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Joe Donnelly

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Joe Donnelly
Image of Joe Donnelly

Democratic Party

Prior offices
Indiana State Election Board
School Board for Mishawaka Marian High School Indiana
U.S. House Indiana District 2
Successor: Jackie Walorski
U.S. Senate Indiana
Successor: Mike Braun
Predecessor: Richard Lugar

Compensation

Net worth

$749,004

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 6, 2018

Education

Bachelor's

Notre Dame

Law

Notre Dame

Personal
Religion
Christian: Catholic
Profession
Attorney
Contact

Campaign Facebook

Personal website

Personal Twitter

Joe Donnelly (Democratic Party) was a member of the U.S. Senate from Indiana. He assumed office on January 3, 2013. He left office on January 3, 2019.

Donnelly (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Indiana. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.

President Joe Biden (D) nominated Donnelly to be U.S. ambassador to the Holy See on October 8, 2021.[1]

Donnelly previously was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Indiana's 2nd Congressional District from 2007 to 2013. He won election to the U.S. Senate from Indiana on November 6, 2012.[2]

Biography

Donnelly was born in Queens, NY. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in government in 1977. Donnelly also graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1981.[3]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Donnelly's academic, professional, and political career:[4]

  • 2013-2019: U.S. Senator from Indiana
  • 2007-2013: U.S. Representative from Indiana's 2nd Congressional District
  • 1997-2001: School Board for Mishawaka Marian High School, Indiana
    • 2000-2001: President
  • 1996: Opened Marking Solutions, a printing and rubber stamp company
  • 1988-1989: Indiana State Election Board
  • 1981-1996: Practiced Law in Indiana

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Donnelly was assigned to the following committees:[5]

2015-2016

Donnelly served on the following committees:[6]

2013-2014

Donnelly served on the following committees:[7][8]

  • Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
    • Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Marketing and Agriculture Security
    • Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth and Energy Innovation
    • Subcommittee on Commodities, Markets, Trade and Risk Management
  • Armed Services
    • Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
    • Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
    • Subcommittee on Airland
  • Aging

U.S. House

2011-2012

Donnelly served on the following committees:[9]

  • Financial Services Committee
    • Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
    • Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade
  • Veterans' Affairs Committee
    • Subcommittee on Health
    • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Ranking Member

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Issues

Social issues

Same-sex Marriage

During his 2012 campaign Donnelly opposed same-sex marriage.[109] He switched his position on the issue on April 5, 2013, endorsing same-sex marriage.[110]

In a posting on Facebook on April 5, 2013, he stated "I voted to repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ and was an original supporter of the bill that would make it illegal to discriminate against someone in the workplace because of their sexual orientation. It is also for that reason that I oppose amending either Indiana’s or our nation’s constitution to enshrine in those documents an ‘us’ and a ‘them,’ instead of a ‘we.’ With the recent Supreme Court arguments and accompanying public discussion of same-sex marriage, I have been thinking about my past positions and votes. In doing so, I have concluded that the right thing to do is to support marriage equality for all.”[110]

Elections

2018

See also: United States Senate election in Indiana, 2018
See also: United States Senate election in Indiana (May 8, 2018 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Indiana

Mike Braun defeated incumbent Joe Donnelly and Lucy Brenton in the general election for U.S. Senate Indiana on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mike Braun
Mike Braun (R)
 
50.7
 
1,158,000
Image of Joe Donnelly
Joe Donnelly (D)
 
44.8
 
1,023,553
Image of Lucy Brenton
Lucy Brenton (L)
 
4.4
 
100,942
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
70

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 2,282,565
(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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Indiana

Incumbent Joe Donnelly advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Indiana on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Joe Donnelly
Joe Donnelly
 
100.0
 
284,621

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 284,621
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. Senate Indiana

Mike Braun defeated Todd Rokita and Luke Messer in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Indiana on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mike Braun
Mike Braun
 
41.2
 
208,602
Image of Todd Rokita
Todd Rokita
 
30.0
 
151,967
Image of Luke Messer
Luke Messer
 
28.8
 
146,131

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

Total votes: 506,700
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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2012

See also: United States Senate elections in Indiana, 2012

Donnelly won the 2012 election for the U.S. Senate, representing Indiana. Donnelly sought the nomination on the Democratic ticket.[111] The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run was February 24, 2012. The primary elections took place on May 8, 2012.

