Republicans picked up a Senate seat in Indiana Tuesday night, as businessman Mike Braun defeated Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly in one of the tightest races of the cycle, making the road to a Democratic majority in the Senate even steeper. The race was always forecast to be close, but Donnelly was considered to be in the driver’s seat for much of the spring and summer. He was a more relentless campaigner and had been a near-constant presence in every corner of the state since he won the seat in 2012. And Democrats had more money for TV ads over the summer. Donnelly, who voted to seat Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court last year — but against Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation — was well-liked by Republicans and Democrats alike. But after Labor Day, Republicans drew even on the airwaves, making the race tighter. Then the multiple allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh, following the initial charge by Chistine Blasey Ford, galvanized Republican voters who felt his opponents were piling on. The effect of the Kavanaugh hearings were not the same in every state. Polls showed nationally that it activated Democrats who were upset about the way Ford was treated more than it did Republicans who were Kavanaugh defenders. But in Indiana, where Republicans greatly outnumber Democrats, the impact was heavily in Braun’s favor. 11 PHOTOS Mike Braun, Republican nomiee for Senate in Indiana See Gallery Mike Braun, Republican nomiee for Senate in Indiana UNITED STATES – APRIL 4: Mike Braun, who… [Read full story]
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