The Indiana Daily Insight reports that Rep. Larry Buell (R-Indianapolis) will announce tomorrow he won't seek re-election next year. This is the second blow in a week to House Republican Leader Brian Bosma's efforts to recapture the House. District 89, which includes parts of Warren, Franklin and Perry Townships has become increasingly competitive. John Barnes (D) ran a strong race against Buell last year. Republicans will also have to defend House District 97 as an open seat after Jon Elrod announced he would run for Congress after just one term in the House. Elrod defeated Ed Mahern (D) by just 8 votes, and another Mahern, City-County Councilor Dane Mahern (D), is already making plans to win the seat back for the family.
On that 7th District congressional race, Rep. David Orentlicher (D) will likely enter the race if U.S. Rep. Julia Carson (D) decides to retire. Orentlicher's District 86 on Indianapolis' northside is a very competitive district, although Orentlicher easily vanquished his Republican opponent last year. Republicans might have a fighting chance of winning Orentlicher's seat if they run a moderate candidate instead of the wingnuts they've been nominating to run against Orentlicher.
13 comments:
Adam Nelson has previously announced he is running for House 86.
He's a teacher out at Warren Central. He's also served as PC, ward chair, yadda yadda yadda
I'm in this district and Buell will not be missed. When even the Republicans turn into big spenders it is not going to turn out well.
Orentlicher is a wingnut too, from the other directon.
Sunray, the Star ran a story about property taxes in Washington Township (inside)...their rate is just over 4%. That coupled with the 1.65% income tax, the high crime rate, and lousy schools, does not bode well.
I'm always amazed at those who view David O. as a wingnut. He's smart, and in this legislature, that is rare. Gravitas cubed.
On either side of the aisle, gimme brains. Please. Over anything else. He's not terribly popular in his own caucus because he's not always a certain vote for Bauer's headcount. He asks tough questions. Go figure. A legislator doing what he's supposed to do.
Buell is smart, too. Bubt he's overstayed his welcome. If I ran against him, that's all I'd talk about--his tenure. It's time for him to go.
i know david o. personally -- worked on his first campaign even -- and he is very intelligent. that has not translated into him being particularly effective. he could have been way ahead of this property tax issue. then when his district exploded in anger, his voice was truly lost. just look at his mailers -- "property taxes: time to act now!" um, no dave, it was time to act years ago.
he will have another issue. being candid, the guy is kind of creepy. he will never make it out of the primary.
the time is right for a moderate republican to come in and stomp him.
David O is the model legislator: beholden to none except his constituents, smart, and unafraid to tackle hard questions. Anony at 2:52 a.m. simply cannot support such spurious charges.
8:43, try sticking to the real issues. If you worked in one of his campaigns as you claim, you'll know his platforms have always included property tax reform.
Prior to last summer, anyone who mentioned "property tax reform" watched as the ideas got buried.
The entire legislature is to blame for this mess, and David O. is only one of 150 votes there. When Judge Fisher of the Tax Court issued his property tax ruling almost eight years ago, he said the legislature would wait until the final moments to act. They did.
David O and some others floated the idea of spreading out the property tax increases, and re-evaluating the entire process, as early as 2003. They got nowhere.
Creepy? Maybe. Or are you projecting yourself into the analysis?
Yeah, I wish he, and all men who died their hair, didn't. He looks too pastey. And yeah, I wish he could explain things a little more clearly sometimes.
But do I doubt his sincerity, and his grasp of the issue? Not for a second.
On any complicated issue, he can count on two hands his intellectual equals in the General Assembly.
Every day, in his own freaking House caucus, he has to navigate: Bill Cochran, Chet Dobis, Vern Tincher...and then, if he goes acorss the aisle, he has to deal with the Phil Hinkles of the world.
I doubt you could handle that kind of mental-midget nonsense without going ballistic. I know I couldn't. Not without a stiff drink.
And now Dane Mahern wants to add himself to that mix.
9:47 AM EST - Orentlicher is as anti-gun and pro-socialist as any politician in Indiana can be.
He sponsored legislation that "Makes it a Class A misdemeanor for a person to purchase more than one handgun during any 30 day period."
Another that "Provides that the law governing local regulation of firearms does not apply to Marion County or a city, town, or township located in Marion County".
The guy would grab every gun he could if he could get away with it.
He wrote an article called "Making Research a Requirement of Treatment: Why We Should Sometimes Let Doctors Pressure Patients to Participate in Research". Sounds great...
As an active democrat in the 97th, Dane Mahern may want to reclaim it for his family but it is not going to happen...it will return demo but with someone with an IQ over 50 and someone who can speak the Engish language.....that sit is not an inherited seat.
8:43- Really? You "worked" on David O's first campaign? Name his campaign manager (field staffer from State Party). Perhaps, you don't mean worked, but volunteered?
If the Republicans want to win the district, they need a moderate republican. I understand that Lance Langsford is considering running. A soldier and public safety officer who also supported the HRO - now that would be a hard combination to beat!
I ran in to David O at the hob nob last year. When asked a direct question he looked at me and ran away. Oh yeah, he was my rep too. If he is afraid of a question from a constituent no way in hell I would vote for this dud - I mean dude.
8:07--I don't believe you.
That is not his style at all.
(Stant back, Gary...this blog is about to run full-steam into the gun control argument. Be prepared for ardent mis-representation of the 2nd Amendment)
As for taking guns--why, pray tell, would anyone need a new handgun more than once every 30 days? Are you planning some sort of Waco moment--an armed insurrection, maybe?
Given the alarming rate of gun violence in Marion County, some attempts to curb gun ownership migiht be in order.
Uh, maybe a committment from the top to focus on crime would have helped, too.
So long, Bart, the city is safer for your exit.
Then, too, the shocking and abysmal dropout rate in Indianapolis might be a marker that violent crime was going to skyrocket.
While everyone was clinking their wine glasses over each glitzy downtown project the city leaders lost any focus on real Indianapolis.
The developer/finance/law industrial complex that has taken over the Democrats needs to end. Schellinger is in the same mold as Peterson and Richard in Fort Wayne.
It's time for real Democrats to take back the party.
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