The two candidates ran a close race, despite the fact that Indiana was seen as a Republican-leaning state. After the conservative Mourdock replaced the moderate Lugar as the Republican candidate, Donnelly was thought to have a good chance at wining the seat. Lugar drew support from members of both parties, but Mourdock's tea-party background divided Indiana voters along party lines.[112]

According to the website Daily Kos, this race was one of nine top-ballot 2012 races that contained Libertarian candidates who received more total votes than was the difference between the Democratic winner and the GOP runner-up. In this case, Andy Horning took in over 4,800 more votes than the number that separated Donnelly and Mourdock.[113]

U.S. Senate, Indiana General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Donnelly 50% 1,281,181
     Republican Richard Mourdock 44.3% 1,133,621
     Libertarian Andy Horning 5.7% 145,282
     Independent James Johnson, Jr. 0% 15
     Independent Amy Willis 0% 3
Total Votes 2,560,102
Source: Indiana Secretary of State "United States Senate Election Results"

2010

On November 2, 2010, Donnelly won re-election to the United States House of Representatives. He defeated Jackie Walorski (R) and Mark Vogel (Libertarian) in the general election.[114]

U.S. House, Indiana District 2 General Election, 2010
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Donnelly Incumbent 48.2% 91,341
     Republican Jackie Walorski 46.8% 88,803
     Libertarian Mark Vogel 5% 9,447
Total Votes 189,591

Campaign themes

2018

Campaign website

Donnelly’s campaign website stated the following:

“

Education
Before he was a senator, Joe was just a dad to two kids, who coached their little league teams and helped them with their homework. He first got involved in public service as a parent who simply wanted to take a larger interest in kids’ education. As a member of his local school board, and later its President, Joe became familiar with the problems and challenges facing our communities’ schools. He understands that there’s nothing more important for Indiana’s future than the education they receive today. We need to make America’s public schools the envy of the world at every level if we’re to continue to be leaders in the 21st Century.Preparing our children for success starts early. Strong pre-K educations set up our kids to do better at every stage of their life. Joe has been a champion for expanding early childhood education as widely as possible to young Hoosiers, and he’s fought to increase funding for these programs.While higher education, including two- and four-year degrees, has become an increasingly necessary requirement for today’s good-paying jobs, the cost of college has far outstripped inflation and left a generation of students struggling with crushing debt. The growing student debt issue isn’t just a problem for millennials—families across Indiana are having to dig into emergency savings and tap retirement accounts to help recent graduates struggle with a debt they can’t escape. And by forcing recent graduates to put off buying cars or making down payments on a house, their burden of student loan debt has knock-on effects across our economy. Joe’s fought to preserve Pell Grants to keep the promise of affordable higher education open to every Hoosier, no matter their background. And he’s introduced the Empowering Student Borrowers Act, bipartisan legislation to help students make wise borrowing decisions and graduate with less debt.Higher education should be more affordable, but we also need to make sure it’s preparing graduates for the realities of the workforce. Joe’s focused on addressing the skills gap and making sure that students’ diplomas are backed by the real-world skills they’ll need in today’s economy.

Veterans and Servicemembers
The men and women of our armed forces and those who have served have put their lives on the line to protect our freedom and our flag. Joe believes we must honor the commitments we’ve made, while they wear the uniform and long after they return home. The men and women of our armed forces and those who have served have put their lives on the line to protect our freedom and our flag. Joe believes we must honor the commitments we’ve made, while they wear the uniform and long after they return home.Joe’s very first bill, the bipartisan Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act, was signed into law in 2014. Joe heard from Jacob’s father Jeff Sexton after Jacob, a Hoosier and National Guardsman, took his own life in 2009, and asked how they could work together to address veteran and military suicide. No family who has seen their son or daughter put on the uniform of our great nation should have to bear the unimaginable pain of seeing that child take their own life. Jacob’s namesake legislation ensures that by September of 2017, every service member – Active, Guard, and Reserve—will receive annual mental health assessments so they can receive the care they need and deserve.Joe’s focus on service member wellbeing has been a hallmark of his time in the Senate. His “Service Member and Veteran Care Package,” a trio of bipartisan bills focused on increasing access to mental health and suicide prevention assistance from those with the best awareness of the specific issues veterans and service members face, have all been signed into law.Joe’s also worked hard to make sure that Hoosier veterans can get the care they deserve. Joe has spent more than eight years working with the VA to open a new health care center in St. Joseph County that will cut down the distance that veterans in Michiana and North-Central Indiana have to travel to see a doctor. The groundbreaking for the facility in 2015 is the start of a real victory for Hoosier veterans.He understands that there’s no excuse for VA bureaucracy and mismanagement getting between veterans and their care. He’s repeatedly voted to make needed changes at the VA that would address the recent scandals centering around long wait times for veterans to receive their health care. Joe worked with Republicans to help pass the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, which would make it easier to fire bad actors at the VA while protecting whistleblowers and the vast majority of VA employees who do their jobs with distinction.

