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Indiana's 6th Congressional District election, 2018

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General election

General election for U.S. House Indiana District 6

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Greg Pence
Greg Pence (R)
 
63.8
 
154,260
Image of Jeannine Lee Lake
Jeannine Lee Lake (D)
 
32.9
 
79,430
Image of Tom Ferkinhoff
Tom Ferkinhoff (L)
 
3.3
 
8,030
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
6

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 241,726
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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2020 →
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Indiana's 6th Congressional District
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: February 9, 2018
Primary: May 8, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent:
Luke Messer (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Voting in Indiana
Race ratings
Cook Partisan Voter Index (2018): R+18
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
Indiana's 6th Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th
Indiana elections, 2018
U.S. Congress elections, 2018
U.S. Senate elections, 2018
U.S. House elections, 2018

All U.S. congressional districts, including the 6th Congressional District of Indiana, held elections in 2018.

Greg Pence (R), the older brother of Vice President Mike Pence, faced Jeannine Lee Lake (D) in the general election.

Heading into the election the incumbent was Luke Messer (R), who was first elected in 2012. On July 26, 2017, Messer announced that he was seeking election to the U.S. Senate, rather than re-election to his House seat.[1]

Indiana's 6th Congressional District takes in a large portion of eastern Indiana, including Bartholomew, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hancock, Henry, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Shelby, Switzerland, Union, and Wayne counties and a portion of Scott county.[2]

This page covered the general election in this race. Click here to read more about the Democratic Party primary election. Click here to read more about the Republican Party primary election.


Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Indiana District 6

Greg Pence defeated Jeannine Lee Lake and Tom Ferkinhoff in the general election for U.S. House Indiana District 6 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Greg Pence
Greg Pence (R)
 
63.8
 
154,260
Image of Jeannine Lee Lake
Jeannine Lee Lake (D)
 
32.9
 
79,430
Image of Tom Ferkinhoff
Tom Ferkinhoff (L)
 
3.3
 
8,030
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
6

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 241,726
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jeannine Lee Lake
Jeannine Lee Lake
 
38.3
 
8,890
Image of Jim Pruett
Jim Pruett
 
25.8
 
5,984
Image of Lane Siekman
Lane Siekman
 
15.6
 
3,612
Image of George Thomas Holland
George Thomas Holland
 
11.1
 
2,570
Image of Joshua Williamson
Joshua Williamson
 
7.3
 
1,695
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
K. Lave
 
1.9
 
446

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 23,197
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6

Greg Pence defeated Jonathan Lamb, Stephen MacKenzie, Mike Campbell, and Jeff Smith in the Republican primary for U.S. House Indiana District 6 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Greg Pence
Greg Pence
 
64.5
 
47,962
Image of Jonathan Lamb
Jonathan Lamb
 
23.6
 
17,526
Image of Stephen MacKenzie
Stephen MacKenzie
 
4.6
 
3,400
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Mike Campbell
 
4.3
 
3,231
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Jeff Smith
 
3.0
 
2,258

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 74,377
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+18, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 18 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Indiana's 6th Congressional District the 52nd most Republican nationally.[3]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.05. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.05 points toward that party.[4]

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jeannine Lee Lake Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Greg Pence Republican Party $2,793,833 $2,593,307 $200,526 As of December 31, 2018
Tom Ferkinhoff Libertarian Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.


District history

2016

See also: Indiana's 6th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Luke Messer (R) defeated Barry Welsh (D) and Rich Turvey (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Messer defeated Charles Johnson Jr. and Jeff Smith in the Republican primary, while Welsh defeated Danny Basham, George Thomas Holland, Bruce Peavler, and Ralph Spelbring to win the Democratic nomination. The primary elections took place on May 3, 2016.[5][6][7]

U.S. House, Indiana District 6 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngLuke Messer Incumbent 69.1% 204,920
     Democratic Barry Welsh 26.7% 79,135
     Libertarian Rich Turvey 4.2% 12,330
Total Votes 296,385
Source: Indiana Division of Elections


U.S. House, Indiana District 6 Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngLuke Messer Incumbent 77.7% 91,828
Jeff Smith 12.7% 14,963
Charles Johnson Jr. 9.7% 11,447
Total Votes 118,238
Source: Indiana Secretary of State
U.S. House, Indiana District 6 Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngBarry Welsh 35.6% 15,258
Danny Basham 24.4% 10,474
George Holland 20.6% 8,851
Bruce Peavler 11.4% 4,897
Ralph Spelbring 7.9% 3,385
Total Votes 42,865
Source: Indiana Secretary of State

2014

See also: Indiana's 6th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 6th Congressional District of Indiana held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Luke Messer (R) defeated Susan Hall Heitzman (D) and Eric Miller (L) in the general election.

