2008 United States presidential election in Indiana
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| Elections in Indiana |
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Indiana was a swing state in 2008, eventually won by Democrat Barack Obama, who narrowly edged Republican John McCain in the state, winning the state's 11 electoral votes. This was the first time a Democrat carried Indiana since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.
Primaries
On May 6, 2008 Indiana held its Presidential primaries:
Analysis
Historically, Indiana has been the most Republican state in the Rust Belt. However, polling in September and October showed that Indiana was possibly turning into a swing state in 2008. George W. Bush easily captured Indiana's 11 electoral votes in 2004, defeating Democrat John Kerry by more than 20%.
The race was unusually as close as expected. Indiana's polls closed at 6 p.m. local time. However, the race for the state was too close to call for most of the night, and still had not been decided when most media outlets declared Obama president-elect at 11 p.m. Eastern time. Indiana was finally called for Senator Obama at around 6 a.m. Eastern on November 5. Ultimately, Obama ended up carrying Indiana by 1,374,039 votes to John McCain's 1,345,648 votes, a difference of 28,391 votes (approximately a 1.03% difference).
At the same time as Barack Obama captured Indiana's 11 electoral votes, incumbent Republican Governor Mitch Daniels was reelected to a second term with 57.84% of the vote over Democrat Jill Long Thompson who received 40.04%. Libertarian Andy Horning received 2.12%. At the state level, Democrats picked up one seat in the Indiana House of Representatives.
Polling
In the last opinion polling before the election, conducted by Public Policy Polling (October 31-November 2, 2008), Barack Obama lead John McCain 49% to 48%.
Election results
Statewide
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Barack Obama | 1,374,039 | 49.95% | +10.69% | |
| Republican | John McCain | 1,345,648 | 48.91% | −11.03% | |
| Libertarian | Bob Barr | 29,257 | 1.06% | +0.36% | |
| No party | Others | 2,110 | 0.08% | — | |
| Majority | 28,391 | ||||
| Turnout | 2,751,054 | 62% | |||
County
Obama won only 15 of Indiana's counties compared to 77 for McCain.[2] However those 15 counties make up 44% of the state's population. Obama carried the state largely by trouncing McCain in Marion County, home to increasingly Democratic Indianapolis, by over 106,000 votes. Kerry narrowly won Marion County in 2004; prior to that it last supported a Democrat in 1964. Obama also won in Vigo County, home to Terre Haute and a noted bellwether; it has voted for the winner of every presidential election all but twice since 1892.[3] Not a single county voted more Republican in the 2008 election.
Obama also dominated the Indiana side of the Chicago metropolitan area, including Gary, traditionally the most Democratic region of the state. Much of this area already knew Obama, as he is from Chicago. He also did very well in counties where colleges are located, including St. Joseph (home to South Bend and Notre Dame), Monroe (home to Bloomington and IU), Delaware (home to Muncie and Ball State) and Tippecanoe (home to West Lafayette and Purdue).[4]
McCain dominated Indianapolis's traditionally heavily Republican suburbs, although Obama managed to diminish McCain's margins from past presidential elections.[5] McCain also did well in Southern Indiana. Obama only managed to win three counties in this region, one of which was Vanderburgh County, home to Evansville.
| County | Obama | Votes | McCain | Votes | Others | Votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 36.5% | 4,928 | 62.2% | 8,404 | 1.3% | 181 | 13,513 |