Jobs & The Economy
A former small business owner, Joe believes that every Hoosier who wants a job should have a job. He’s stood up for policies in the Senate that expand opportunities and help create more good-paying jobs that will strengthen middle class families and build strong communities. He’s crossed the state to talk to small business owners and workers about what he can do to help, even rolling up his sleeves and working alongside them on his “Donnelly Days” where he works alongside them. He’s drawn on those experiences and his own to cut red tape and boost manufacturing. He’s worked with state, federal, and local leaders to grow Hoosier businesses.Through his “opportunity agenda,” Joe has pushed for commonsense policies that will expand opportunities for Hoosiers today and for decades to come. It’s a plan that calls for Americans to build an all-in energy policy, invest in infrastructure that improves upon our crumbling roads and bridges, improve workforce development to make sure Indiana workers have the skills they need to succeed, and keep our businesses competitive through exports and innovation.When the financial crisis hit, Joe stepped up immediately to defend our workforce, fighting for the auto rescue that saved nearly 100,000 jobs in Indiana alone. He knows that automotive manufacturers depend on workers across the state – and they’ve provided good-paying jobs for generations of Hoosiers. His outspoken support from the beginning helped prevent disaster for Indiana’s working families.Joe understands the need to develop a workforce with the in-demand skills in our state. That's why he worked to pass his America Works Act to help train and connect job seekers with the skills required by local employers. And it’s why he introduced the Skills Gap Strategy Act to help modernize our nation’s approach to workforce development.

Trade
Indiana workers are the best in the world, and on a level playing field, they can compete with anyone. But years of unfair trade deals have enabled corporations to ship good-paying jobs to foreign countries while flooding American markets with cheap foreign goods. Joe understands that international trade is an integral part of the 21st century economy, and when done right, can ease the burdens on middle class families. First, we need to have the fair trade policies designed to prevent the system from becoming rigged and keep good-paying manufacturing jobs here at home. Joe believes we must continually ensure our trade deals are helping Hoosier workers, not harming them. Even before he came to Congress, Joe has called for the U.S. to renegotiate NAFTA and spoken out against its expansion. He’s demanded that the U.S. Trade Representative investigate China’s currency practices under the belief that they manipulate their currency. He’s voted against trade deals with South Korea, Colombia, Panama and Peru.In the Senate, Joe has introduced and fought for the End Outsourcing Act, which ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to support American workers and encourage companies to keep jobs in the U.S. If enacted, companies seeking federal contracts would be penalized if they had shipped jobs overseas, while companies that outsource would forfeit certain tax breaks for outsourcing. Businesses would be encouraged to invest in America instead of overseas with new tax incentives for companies that move foreign jobs back into America’s rural and impoverished communities.Finally, when it has come to helping workers harmed by the effects of international trade, Joe has answered the bell. After Carrier announced they’d lay off over 1,000 workers while shipping manufacturing jobs to Mexico, he spoke out for the laid off workers, standing with them at rallies. He played a crucial role supporting Indianapolis’ application for a grant to assist the workers whose jobs were outsourced in finding new jobs.