U.S. House, Indiana District 6 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngLuke Messer Incumbent 65.9% 102,187
     Democratic Susan Hall Heitzman 29.3% 45,509
     Libertarian Eric Miller 4.8% 7,375
Total Votes 155,071
Source: Indiana Secretary of State Official Results

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 92 Indiana counties—5 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Delaware County, Indiana 13.43% 3.12% 14.98%
LaPorte County, Indiana 6.33% 12.57% 22.04%
Perry County, Indiana 18.55% 11.59% 22.84%
Porter County, Indiana 6.59% 3.90% 7.20%
Vigo County, Indiana 14.97% 0.86% 15.83%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Indiana with 56.9 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 37.8 percent. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) was Trump's running mate. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Indiana voted Republican 83.33 percent of the time and Democratic 16.67 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Indiana voted Republican four times and Democratic once when it voted for Barack Obama in 2008.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Indiana. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[8][9]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 28 out of 100 state House districts in Indiana with an average margin of victory of 32.8 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 25 out of 100 state House districts in Indiana with an average margin of victory of 32.9 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 72 out of 100 state House districts in Indiana with an average margin of victory of 25.3 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 75 out of 100 state House districts in Indiana with an average margin of victory of 34.3 points. Trump won six districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Indiana heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

State executives

  • As of May 2018, Republicans held seven of 14 state executive positions, and seven positions were held by nonpartisan or independent officials.
  • The governor of Indiana was Republican Eric Holcomb.

State legislature

  • Republicans controlled both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly. They had a 70-30 majority in the state House and a 41-9 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

  • Indiana was a Republican trifecta, meaning the Republican Party held control of the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature.

2018 elections

See also: Indiana elections, 2018

Indiana held elections for the following positions in 2018:

Demographics

Demographic data for Indiana
 IndianaU.S.
Total population:6,612,768316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):35,8263,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:84.2%73.6%
Black/African American:9.2%12.6%
Asian:1.9%5.1%
Native American:0.2%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.2%3%
Hispanic/Latino:6.4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:87.8%86.7%
College graduation rate:24.1%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$49,255$53,889
Persons below poverty level:18.4%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Indiana.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Indiana had a population of approximately 6,600,000 people, with its three largest cities being Indianapolis (pop. est. 856,000), Fort Wayne (pop. est. 265,000), and Evansville (pop. est. 119,000).[10][11] The chart on the right shows demographic information for Indiana from 2010 to 2015.

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Indiana from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Indiana Secretary of State.[12]

Historical elections

Presidential elections

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Indiana every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Indiana 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 56.8% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 37.9% 18.9%
2012 Republican Party Mitt Romney 54.1% Democratic Party Barack Obama 43.9% 10.2%
2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 50.0% Republican Party John McCain 48.9% 1.1%
2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 59.9% Democratic Party John Kerry 39.3% 20.6%
2000 Republican Party George W. Bush 56.7% Democratic Party Al Gore 41.0% 15.7%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Indiana from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Indiana 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Todd Young 52.1% Democratic Party Evan Bayh 42.4% 9.7%
2012 Democratic Party Joe Donnelly 50.0% Republican Party Richard Mourdock 44.3% 5.7%
2010 Republican Party Dan Coats 54.6% Democratic Party Brad Ellsworth 40.0% 14.6%
2006 Republican Party Richard Lugar 87.3% Libertarian Party Steve Osborn 12.6% 74.7%
2004 Democratic Party Evan Bayh 61.7% Republican Party Marvin Scott 37.2% 24.5%
2000 Republican Party Richard Lugar 66.5% Democratic Party David Johnson 31.9% 34.6%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Indiana.

Election results (Governor), Indiana 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Eric Holcomb 51.4% Democratic Party John R. Gregg 45.4% 6.0%
2012 Republican Party Mike Pence 50.0% Democratic Party John R. Gregg 46.6% 3.4%
2008 Republican Party Mitch Daniels 57.8% Democratic Party Jill Long Thompson 40.1% 17.7%
2004 Republican Party Mitch Daniels 53.2% Democratic Party Joe Kernan 45.5% 7.7%
2000 Democratic Party Frank O'Bannon 56.6% Republican Party David M. McIntosh 41.7% 14.9%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Indiana in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Indiana 2000-2016
Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
2016 Republican Party 7 77.8% Democratic Party 2 22.2% R+5
2014 Republican Party 7 77.8% Democratic Party 2 22.2% R+5
2012 Republican Party 6 66.7% Democratic Party 3 33.3% R+3
2010 Republican Party 4 44.4% Democratic Party 5 55.6% D+1
2008 Republican Party 4 44.4% Democratic Party 5 55.6% D+1
2006 Republican Party 7 77.8% Democratic Party 2 22.2% R+5
2004 Republican Party 6 66.7% Democratic Party 3 33.3% R+3
2002 Republican Party 6 66.7% Democratic Party 3 33.3% R+3
2000 Republican Party 6 66.7% Democratic Party 3 33.3% R+3

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Indiana Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas  •  Seventeen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D R R D D D D D D D D R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Indy Politics, "Messer Enters U.S. Senate Race," July 26, 2017
  2. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
  3. ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  4. ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  5. ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "May 3, 2016 Primary Election," accessed February 8, 2016
  6. ↑ The New York Times, "Indiana Primary Results," May 3, 2016
  7. ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "November 8, 2016 General Election," accessed September 6, 2016
  8. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  9. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  10. ↑ Indiana Demographics, "Indiana Cities by Population," accessed January 9, 2018
  11. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Quickfacts Indiana," accessed January 9, 2018
  12. ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "Election Results," accessed September 5, 2018
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Indiana's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Jim Banks (R)
Todd Young (R)
Representatives
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District 3
District 4
Jim Baird (R)
District 5
District 6
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