| Allen | 47.4% | 71,263 | 51.8% | 77,793 | 0.8% | 1,268 | 150,324 |
| Bartholomew | 43.7% | 13,567 | 55.0% | 17,067 | 1.3% | 409 | 31,043 |
| Benton | 41.0% | 1,563 | 57.2% | 2,183 | 1.8% | 68 | 3,814 |
| Blackford | 49.2% | 2,677 | 49.4% | 2,690 | 1.4% | 74 | 5,441 |
| Boone | 36.6% | 9,752 | 62.4% | 16,622 | 1.0% | 273 | 26,647 |
| Brown | 47.8% | 3,854 | 50.4% | 4,060 | 1.8% | 141 | 8,055 |
| Carroll | 42.8% | 3,736 | 55.6% | 4,858 | 1.6% | 142 | 8,736 |
| Cass | 44.8% | 7,011 | 53.3% | 8,346 | 1.9% | 296 | 15,653 |
| Clark | 46.0% | 21,953 | 53.1% | 25,326 | 0.9% | 446 | 47,725 |
| Clay | 43.5% | 4,954 | 55.0% | 6,267 | 1.5% | 174 | 11,395 |
| Clinton | 47.9% | 5,307 | 55.8% | 6,919 | 1.3% | 166 | 12,392 |
| Crawford | 48.2% | 2,286 | 50.4% | 2,393 | 1.4% | 65 | 4,744 |
| Daviess | 31.8% | 3,370 | 67.1% | 7,098 | 1.1% | 118 | 10,586 |
| Dearborn | 32.1% | 7,123 | 67.0% | 14,886 | 0.9% | 208 | 22,217 |
| Decatur | 37.1% | 3,892 | 61.5% | 6,449 | 1.4% | 147 | 10,488 |
| DeKalb | 41.9% | 7,175 | 57.0% | 9,780 | 1.1% | 194 | 17,149 |
| Delaware | 57.0% | 28,384 | 41.9% | 20,916 | 1.1% | 563 | 49,863 |
| Dubois | 47.1% | 8,748 | 51.3% | 9,526 | 1.6% | 291 | 18,565 |
| Elkhart | 44.0% | 31,398 | 55.1% | 39,396 | 0.9% | 664 | 71,458 |
| Fayette | 46.4% | 4,389 | 52.0% | 4,917 | 1.6% | 156 | 9,462 |
| Floyd | 44.5% | 16,263 | 54.6% | 19,957 | 0.9% | 317 | 36,537 |
| Fountain | 41.8% | 3,094 | 56.1% | 4,158 | 2.1% | 158 | 7,410 |
| Franklin | 32.1% | 3,404 | 66.1% | 7,018 | 1.8% | 188 | 10,610 |
| Fulton | 41.1% | 3,702 | 57.2% | 5,147 | 1.7% | 157 | 9,006 |
| Gibson | 42.8% | 6,455 | 55.9% | 8,449 | 1.3% | 191 | 15,095 |
| Grant | 43.0% | 11,293 | 56.0% | 14,734 | 1.0% | 272 | 26,299 |
| Greene | 41.9% | 5,709 | 56.4% | 7,691 | 1.7% | 229 | 13,629 |
| Hamilton | 38.6% | 49,704 | 60.7% | 78,401 | 0.7% | 959 | 129,064 |
| Hancock | 34.7% | 11,874 | 64.2% | 22,008 | 1.1% | 371 | 34,253 |
| Harrison | 40.3% | 7,288 | 58.3% | 10,551 | 1.4% | 252 | 18,091 |
| Hendricks | 37.8% | 24,548 | 61.2% | 39,728 | 1.0% | 679 | 64,955 |
| Henry | 47.2% | 10,059 | 51.1% | 10,896 | 1.7% | 364 | 21,319 |
| Howard | 46.3% | 17,871 | 52.4% | 20,248 | 1.3% | 505 | 38,624 |
| Huntington | 35.8% | 5,843 | 63.0% | 10,291 | 1.2% | 194 | 16,328 |
| Jackson | 42.3% | 7,354 | 56.0% | 9,726 | 1.7% | 294 | 17,374 |
| Jasper | 39.2% | 5,044 | 59.8% | 7,669 | 1.3% | 162 | 12,875 |
| Jay | 45.1% | 3,748 | 52.9% | 4,401 | 2.0% | 166 | 8,315 |
| Jefferson | 46.4% | 6,255 | 52.3% | 7,053 | 1.3% | 182 | 13,490 |
| Jennings | 44.9% | 5,312 | 52.9% | 6,261 | 2.2% | 266 | 11,839 |
| Johnson | 36.8% | 21,553 | 62.2% | 36,487 | 1.0% | 604 | 58,644 |
| Knox | 46.1% | 7,569 | 52.6% | 8,639 | 1.3% | 216 | 16,424 |
| Kosciusko | 30.6% | 9,236 | 68.0% | 20,488 | 1.4% | 410 | 30,134 |
| LaGrange | 38.6% | 3,663 | 60.1% | 5,702 | 1.3% | 126 | 9,491 |
| Lake | 66.7% | 139,301 | 32.5% | 67,742 | 0.8% | 1,714 | 208,757 |
| LaPorte | 60.2% | 28,258 | 38.2% | 17,918 | 1.6% | 743 | 46,919 |
| Lawrence | 38.9% | 7,208 | 59.4% | 11,018 | 1.7% | 308 | 18,534 |
| Madison | 52.6% | 30,152 | 46.0% | 26,403 | 1.4% | 785 | 57,340 |
| Marion | 63.8% | 241,987 | 35.4% | 134,313 | 0.8% | 3,062 | 379,362 |
| Marshall | 42.5% | 7,889 | 56.1% | 10,406 | 1.4% | 255 | 18,550 |
| Martin | 34.8% | 1,706 | 63.7% | 3,122 | 1.5% | 75 | 4,903 |
| Miami | 39.4% | 5,564 | 58.9% | 8,312 | 1.7% | 237 | 14,113 |
| Monroe | 65.6% | 41,450 | 33.4% | 21,118 | 1.0% | 647 | 63,215 |
| Montgomery | 39.3% | 6,013 | 59.3% | 9,060 | 1.4% | 212 | 15,285 |
| Morgan | 35.9% | 10,330 | 62.9% | 18,129 | 1.2% | 352 | 28,811 |
| Newton | 43.4% | 2,625 | 54.6% | 3,301 | 2.0% | 119 | 6,045 |
| Noble | 41.6% | 7,064 | 57.0% | 9,673 | 1.4% | 237 | 16,974 |