FACT CHECK: Joe Donnelly aligns with President Trump on unfair trade and the renegotiation of NAFTA
Joe Donnelly has been calling for the US to renegotiate NAFTA for nearly 15 years and has spoken out against its expansion. Since joining Congress. He’s voted against every bad trade deal that would create a rigged system that makes it easier for corporations to ship jobs out of the U.S. He has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the workers who lost their jobs when Rexnord and Carrier moved their manufacturing plants to Mexico, and his End Outsourcing Act would help prevent future outsourcing by penalizing companies who ship jobs to other countries.Joe also supports strong, targeted actions to protect our steelworkers from Chinese dumping, and has argued multiple times to that effect before the International Trade Commission. However, he has also stood up for Hoosier farmers and manufacturers who have become collateral damage amid the recent tariffs and demanded trade policies that don’t wreck their livelihoods. FACTS: Joe has expressed a desire to work with President Trump to put an end to one-sided trade deals and realign our trade policies to benefit America’s hardworking men and women.Joe has been calling for the renegotiation of NAFTA for nearly 15 years – since before he came to Congress – and spoke out against its expansion.Since joining Congress, Joe has long advocated for a new trade framework that allows all Americans to benefit from international trade based on the following principles:-- Robust and enforceable labor standards that ensure strong worker protections, such as fair wages and workplace safety, so that American workers are not disadvantaged by foreign labor.-- Additional measures to prevent the outsourcing of American jobs. Hard working men and women should not lose their jobs because of sheer corporate greed.-- Federal contracts must give preference to American goods and services. This ensures taxpayer dollars are used to support investments in American companies and workers.-- Tough penalties for interventionist monetary policies that distort the market and increase our trade deficits, hurting American companies and workers.-- Strengthen the ability of American farmers to export their products to foreign markets at a fair price.Joe introduced the End Outsourcing Act, which would keep good-paying jobs in America by penalizing corporations in line for government contracts who have shipped jobs overseas. Joe has spoken repeatedly with President Trump about the End Outsourcing Act and has said the president supports it.Joe shares the President’s desire to crack down on bad actors in the international marketplace, particularly China, to protect the steel and aluminum industries and prevent intellectual property theft.Joe has called on the administrations to punish bad actors like China in a more target way that doesn’t impact other markets. He remains very concerned about the potential lasting harm these tariffs will do to Hoosier farmers and businesses who have worked a lifetime to develop access to international markets that are now being lost to products grown and manufactured in other countries.

Health Care
Joe believes that in the richest country on earth, every citizen deserves access to quality, affordable health care. For years, he has said that Republicans and Democrats should work together to improve our health care system and expand access, but we can’t rely on partisan efforts that undermine the system and move it backward. He has always recognized that the law isn’t perfect, however, and has worked hard to improve it. He has led the charge to repeal the Medical Device tax to ensure Hoosier companies can continue to innovate and grow, and he introduced the bipartisan Forty Hours is Full Time Act, which would align the definition of a full-time work with the traditional 40 hour work week, providing certainty to both workers and employers.In 2017, Joe has stood strong against partisan efforts to undermine the health care system. He opposed proposals that would increase average Hoosier health care premiums by over $1,000 every year, as well as an “age tax” that would allow insurance companies to charge seniors up to five times more for their coverage. Joe fought to support and protect the bipartisan Health Indiana Plan, HIP 2.0, a program developed by then-Governor Pence through the ACA to provide health care to 400,000 Hoosiers, and he has opposed proposals that would allow insurance companies to discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions.Joe understands that if we truly want to strengthen our health care system, we have to work together. That is why he has worked with Republicans on ideas to stabilize the health insurance markets, promote price transparency, and develop effective ideas to lower the cost of health care.

The Opioid Epidemic
Whether in our smallest towns or biggest cities, families across Indiana are losing loved ones to the scourge of opioid abuse and addiction. When the jobs go out, the drugs come in – too many communities already struggling to cope with the loss of good-paying jobs that have sapped them of pride and needed resources now must deal with a second threat of addiction and abuse that can cause unimaginable strain. Put simply, the opioid epidemic is a tragedy the likes of which Heartland America has not seen in modern times, and it will take all of us, working together, to begin to make it right. Joe believes in a comprehensive approach that addresses the epidemic at every step of the way—from modern prescribing practices which understand that today’s painkiller can be the start of tomorrow’s addiction, to updated best practices for first responders treating overdoses; from adequate resources for those in rehabilitation and recovery to supporting rural economic drivers that address the workforce shortage in underserved areas.Joe’s worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on the issue, and his ideas were a crucial piece of the first major bipartisan legislation to address the crisis - the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act, or CARA. Thanks to Joe, the bill created a new task force to develop modernized prescribing practices and raise awareness of the updated standards in an attempt to stop addiction before it starts. Joe also amended the bill to encourage first responders to connect those who have received naloxone with treatment and other follow-up services.Our rural communities are often those struggling the most with this epidemic, yet Joe understands that they’re most in need of the resources to help combat it. He’s searched for new ways to increase the number of rural health care treatment providers who are on the front lines of the crisis. He’s introduced bipartisan legislation, like his Strengthening the Addiction Workforce and Treatment Act, that would provide new incentives to attract providers to hard-hit rural communities, by making addiction treatment facilities eligible for a federal student loan repayment and forgiveness program. Additional bipartisan bills from Joe would increase the accessibility of telemedicine for substance abuse programs and funding for community facilities addressing opioid and drug abuse.

