I know it has been a few weeks since I had a Candidate Monday post, but with a busy schedule on my end and the candidates end we do miss each other. So from here on out, we will try to have two candidates a week posted, Candidate Monday and Candidate Friday, that way I can get all of these properly covered before the primary.

This week we are focusing on Cheryl Musgrave (R) who is running in Indiana State House District 77 down in the Evansville, Indiana area against Democrat Gail Riecken. You can see the full map of the district here.

Read more after the leap

Despite some pontificating by 8th District Democratic Chairman (and likely challenge mastermind) Tony Long, Sue Ellspermann will still be on the ballot in the wake of a meeting of the Indiana Election Commission on Friday.

Long, by the way, did not recuse himself from the vote despite his apparent conflict of interest.

Earlier this week, Democrats challenged the candidacy of Republican state representative candidate Sue Ellspermann, who is looking to run against Russ Stillwell in House District #74.

The Evansville Courier & Press has the story (also covered on a blog here):

Sue Ellspermann’s bid for the Indiana House is in jeopardy after someone caught what the Southwestern Indiana Republican admits is an inaccuracy in the paperwork she filed to become a candidate.

An Indiana Election Commission hearing scheduled for Friday in Indianapolis could determine whether her name will be scratched from the ballot — a move that would effectively end her chances of defeating incumbent District 74 Rep. Russ Stilwell, D-Boonville.

In what Ellspermann called a mistake, she checked a box on her candidacy filings indicating she voted in the 2008 Republican primary.

That year, she said Monday, she was one of many Republicans who instead voted in the Democratic primary. Ellspermann said she did so to participate in the party’s still-competitive presidential contest.

“I typically vote Republican, and so when I filled out that form, I checked that box without giving it another thought,” she said.

Ellspermann, a precinct committeewoman with the backing of local and state Republicans, said she hopes the election commission will allow her to remain on the ballot.

“I’m hoping for some leniency there,” she said. “I don’t think there’s any question in anyone’s mind that I am a Republican candidate.”

The man who challenged Ellspermann’s candidacy is Charles R. Wyatt. Area Democratic officials said the challenge did not come at their behest. But Wyatt, a Boonville resident, has a history of giving to Democratic candidates.

Ellspermann is the founding director of the Center for Applied Research at the University of Southern Indiana.

Another Republican, Angela Sowers of Boonville, has filed to run in the party’s primary.

I call shenanigans.

And I don’t mean on Charles Wyatt, who happens to be a Democrat donor, though that’s plenty shady in and of itself:

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Another endorsement reigns in for Jim Banks who is running for the State Senate seat in SD-17. You can read the full endorsement below! Congratulations Jim!

___________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release

March 1, 2010

Hoosier Gun Owners PAC

Endorses Jim Banks for State Senate

Columbia City – The Hoosier Gun Owners PAC announced their endorsement today for Jim Banks for State Senate in Indiana’s 17^th District.  “When it comes to protecting the Second Amendment, Jim Banks is the clear choice for voters in the 17^th District,” said Matt Boyd, Treasurer and Spokesman of the PAC.  “Hoosier Gun Owners PAC was created by a group of Second Amendment supporters who are passionate about protecting our constitutional freedoms.  Jim Banks is the type of proven leader we can count on to protect our rights in the Indiana General Assembly.  He is the only candidate in the race who has even addressed the Second Amendment.  The choice here is very clear between Banks and his opponent.  We encourage all gun owners in the 17^th District to vote for Jim Banks for State Senate.”

Banks has been endorsed by numerous conservative organizations and leaders including Indiana Right to Life PAC, Allen County Right to Life PAC, Indiana Family Action PAC, American Family Association of Indiana PAC, Patriots Project, Congressman Mike Pence, State Representative Jackie Walorski, Congressman Mark Souder, Marion Mayor Wayne Seybold, Wabash Mayor Robert Vanlandingham, Opportunity Project of Indiana and many others.

Hoosier Gun Owners PAC was created in 2008.  For more information, please contact Jim Banks at 260-579-5828 or visit www.JimBanks.us.

Listen to it carefully.

That’s the sound of the future of the Indiana Democratic Party.

And there’s nothing good for Evan Bayh there.

Should he run for Governor in 2012 (as every Democrat I talk to seems to take as an article of faith), a Hoosier would have had to have been 50 to have voted for Birch Bayh. They would have had to have been 38 to have voted for Bayh the last time that he was governor.

Despite his relative youth, Bayh will have all of Dan Coats’ current “blast from the past” problems and then some if he takes another run at the Indiana Statehouse.

And the Democrats that have come into the electorate after the defeat of Birch Bayh and the departure of Bayh from the Statehouse?

They’ll have moved on (and many already have).

So will Indiana.

