Sodrel claims victory in tight 9th District race

INDIANAPOLIS - Republican congressional candidate Mike Sodrel said early Wednesday he was confident he had won election in Indiana's 9th congressional district, but Democratic U.S. Rep. Baron Hill was not ready to concede the race.\nSodrel was ahead by 1,396 votes over Hill -- 141,344 to 139,948 --according to unofficial results tabulated by The Associated Press, with all but one precinct reporting and some absentee ballots not counted.\n"We're very confident ... we didn't want to say anything until we were confident," Sodrel told reporters at a news conference in Jeffersonville shortly after 5:30 a.m.\n"It feels great," he said. "There are a few votes left to count, but even if all of those folks went for my opponent, there wouldn't be sufficient votes to win the election."\nTotals from Dubois County in the district remained incomplete Wednesday.\nElection workers were counting 1,750 absentee ballots and returns from the one remaining precinct. Some 6,500 absentee ballots in Monroe County have been hand-counted.\nHill, who was seeking his fourth two-year term representing the southern Indiana district, had left an election night event late Tuesday without conceding defeat.\n"This is not over," he told supporters at that time.\nThe Associated Press left a message on Hill's cell phone early Wednesday seeking comment on Sodrel's claim.\nIt was in 1994 that a congressional incumbent last lost in Indiana. Jill Long Thompson and Frank McCloskey both lost their districts.\nIn 2002, Hill defeated Sodrel with 51 percent of the vote, making him an attractive target for Republicans intent on expanding their slim edge in the U.S. House of Representatives. Hill and Sodrel raised nearly $5 million combined, thanks in part to contributions from their national parties.\nBut the race did not turn out to be pivotal as Republicans appeared likely to expand their congressional majority by three seats early Wednesday.\nSix Republicans and two Democrats won re-election for Indiana's eight other congressional seats, and Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh easily won election to a second term in the statewide race for U.S. Senate.\nBayh had 62 percent of the vote with about 99 percent of the state's precincts reporting. He credited his opponent, Republican Marvin Scott, with running a good campaign.\nBayh shrugged off questions about any possible national political ambitions.\n"Tonight, we're going to celebrate this victory," he said. "I'm dedicated to serving the people of our state."\nAfter a combative campaign in southwestern Indiana's 8th District, John Hostettler, the Republican incumbent, had 53 percent of the vote to 45 percent for Democratic challenger Jon Jennings with 100 percent of precincts reporting.\nIn the 7th District, Democrat Julia Carson beat Republican Andy Horning,leading by more than 23,000 votes with 99 percent of the precincts counted in the Indianapolis district. Carson was hospitalized Friday until Sunday for what she said was a reaction to a flu shot. She said Tuesday she was disappointed that her health was an issue in the campaign.\n"It's amazing I'm here surrounded by press being asked about my health when we have a lot of other issues that we tried to expand," she said.\nBut asked whether she would be able to serve the term, she said, "Who knows? I hope so. I feel like I'm going to be able to do it."\nFor other parts of the state, however, a sleepy campaign season ended Tuesday without any upsets:\n-- Democrat Peter Visclosky won his 11th term in northwestern Indiana's 1st\nDistrict.\n-- Republican Chris Chocola won his second term in northern Indiana's 2nd\nDistrict as he had 54 percent of the vote to 45 percent for Democrat Joe\nDonnelly with 100 percent of the precincts reporting.\n-- Republican Mark Souder won his sixth term in the 3rd District.\n-- Republican Steve Buyer won his seventh term in the 4th District.\n-- Republican Dan Burton, the state's longest-serving congressman, won central\nIndiana's 5th District, which is considered one of the safest Republican\nstrongholds in the country.\n-- Republican Mike Pence won his third term in the 6th District.\nIndiana's nine congressional incumbents came into the race with both money and history on their side. The incumbents raised more than $7.5 million, compared with just over $3 million for challengers, according to Federal ElectionCommission reports.\nThe state rearranged its congressional maps in 2001 to reflect population shifts after the 2000 census. The new districts produced heated races in 2002 but have since left congressional primaries in Indiana mostly not competitive.