U.S. House, Indiana - 2nd District
North central -- South Bend, parts of Elkhart and Kokomo
2006:
Donelly, one of the more conservative Democrats in the Class of 2006, is looking very strong in a district that stretches from South Bend south to Kokomo.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Rep. Joe Donnelly, D
- First Elected: 2006 (1st term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (53.98%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Safe Democrat
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
The 2nd begins in Kokomo and moves north through small farming communities before reaching counties on the state’s northern border, which include the cities of South Bend, Mishawaka and Elkhart and are home to more than two-thirds of district residents.
South Bend, in St. Joseph County, is home to an ideologically and economically diverse population. The wealthy, white-collar, Catholic Notre Dame community that hosts faculty and professionals is joined by low-income, minority residents downtown, as well as blue-collar areas east of the city. Neighboring Mishawaka has grown as some South Bend residents have left downtown.
East of Mishawaka, communities in Elkhart County (shared with the 3rd) round out the 2nd’s heavily populated northeast. Farming and business in Elkhart — a national center for the manufactured housing industry — create a faithful conservative constituency.
Michigan City’s steel manufacturers in the district’s northwest create a strong northern Democratic-leaning region: LaPorte County was one of only four Indiana counties won by John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. Kokomo (shared with the 5th) is another mainly white, blue-collar area; it relies on the auto industry, with Delphi and DaimlerChrysler as major employers. But these Democratic pockets can be overmatched by GOP support from the rest of the 2nd. George W. Bush won the district’s 2004 presidential vote with 56 percent, but the 2nd’s U.S. House seat changed hands from Republican to Democrat in 2006.
Major Industry
Manufacturing, higher education, agriculture
Cities
South Bend, 107,789; Elkhart (pt.), 48,783; Mishawaka, 46,557; Michigan City, 32,900
Notable
The World Whiffleball Championship is played every year in Mishawaka.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 675,766
- Under 18: 26.1%
- Over 65: 13.3%
- Married: 55.4%
- Non-Hispanic White: 84%
- Black: 8%
- Hispanic: 5%
- Asian: 1%
- Foreign Born: 4.2%
- Language other than English: 7.9%
- Median Household Income: 40,381
- Owner Occupied Housing: 72.8%
- Income above $200k: 1.2
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 50.7%
- Blue Collar: 35.1%
- Services: 14.2%
- Bachelor's Degree: 17%
- Graduate Education: 6.6%
- Civilian Veterans: 67,624
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Joe Donnelly (D) | 187,416 | 67.1% |
| Luke Puckett (R) | 84,455 | 30.2% | ||
| Mark Vogel (LIBERT) | 7,475 | 2.7% | ||
| 2006 | general | Joe Donnelly (D) | 103,561 | 54% |
| Chris Chocola (R) | 88,300 | 46% | ||
| 2004 | general | Chris Chocola (R) | 140,496 | 54.2% |
| Joe Donnelly (D) | 115,513 | 44.5% | ||
| Douglas Barnes (LIBERT) | 3,346 | 1.3% | ||
| 2002 | general | Chris Chocola (R) | 95,081 | 50.4% |
| Jill Long Thompson (D) | 86,253 | 45.8% | ||
| Sharon Metheny (LIBERT) | 7,112 | 3.8% | ||
| M. Blatt (Write-In) | 6 | |||
| James Mello (Write-In) | 6 | |||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 43% | George W. Bush: 56% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 45% | George W. Bush: 54% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRANCIS, STEVE (D) | June 30, 2006 | $4,162.00 | |||||
| CHOCOLA, J CHRISTOPHER (R) | April 13, 2008 | $698,849.00 | $727,865.00 | ||||
| DONNELLY, JOSEPH S MR. (D) | November 24, 2008 | $1,837,396.00 | $1,549,428.00 | $165,900.00 | $695,722.00 | $289,665.00 | $35,783.00 |
| ZIRKLE, ANTHONY FREDRICK (R) | March 31, 2007 | ||||||
| PUCKETT, LUKE WAYNE (R) | November 24, 2008 | $301,348.00 | $289,637.00 | $2,000.00 | $131,262.00 | $15,133.00 | $69,790.00 |
| MINOR, DAVID CHRISTOPHER (R) | November 14, 2007 | $19,845.00 | $19,845.00 | $150.00 | $17,483.00 | ||
