No Indiana Reps Among Top Targets — At This Time

In 2006, three Indiana congressional seats went from the Republican side of the ledger to the Democrat column. For those straining to remember, that was Donnelly over Chocola in District 2, Ellsworth topping Hostettler in District 8 and Hill over Sodrel (the third of their four straight matchups) in District 9.

That was part of a 31-seat gain the House for Democrats, the largest increase for one party since 1974. It did, however, continue a trend of the sitting president’s political party losing ground in the mid-term election. In 2008, by the way, there were no changes in Indiana’s delegation.

The early national targets are out for 2010, and no Hoosier incumbents are included. That is the situation today. Who knows what might change in the next 17 months.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified the following as potential pickup opportunities: Michael Castle of Delaware, Bill Young of Florida, Joseph Cao of Louisiana, Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan and Jim Gerlach of Pennsylania.

On the GOP side, the National Republican Congressional Committee’s top Democrat targets are: Walter Minnick of Idaho, Frank Kratovil of Maryland, New Hampshire’s Carol Shea-Porter, Steve Driehaus of Ohio, and Virginia’s Glenn Nye and Tom Perriello.