Seniors
Our seniors have spent their lives paying into a system that they’ve counted on to be there for them, and Joe knows they’re counting on us to follow through. In recent years, Hoosiers have watched as Washington politicians have put their retirement at risk; in Joe, they have someone who’ll fight hard every day so that they have the dignity of a secure retirement. For many older Americans, Social Security is a critical source of income. Joe believes we need to strengthen retirement, and he’ll fight against any proposal to weaken Social Security, cut payments or raise the eligibility age. He’s opposed efforts to privatize Social Security accounts and gamble seniors’ retirements on an ever-volatile stock market.While some people in Washington are willing to put older Hoosiers’ health care at risk, Joe wants to make sure we protect and preserve Medicare for those who rely on it today and for future generations. He hasn’t given an inch on any proposal to cut the program, and during the recent health care repeal debates, he introduced an amendment that would stop the privatization of Medicare—or any other changes like raising the retirement age, or reducing state payments, that would harm Hoosiers. No matter how Washington tries to cut the services next time that older Hoosiers have earned, Joe will continue to be on the side of Indiana.

[115]

”
—Joe Donnelly’s campaign website (2018)[116]

Campaign advertisements

The following is an example of an ad from Donnelly's 2018 election campaign.

"What A Mess" - Donnelly campaign ad, released October 25, 2018

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Joe Donnelly campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2018U.S. Senate IndianaLost general$17,253,015 $17,173,078
2012U.S. Senate (Indiana)Won $5,661,997 N/A**
2010U.S. House (Indiana, District 2)Won $1,718,200 N/A**
2008U.S. House (Indiana, District 2)Won $1,846,892 N/A**
2006U.S. House (Indiana, District 2)Won $1,520,789 N/A**
2004U.S. House (Indiana, District 2)Won $794,065 N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Personal Gain Index

Congressional Personal Gain Index graphic.png
See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives
Net Worth Metric graphic.png

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Donnelly's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $157,010 and $1,340,998. That averages to $749,004, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic senators in 2012 of $13,566,333. Donnelly ranked as the 72nd most wealthy senator in 2012.[117] Between 2006 and 2012, Donnelly's calculated net worth[118] increased by an average of 7 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.[119]

Joe Donnelly Yearly Net Worth
YearAverage Net Worth
2006$538,683
2012$749,004
Growth from 2006 to 2012:39%
Average annual growth:7%[120]
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.[121]

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Donnelly received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Lawyers/Law Firms industry.

From 2003-2014, 24.78 percent of Donnelly's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.[122]

Donation Concentration Metric graphic.png
Joe Donnelly Campaign Contributions
Total Raised $12,325,278
Total Spent $11,894,691
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms$1,147,129
Leadership PACs$733,400
Retired$448,784
Building Trade Unions$372,790
Candidate Committees$351,561
% total in top industry9.31%
% total in top two industries15.26%
% total in top five industries24.78%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Donnelly was a centrist Democratic follower as of July 22, 2014. This was the same rating Donnelly received in June 2013.[123]

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.[124]

Donnelly most often votes with:

Donnelly least often votes with:


Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Joe Donnelly missed 6 of 926 roll call votes from January 2013 to September 2015. This amounts to 0.6 percent, which is better than the median of 1.6 percent among current senators as of September 2015.[125]

Frequency of Voting with Democratic Leadership

According to a July 2010 analysis of 1,357 votes cast from January 1, 2009 to June 16, 2010, Donnelly has voted with the House Democratic leadership 87.8% of the time.[126] That same analysis reported that he also voted with party leadership 91.5% of the time in 2010.

Washington Post Analysis

A separate analysis from The Washington Post, concludes that he votes 88.5% of the time with the majority of rank-and-file Democrats in the House of Representatives.[127]

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Donnelly paid his congressional staff a total of $862,183 in 2011. He ranked 17th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic representative staff salaries and ranked 108th overall of the lowest paid representative staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Indiana ranked 35th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[128]

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year.

2013

Donnelly ranked 52nd in the liberal rankings in 2013.[129]

2012

Information on 2012 vote rating was unavailable.

