No big surprises in yesterday's primary, but a couple of smaller ones. I thought the Marla Irving-Bill Brown commissioner contest would be the close one, but Brown took almost 63 percent of the vote. The Linda Bloom-Roy Buskirk race turned out to be one of the closest ones of the day -- Bloom won with 53.6 percent of the vote. The GiaQuinta-Paddock race was a little closer than I thought it would be -- GiaQuinta won 56-44 percent -- but Ken Fries won the GOP sheriff's race as handily as everyone thought he would, with 52.2 percent, more than his three opponents combined.
Interesting note: Mitch Harper of Fort Wayne Observed did an early report yesterday from one precinct (it's the bottom audio post on the page) that he said could be an indicator of how the primary might turn out. Voters in Precinct 489 on the southwest side got the Brown blowout and the close Bloom-Buskirk race right, but were wrong about the closeness of the Cal Miller-Fred Warner 4th District County Council race, which Miller won handily. Two out of three ain't bad.
The shocker at the state level was the ouster of longtime Senate President Pro-Tem Robert Garton. And Mary Kay Budak, a 26-year House veteran from LaPorte, lost, many say because of her support of Gov. Daniels' toll-road lease. The fight for control of the Houses (both state and federal) is likely to be the big story of this fall.
Comments
There's an explanation for my being off on the Cal Miller/Fred Warner match-up.
I forgot to account for the fact that a very influential supporter of Fred's resides in the precinct.
Who is this well-liked and well-respected Warner supporter?
His mother-in-law.