Libertarian Upset In The Making?

The Indiana Daily Insight is reporting that a poll taken in House District 54 shows Rep. Tom Saunders (R-Lewisville) locked in a three-way race with his Democratic and Libertarian opponents. The IDI reports, "[T]he Republican, Democrat, and Libertarian candidate are all within the margin of error, with none of the candidates more than four percentage points from another, and none of the three with even 40% of the vote." The IDI adds, "Libertarians make a big push for last minute cash for their HD 54 nominee, Rex Bell (R), who polling shows running only two percent behind Rep. Tom Saunders (R) in a tight three-way race."

This adds an extra dynamic to control of the Indiana House this year. Could a win by the Libertarian candidate throw a monkey wrench into either party's control of the House? What happened to Saunders' son last year seems to be weighting him down in this year's election. A little more than a year ago, Saunders' son, Andrew, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident causing death, a Class C felony, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated and endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor. He had originaly been charged with reckless homicide before his charges were reduced as part of a plea agreement. Some area residents at the time thought Saunders' son was let off too easy. There were also questions raised about the time that elapsed between Saunders' discovery of his son's involvement in the hit-and-run and his reporting of it to police.