in Vigo County.

Michael, a former multi-term Greencastle mayor, spent more than $228,000 and raised $229,000 between April 12 and Oct. 10 of this year, according to campaign finance documents filed Oct. 17.

Thomas spent more than $66,000 and raised more than $76,000 between mid-April and Oct. 10, his campaign finance papers show.

The second-most midyear spending in a Wabash Valley House race during the midyear reporting period has come from another Democrat — incumbent Vern Tincher, who is defending his seat against Republican challenger Bob Heaton.

Tincher reports spending more than $135,000 between April 12 and Oct. 10, while Heaton reports spending more than $116,000 during the same period, according to campaign finance papers.

The third-highest individual spending figures for a Wabash Valley House seat are in the 45th District where Republican incumbent Bruce Borders is facing a well-funded challenge from Democrat Rick Marshall. According to campaign finance documents filed Oct. 17, Marshall spent more than $120,000 between April 12 and Oct. 10 on his campaign. Borders reports spending just less than $40,000 during the same period.

In the battle for the legislative seat with the most Terre Haute voters, Democrat Clyde Kersey reports spending around $6,000 from April 12 to Oct. 10. His challenger, Republican Ryan Cummins, listed total expenditures of more than $10,000 during the same period. Kersey reports raising $12,000 during the midyear reporting period. Cummins raised more than $14,000 during the same period, mid-October campaign finance documents show.

While all six districts include portions of Vigo County, Districts 43 and 46 include the largest number of Terre Haute-area voters. District 43 includes the city of Terre Haute, northeastern Vigo County and a portion of Clay County. District 46 includes much of southern and eastern Vigo, as well as portions of Clay, Owen and Monroe counties.

District 46, which pits Tincher against Heaton, has seen more than $300,000 in total campaign spending this year. While Tincher has represented the district 22 of the past 26 years, he lost the district twice – once in 1994 and again in 2002.

According to campaign finance documents, the largest single contributor to Heaton’s campaign is the political action committee representing the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The PAC, known as Indiana Business for Responsive Government, has donated around $80,000 to Heaton in television ads, mailing, polling and other in-kind contributions.

Tincher has received more than $77,000 in in-kind donations from the Indiana Democratic Party and $50,000 from I-PACE, a political action committee representing social workers.

Heaton reports receiving more than $19,000 in individual donations from April to October while Tincher reports individual donations of $750. Apart from I-PACE, other PACs, many representing organized labor, contributed more than $42,000 to Tincher’s campaign during the midyear campaign season.

In the 43rd District, which includes the city of Terre Haute, Kersey reports receiving more than $11,000 in contributions from organized labor, corporations and political action committees in the midyear reporting period. In the same period, Kersey, who has represented the district since 1996, reported no individual contributions to his campaign.

Cummins, a former Terre Haute city councilman, raised the bulk of his midyear contributions – nearly $9,000 – from individual contributors donating $200 or less. He also raised $2,550 in contributions from local businesses and $400 from the Terre Haute area Pachyderm Club.

Indiana’s 42nd District, which includes a portion of western Vigo County and extends north to Interstate 74, is uncontested with incumbent Dale Grubb the lone candidate on the ballot. Grubb reports raising more than $26,000 and spending nearly $12,000 between April 12 and Oct. 10.

Final campaign finance figures are due from all candidates Jan. 21.

For detailed candidate contribution and expenditure figures, see the Indiana Secretary of State’s Web site at www.in.gov/sos.

Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.

        

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