2011

Donnelly ranked 244th in the liberal rankings in 2011.[130]

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Donnelly voted with the Democratic Party 83.2 percent of the time, which ranked 49th among the 53 Senate Democratic members as of July 2014.[131]

2013

Donnelly voted with the Democratic Party 80.8 percent of the time, which ranked 48th among the 52 Senate Democratic members as of June 2013.[132]

2016 Democratic National Convention

See also: Democratic National Convention, 2016
Joe Donnelly
Democratic National Convention, 2016
Status:Superdelegate
State:Indiana
Supporting:Hillary Clinton
Delegates to the DNC 2016
Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • State election law and delegates • Superdelegates by state

Donnelly was a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention from Indiana.[133] Donnelly was one of nine superdelegates from Indiana. Superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention were not bound by the results of their state’s primary or caucus to support a specific presidential candidate. Donnelly supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.[134]Clinton formally won the Democratic nomination for president on July 26, 2016.[135]

What is a superdelegate?

See also: Superdelegates and the 2016 Democratic National Convention

Superdelegates in 2016 were automatic delegates to the Democratic National Convention, meaning that, unlike regular delegates, they were not elected to this position. Also unlike regular delegates, they were not required to pledge their support to any presidential candidate, and they were not bound by the results of their state's presidential primary election or caucus. In 2016, superdelegates included members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, and distinguished party leaders, including former presidents and vice presidents. All superdelegates were free to support any presidential candidate of their choosing at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.[136]

Indiana primary results

See also: Presidential election in Indiana, 2016

Bernie Sanders won the Indiana Democratic primary, defeating Hillary Clinton by five points. On the Democratic side, 83 pledged delegates were up for grabs. They were allocated proportionally. Sanders carried 73 of Indiana's 92 counties and, according to exit polls, outperformed Clinton with white voters, younger voters, and voters who held negative opinions of "Wall Street" and its impact on the U.S. economy. Clinton, on the other hand, won over African-Americans and older voters. For more, see Sanders upsets Clinton in Indiana.

Indiana Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
Green check mark transparent.pngBernie Sanders 52.5% 335,074 44
Hillary Clinton 47.5% 303,705 39
Totals 638,779 83
Source: Indiana Secretary of State and The New York Times

Delegate allocation

See also: 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules
Democratic Party Logo.png

Indiana had 92 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 83 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide primary results.[137][138]

Nine party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[137][139]

