Indiana 2012 Election Results

Indiana held its general election on November 6, 2012, deciding 125 legislative seats and 4 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.

Highlights

• Republicans kept the governorship and grew their House majority to 69-31. That is a quorum-proof majority: House Democrats can no longer stall business by walking out, as they did in the previous two sessions. The Republicans' long-held Senate supermajority stayed at 37-13.
• Mike Pence (R) succeeded the term-limited Mitch Daniels, beating former House Speaker John Gregg (D) by about 3 points. Attorney General Greg Zoeller (R) was re-elected by about 16 points.
• The upset came down the ballot: Glenda Ritz (D) unseated Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett (R) by about 6 points despite being outraised roughly four to one. Bennett had implemented sweeping education reforms. The 45,000-member state teachers union backed Ritz, and Bennett said she appealed to conservatives who opposed the Common Core standards he championed.
• In all, 6 incumbents lost in November, Bennett and five House members on the new maps:
  • Peggy Mayfield (R) beat Peggy Welch (D) by about 8 points in House District 60.
  • Martin Carbaugh (R) beat Winfield Moses Jr. (D) by about 8 points in House District 81.
  • Dick Hamm (R) beat Phillip Pflum (D) by about 5 points in House District 56.
  • Going the other way, Christina Hale (D) beat Cindy Noe (R) by 51 votes in House District 87.
  • In a member-vs-member race, Rep. Kreg Battles (D), who had represented the old 64th District, beat Rep. Bruce Borders (R) by 75 votes in House District 45.

Legislature

• House (100 seats): 40 D, 60 R before the election, 31 D, 69 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
• Senate (50 seats): 13 D, 37 R before the election, 13 D, 37 R after; control stayed with Republicans.

Statewide races

Legislative races