Mourdock Hints At Lugar Challenge

Perhaps the strongest hint yet Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock is taking very seriously a bid to unseat Sen. Richard Lugar in the Republican primary can be found in Mary Beth Schneider's story this weekend in the Star on a Tea Party gathering in Kokomo discussing a unified challenge to Lugar. The group called on Lugar Saturday not to seek re-election to an unprecedented 7th term. Schneider had this on Mourdock:

At least two Republicans frequently have been mentioned as possibilities: State Treasurer Richard Mourdock and state Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel.


Neither will attend today's event. Candidates, Mourdock said, weren't invited.

Delph said he's staying focused for now on the legislature, and he denies any involvement in the new "draft Delph" website that's been anonymously created.

Mourdock, though, confirmed he is "very, very seriously considering" challenging Lugar and expects to make a decision "sooner rather than later."

He's paid for a poll, which he wouldn't disclose, and had "a lot of discussions" with Republicans, including Gov. Mitch Daniels, and tea party activists.

Daniels, at least, told him he'd be backing Lugar -- the man who gave Daniels his start in politics. But the net sum of his polling and other conversations led Mourdock to one conclusion.

"It is winnable," he said, then added with a laugh: "Oh, yeah. Yeah."


Now, he said, he is weighing whether he wants to be a senator and, perhaps most important, whether he could raise enough cash to compete.

He has taken a poll and think it's winnable. Yeah, I would say he is seriously weighing a bid.