See also

External links


Footnotes

  1. ↑ Indy Star, "Biden to nominate former Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly as ambassador to the Vatican," October 9, 2021
  2. ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Indiana," accessed 2012
  3. ↑ Congressman Joe Donnelly Representing the 2nd District of Indiana, "Biography," accessed November 4, 2011
  4. ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "DONNELLY, Joe, (1955 - )," accessed February 13, 2015
  5. ↑ United States Senate, "Committee Assignments of the 115th Congress," accessed January 19, 2017
  6. ↑ United States Senate, "Committee Assignments of the 114th Congress," accessed February 17, 2015
  7. ↑ Congressional Quarterly, "Senate Committee List," accessed January 18, 2013
  8. ↑ United States Senate, "Joe Donnelly Committee Assignments," accessed March 29, 2014
  9. ↑ Congressman Joe Donnelly, 2nd District of Indiana, "Committees & Caucuses," accessed 2012
  10. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment with an Amendment)," December 18, 2018
  11. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 2)," December 11, 2018
  12. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," October 6, 2018
  13. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture Re: Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," October 5, 2018
  14. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 2, As Amended)," June 28, 2018
  15. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1959)," February 15, 2018
  16. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1958 As Modified)," February 15, 2018
  17. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1948)," February 15, 2018
  18. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1955)," February 15, 2018
  19. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to the Consideration of S. 2311)," January 29, 2018
  20. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Amendment (McConnell Amdt. No. 667)," July 28, 2017
  21. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Amendment (Paul Amdt. No. 271 )," July 26, 2017
  22. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Re: Amdt. No. 270)," July 25, 2017
  23. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Proceed to H.R. 1628)," July 25, 2017
  24. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 7, 2017
  25. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Cloture Motion (Upon Reconsideration, Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 6, 2017
  26. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Decision of the Chair (Shall the Decision of the Chair Stand as the Judgment of the Senate?)," April 6, 2017
  27. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 6, 2017
  28. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 6157)," September 18, 2018
  29. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 5895)," September 12, 2018
  30. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H. R. 6157 As Amended)," August 23, 2018
  31. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 5895 As Amended)," June 25, 2018
  32. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1625)," March 23, 2018
  33. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1892 with an Amendment (SA 1930))," February 9, 2018
  34. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 695)," February 8, 2018
  35. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment with Further Amendment)," January 22, 2018
  36. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 195)," January 22, 2018
  37. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 195)," January 19, 2018
  38. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1370)," December 21, 2017
  39. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion to Recede from the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1 and Concur with Further Amendment ," December 20, 2017
  40. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Joint Resolution (H.J. Res. 123)," December 7, 2017
  41. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 1 As Amended )," December 2, 2017
  42. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Concurrent Resolution (H. Con. Res. 71 As Amended)," October 19, 2017
  43. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amdt. to the Senate Amdt. with an Amdt. No. 808 to H.R. 601)," September 7, 2017
  44. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 244)," May 4, 2017
  45. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Joint Resolution (S.J. Res. 54, As Amended), December 13, 2018
  46. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 2810 As Amended)," September 18, 2017
  47. ↑ The Hill, "Senate sends $692B defense policy bill to Trump's desk," November 15, 2017
  48. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 3364)," July 27, 2017
  49. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (S. 722 As Amended)," June 15, 2017
  50. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 113th Congress," accessed April 29, 2015
  51. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 114th Congress," accessed January 5, 2017
  52. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress," April 13, 2015
  53. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1314," accessed May 25, 2015
  54. ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 1314 (Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act)," accessed May 25, 2015
  55. ↑ Senate.gov, "Roll Call for HR 2146," June 24, 2015
  56. ↑ The Hill, "Senate approves fast-track, sending trade bill to White House," June 24, 2015
  57. ↑ The Hill, "Obama signs trade bills," June 29, 2015
  58. ↑ Congress.gov, "S.Con.Res.11," accessed May 5, 2015
  59. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany S. Con. Res. 11)," accessed May 5, 2015
  60. ↑ The Hill, "Republicans pass a budget, flexing power of majority," accessed May 5, 2015
  61. ↑ The Hill, "Redone defense policy bill sails through House," accessed November 12, 2015
  62. ↑ Congress.gov, "S. 1356," accessed November 12, 2015
  63. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1356)," accessed November 12, 2015
  64. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 618," accessed November 12, 2015
  65. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture Re: Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 1735)," accessed October 6, 2015
  66. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 239," accessed May 27, 2015
  67. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R. 1735," accessed May 27, 2015
  68. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015," accessed November 1, 2015
  69. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1314)," accessed November 1, 2015
  70. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 579," accessed November 1, 2015
  71. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1191," accessed May 8, 2015
  72. ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 1191," accessed May 8, 2015
  73. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on McConnell Amdt. No. 2640 )," accessed September 10, 2015
  74. ↑ Congress.gov, "HJ Res 61," accessed September 10, 2015