| Ohio | 39.7% | 1,158 | 58.7% | 1,713 | 1.6% | 47 | 2,918 |
| Orange | 41.9% | 3,390 | 56.1% | 4,536 | 2.0% | 160 | 8,086 |
| Owen | 43.7% | 3,570 | 54.0% | 4,415 | 2.3% | 185 | 8,170 |
| Parke | 42.0% | 2,924 | 56.1% | 3,909 | 1.9% | 131 | 6,964 |
| Perry | 60.6% | 5,141 | 37.7% | 3,202 | 1.7% | 147 | 8,490 |
| Pike | 44.8% | 2,700 | 53.4% | 3,221 | 1.8% | 107 | 6,028 |
| Porter | 53.0% | 39,178 | 45.8% | 33,857 | 1.2% | 881 | 73,916 |
| Posey | 45.6% | 5,828 | 53.3% | 6,804 | 1.1% | 139 | 12,771 |
| Pulaski | 41.3% | 2,466 | 56.8% | 3,388 | 1.8% | 110 | 5,964 |
| Putnam | 43.3% | 6,334 | 55.2% | 8,086 | 1.5% | 226 | 14,646 |
| Randolph | 44.8% | 4,839 | 53.5% | 5,788 | 1.7% | 181 | 10,808 |
| Ripley | 34.4% | 4,187 | 63.9% | 7,794 | 1.7% | 207 | 12,188 |
| Rush | 42.3% | 3,229 | 56.0% | 4,271 | 1.7% | 129 | 7,629 |
| Saint Joseph | 58.0% | 68,710 | 41.0% | 48,510 | 1.0% | 1,169 | 118,389 |
| Scott | 48.1% | 4,271 | 50.1% | 4,445 | 1.8% | 161 | 8,877 |
| Shelby | 39.8% | 6,987 | 58.8% | 10,333 | 1.4% | 254 | 17,574 |
| Spencer | 49.5% | 5,039 | 49.1% | 5,001 | 1.4% | 141 | 10,181 |
| Starke | 50.5% | 4,778 | 47.2% | 4,473 | 2.3% | 215 | 9,466 |
| Steuben | 44.5% | 6,284 | 54.2% | 7,674 | 1.3% | 188 | 14,146 |
| Sullivan | 48.8% | 4,284 | 49.4% | 4,343 | 1.8% | 155 | 8,782 |
| Switzerland | 45.0% | 1,638 | 53.3% | 1,940 | 1.7% | 62 | 3,640 |
| Tippecanoe | 55.2% | 37,781 | 43.6% | 29,822 | 1.2% | 833 | 68,436 |
| Tipton | 41.5% | 3,250 | 56.9% | 4,452 | 1.6% | 125 | 7,827 |
| Union | 36.6% | 1,224 | 61.5% | 2,061 | 1.9% | 63 | 3,348 |
| Vanderburgh | 50.8% | 39,423 | 48.3% | 37,512 | 0.9% | 721 | 77,656 |
| Vermillion | 56.1% | 4,003 | 42.2% | 3,010 | 1.7% | 122 | 7,135 |
| Vigo | 57.3% | 25,040 | 41.5% | 18,121 | 1.2% | 545 | 43,706 |
| Wabash | 39.3% | 5,456 | 59.4% | 8,238 | 1.3% | 177 | 13,871 |
| Warren | 43.9% | 1,755 | 54.2% | 2,166 | 1.9% | 77 | 3,998 |
| Warrick | 43.0% | 12,329 | 55.9% | 16,013 | 1.1% | 323 | 28,665 |
| Washington | 40.4% | 4,562 | 57.6% | 6,519 | 2.0% | 224 | 11,305 |
| Wayne | 47.1% | 13,459 | 51.0% | 14,558 | 1.9% | 545 | 28,562 |
| Wells | 33.7% | 4,403 | 65.0% | 8,504 | 1.3% | 166 | 13,073 |
| White | 45.0% | 4,839 | 53.2% | 5,731 | 1.8% | 197 | 10,767 |
| Whitley | 38.6% | 5,862 | 60.1% | 9,124 | 1.3% | 202 | 15,188 |
Congressional District
Despite the fact that Barack Obama won the popular vote and carried the state’s 11 electoral votes, John McCain carried six congressional districts in Indiana, including all four held by Republicans and two held by Democrats.
| District | McCain | Obama | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 37.38% | 61.76% | Peter Visclosky |
| 2nd | 44.72% | 54.10% | Joe Donnelly |
| 3rd | 56.22% | 42.84% | Mark Souder |
| 4th | 55.90% | 43.03% | Steve Buyer |
| 5th | 58.90% | 39.79% | Dan Burton |
| 6th | 52.46% | 46.18% | Mike Pence |
| 7th | 28.35% | 70.89% | Julia Carson (110th Congress) |
| Andre Carson (111th Congress) | |||
| 8th | 51.30% | 47.41% | Brad Ellsworth |
| 9th | 49.70% | 49.06% | Baron Hill |
References
- ^ "Indiana General Election November 4, 2008, Statewide". Indiana Secretary of State. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- ^ "Indiana General Election November 4, 2008, by County". Indiana Secretary of State. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- ^ "Obama leads in bellwether Vigo Co". Indianapolis Star. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
- ^ "'At this defining moment, change has come to America'". Indianapolis Star. 2008-11-05. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
- ^ "Obama gains in fast-growing counties". Politico. 2008-11-09. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