From RedState:

At a time when others in the race for the Indiana Senate seat are struggling to get traction outside the sacred halls of the DC GOP establishment, Marlin Stutzman keeps making waves.

He has endorsed the Jim DeMint proposal on financial reform, which calls for a balanced budget and a moratorium on earmarks. In the Indiana Senate, Stutzman endorsed a bill that would have required the legislature not spend as much revenue as came in the door. This goes even further and it is nice to see him align himself publicly to DeMint.

At the same time, he’s picked up a big list of endorsers from the Indiana Senate. 23 Senators came out and lined up behind him. They are:

David Long, Ft. Wayne; Carlin Yoder, Middlebury; R. Michael Young, Indianapolis; Travis Holdman, Markel; Mike Delph, Carmel; Brent Steele, Bedford; James W. Merritt Jr., Indianapolis; Phil Boots, Crawfordsville; Scott Schneider, Indianapolis; Brent Waltz, Greenwood; Randy Head, Logansport; Jean Leising, Oldenburg; Greg Walker, Columbus; Joe Zakas, Granger; Ron Alting, Lafayette; John Waterman, Shelburn; Brandt Hershman, Monticello; Ed Charbonneau, Valparaiso; Allen Paul, Richmond; Ryan Mishler, Bremen; Johnny Nugent, Lawrenceburg; Connie Lawson, Danville; Luke Kenley, Noblesville.

For those of you that don’t know about the Indiana State Senate, it has 50 seats.

33 of them (a huge majority) are held by Republicans.

So to put that in perspective, Marlin Stutzman just picked up enough endorsements from the State Senate to be the leader of the Republican caucus.

(Read more after the leap)

Sounds like Baron Hill would rather get defeated in a congressional election than wager his political career on a statewide loss.  He’s saving that for 2012.

Via Politico:

Indiana Rep. Baron Hill (D) announced Saturday that he will not run for the Senate in 2010.

The decision by Hill, a five-term congressman from Seymour, leaves Rep. Brad Ellsworth the strong favorite to become the Democratic nominee to succeed retiring Sen. Evan Bayh.

Hill praised Bayh in statement released Saturday, and said he intended to remain in Congress.

“Evan has been a devoted public servant to Hoosiers and a fellow companion in pushing for Congress to curb its reckless spending,” said Hill. “And while I agree with him that the partisanship in Washington is alarming, to reference my athletic past – I opt to stay in the game and continue to serve as an independent voice for my Southern Indiana constituents.”

Hill also signaled his support for Ellsworth, a two-term House member and former Vanderburgh County sheriff.

“I believe my friend and colleague, Congressman Brad Ellsworth, is the right man to fulfill the task of ensuring a Democrat is elected to succeed Senator Bayh,” said Hill.

So at this point the Democrats have heavy favorite Brad Ellsworth, Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott and potentially (really keeping my fingers crossed on this one) Hoosier rocker John “Cougar” Mellencamp.  McDermott sounds like the Jill Long Thompson of the bunch.  And since the Democrats choice won’t be made by the voters, the State Party will get the candidate they want, not the one the voters want.  And there really is no chance Johnny Cougar gets involved.

(Read more after the leap)

The National Journal has released their annual liberal/conservative rankings of the US House and Senate for 2009. Here are some highlights for the Hoosier state:

In the Senate, Lugar is the 39th most conservative and Bayh is the 40th most conservative.  The troubling aspect of Senator Lugar’s rating is that there is only one Republican listed as less conservative (Olympia Snowe, R-ME). The next Republican is Susan Collins (R-ME). On the positive side, Bayh is listed as the most conservative Democrat.

In the House, there is no surprise that the most liberal member of the Indiana delegation is Rep. Andre Carson (22nd most liberal). The most conservative is Rep. Mike Pence (8th most conservative). The entire delegation ranks as follows (conservative to liberal listed in terms of the conservative ranking):

1. Mike Pence (8th)
2. Dan Burton (45th)
3. Steve Buyer (86th)
4. Mark Souder (100th)
5. Joe Donnelly (186th)
6. Brad Ellsworth (193rd)
7. Baron Hill (230th)
8. Peter Visclosky (310th)
9. Andre Carson (407th)

BTW, I find these interesting, but I have not reviewed the methodology for the rankings. I quite frequently disagree with the methods of creating scorecards like this.

Baron says that he might run, but that he wants to have “conversations” first.

From the Indy Star:

U.S. Rep. Baron Hill said today that he isn’t ruling out a run for the U.S. Senate now that Evan Bayh has said he won’t seek re-election and will retire at the end of his term.

Hill — in his first public event since Bayh’s announcement a week ago — said he needed time to speak with the senator and others about the possibility before making a final decision.

“I’m open to the idea,” said Hill, D-9th District. “It doesn’t mean that I’m going to do it.”