  75. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on McConnell Amdt. No. 2640 )," accessed September 16, 2015
  76. ↑ Congress.gov, "HJ Res 61," accessed September 10, 2015
  77. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on McConnell Amdt. No. 2640 )," accessed September 17, 2015
  78. ↑ Congress.gov, "S.Amdt.2656 to S.Amdt.2640," accessed September 17, 2015
  79. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on McConnell Amdt. No. 2656)," accessed September 17, 2015
  80. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.2048," accessed May 26, 2015
  81. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 2048)," accessed June 2, 2015
  82. ↑ Congress.gov, "S 754," accessed November 1, 2015
  83. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (S. 754, As Amended)," accessed November 1, 2015
  84. ↑ Congress.gov, "S 2146," accessed November 2, 2015
  85. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 2146)," accessed November 2, 2015
  86. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 112th Congress," accessed September 5, 2013
  87. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 113th Congress," accessed March 4, 2014
  88. ↑ 88.0 88.1 88.2 88.3 Project Vote Smart, "Joe Donnelly Key Votes," accessed October 16, 2013
  89. ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 2642 (Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013)," accessed February 12, 2014
  90. ↑ NY Times, "Senate Passes Long-Stalled Farm Bill, With Clear Winners and Losers," accessed February 12, 2014
  91. ↑ 91.0 91.1 Politico, "Senate approves $1.1 trillion spending bill," accessed January 20, 2014
  92. ↑ 92.0 92.1 92.2 U.S. Senate, "January 16 Vote," accessed January 20, 2014
  93. ↑ Roll Call, "House Passes $1.1 Trillion Omnibus," accessed January 20, 2014
  94. ↑ The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013
  95. ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 2775 As Amended," accessed October 31, 2013
  96. ↑ U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff," accessed January 4, 2013
  97. ↑ U.S. House Clerk, "Roll Call 681," October 3, 2008
  98. ↑ Gallup, "Among Recent Bills, Financial Reform a Lone Plus for Congress," accessed September 13, 2010
  99. ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 690," accessed December 10, 2008
  100. ↑ Gallup, "Among Recent Bills, Financial Reform a Lone Plus for Congress," accessed September 13, 2010
  101. ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 46," January 28, 2009," accessed 2010
  102. ↑ Rasmussen, "38% Say Stimulus Plan Helped Economy, 36% Say It Hurt," accessed August 24, 2010
  103. ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 314," accessed June 9, 2009
  104. ↑ Rasmussen, "54% Oppose “Cash for Clunkers” Plan To Spur Purchase of Greener Cars," accessed June 23, 2009
  105. ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 165," accessed March 21, 2010
  106. ↑ Rasmussen, "61% Favor Repeal of Healthcare Law," accessed September 20, 2010
  107. ↑ Washington Post, "Congressional earmarks sometimes used to fund projects near lawmakers' properties," accessed February 6, 2012
  108. ↑ Washington Post, "Mapping the earmarks," accessed February 6, 2012
  109. ↑ Huffingtonpost, "Gay Marriage Rights: The 10 Democratic Senators Who Still Say No," accessed July 13, 2014
  110. ↑ 110.0 110.1 Politico, "2 more Democratic senators endorse gay marriage," accessed April 9, 2013
  111. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Democrat Joe Donnelly sets sights on Indiana Senate seat," accessed January 5, 2012
  112. ↑ New York Times, "As Senate Race in Indiana Tightens, Candidates Seem to Move to Center," accessed October 22, 2012
  113. ↑ Daily Kos, "Libertarians provided the margin for Democrats and at least nine elections," accessed November 15, 2012
  114. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed 2010
  115. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  116. ↑ Joe Donnelly for Senate, “Issues,” accessed September 11, 2018
  117. ↑ OpenSecrets, "Donnelly, (D-IN), 2012," accessed February 18, 2014
  118. ↑ This figure represents the total percentage growth from either 2004 (if the member entered office in 2004 or earlier) or the member's first year in office (as noted in the chart below).
  119. ↑ This number was found by dividing each member's total net worth growth percentage by the number of years included in the calculation.
  120. ↑ This figure represents the total percentage growth divided by the number of years for which there are net worth figures for each member.
  121. ↑ This figure was calculated using median asset data from the Census Bureau. Please see the Congressional Net Worth data for Ballotpedia spreadsheet for more information on this calculation.
  122. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Sen. Joe Donnelly," accessed September 18, 2014
  123. ↑ GovTrack, "Donnelly," accessed July 22, 2014
  124. ↑ OpenCongress, "Sen. Joe Donnelly," archived February 28, 2016
  125. ↑ GovTrack, "Sen. Joe Donnelly (D)," accessed September 23, 2015
  126. ↑ A Line of Sight, "2010 House Dem Voting Report," accessed 2011
  127. ↑ Washington Post, "U.S. Congress Votes Database, 111th Congress," accessed 2011
  128. ↑ LegiStorm, "Joe Donnelly," accessed 2012
  129. ↑ National Journal, "2013 Senate Vote Ratings," accessed July 22, 2014
  130. ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," accessed February 23, 2012
  131. ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014
  132. ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014
  133. ↑ Ballotpedia's list of superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention is based on our own research and lists provided by the Democratic National Committee to Vox.com in February 2016 and May 2016. If you think we made an error in identifying superdelegates, please send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.
  134. ↑ “Five Thirty Eight, “The Endorsement Primary,” June 7, 2016
  135. ↑ To find out which candidate a superdelegate supported, Ballotpedia sought out public statements from the superdelegate in other media outlets and on social media. If we were unable to find a public statement that clearly articulated which candidate the superdelegate supported at the national convention, we listed that superdelegate as "unknown." If you believe we made an error in identifying which candidate a superdelegate supported, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
  136. ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions," December 30, 2015
  137. ↑ 137.0 137.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
  138. ↑ The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
  139. ↑ Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
Political offices
Preceded by
Richard Lugar 		U.S. Senate - Indiana
2013–2019 		Succeeded by
Mike Braun
Preceded by
Chris Chocola 		U.S. House of Representatives - Indiana, District 2
2007–2013 		Succeeded by
Jackie Walorski
Preceded by
' 		School Board for Mishawaka Marian High School, Indiana
1997 to 2001 		Succeeded by
'
Preceded by
' 		Indiana State Election Board
1988-1989 		Succeeded by
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