Because Bayh announced his retirement just one day before a crucial filing deadline, no Democratic candidates qualified for the ballot. That means the Indiana Democratic Party’s 32-member central committee will choose a nominee.

Hill had been out of the country visiting troops on a military-sponsored trip until this weekend and had been unavailable to comment about the Senate seat.

While he was away, U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-8th District, announced he would be a candidate for the Democratic nomination. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott and Gary School Board member Darren Washington also told party officials they intended to run.

Hill said he is scheduled to speak with Bayh today and wanted to talk with others as well.

“Let me have those conversations first and then we’ll see where this goes,” Hill said.

Let’s think about this for a moment. Evan Bayh not only timed his departure to come at the last possible moment so as to prevent a genuine primary challenge, but he also timed it to occur while Baron was out of the country visiting troops overseas and would be unable to react for an entire week.

While Baron was in the Middle East, Brad Ellsworth jumped into the race head first, arranging a replacement to run in his spot and dropping his Congressional candidacy entirely.

(Read more after the leap)

Shouldn’t it say something when a blogger is donating “policy research and writing” as an in-kind contribution on a campaign finance report?

Exhibit 1: Zach Main attacking Dan Burton and praising Luke Messer to the heavens. There are numerous other examples, this just being the most recent.

Exhibit 2: Luke Messer’s campaign finance contribution report for Q4 2009, showing an in-kind contribution from one Zach Main of “The Celerity Group, Inc.” for $2,250 for “In-Kind: Policy Research & Writing.”

Exhibit 3: Luke Messer’s campaign finance distribution report for Q4 2009, showing the expenditure side of the in-kind contribution.

Now, every blogger has their preferences in races that are important to them, and I’m no exception (though I don’t care about the 5th District race except as an academic exercise). There’s nothing wrong with advocating for a candidate or a position.

This being said, there’s something strange here. Does it go beyond just having a preference? You be the judge. I’ve never seen anything like this before.

Zach Main appears to be giving in-kind “policy research and writing” services to a campaign he is blogging about. What exactly does that mean? Does that include blogging? Were these “policy research and writing” services ever disclosed on the “donor’s” blog? Should it have been disclosed?

No easy answers there. Just questions and random thoughts.

Boy, Brad Ellsworth sure thought he would be clever. He jumped into the Senate race with both feet. He even arranged for his buddy, state representative Trent Van Haaften, to switch over to run for the 8th District seat. And Ellsworth has withdrawn from the 8th District primary ballot, effectively making Van Haaften the Democratic nominee.

And a deeply flawed nominee he is. He is rolling in special interest money and lobbyist gifts. He has repeatedly voted for a left-wing agenda in Indianapolis, and he is quite possibly closer to Obama (he endorsed him) than Ellsworth (who never really did).

The Courier & Press:

Citing the absence of an incumbent, the current political climate and issues that could make presumptive Democratic nominee Trent Van Haaften “an easy target for Republican ad makers,” the Cook Political Report changed its assessment of a “likely Democratic” win with Ellsworth in the race to “lean Republican” without him.

“The early leader in the GOP field, cardiologist Larry Bucshon, lacks deep roots in the district and has yet to get his campaign fully up and running, but doesn’t have a record to attack, either,” the Washington-based political newsletter stated. “Running as a political outsider, (Bucshon) has raised $100,000 for the race so far and should certainly be able to raise much more now that Ellsworth is abandoning his re-election bid.”

In the 24 hours after state Rep. Van Haaften of Mount Vernon, Ind., filed his candidacy to replace Ellsworth, the newly reconfigured 8th District race began to come into focus.

Van Haaften was part of a group of Democratic legislators who endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2008 Indiana Democratic presidential primary. Among the roughly half-dozen supporters who cheered him Saturday was DeLyn Beard, chief Vanderburgh County organizer for the pro-Obama organization Evansville for Change, and Posey County-based Obama volunteer Ann Shank.

When even the C&P is pointing out your shady doings as a legislator, you have a problem:

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Yes..I know it is not Monday, but I did not want Mr. Heaton to get lost with the news of Sen. Evan Bayh’s retirement announcement, I felt it would not be fair to the candidate that we are trying to help.

I had an opportunity to speak with Bob Heaton about this race, who was going to run against Rep. Vern Tincher (D), but announced he was not seeking reelection. Now this leaves the door wide open for the Republicans and Mr. Heaton, who has been knocking on doors and talking to folks about his run for this office for a few months already. Now the question is this, who will Democrats run in this seat or will they leave it wide open?

Bob is running for Indiana State House District 46, this district includes counties of Vigo, Clay, Owen and Monroe and includes cities and towns of Spencer, Clay City and parts of Terre Haute.

Bio:

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