Incumbents dominate southern districts

By Harold J. Adams
hjadams@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

Incumbents or their parties held sway in at least four of the five contested state Senate races in southeastern Indiana yesterday, with a fifth race up in the air.

Democrats Jim Lewis of Charlestown, Connie Sipes of New Albany and Richard Young of Milltown appeared to be holding on to their seats, as did Republican Johnny Nugent of Lawrenceburg.

But in District 41, Republican Greg Walker, who unseated Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton in the GOP primary, was in a race against Democrat Terry Coriden that was too close to call.

Libertarian Kenn Gividen also ran.

Before losing to Walker, a Columbus accountant, Garton had held the seat for 36 years and had been in the Senate leadership since 1980.

Lewis, a 75-year-old retired homebuilder, was re-elected easily over perennial Republican candidate Floyd Coates in District 45, earning a seventh consecutive term. Coates, the 62-year-old president of American Plastic Molding Corp. in Scottsburg, has come up short in six previous runs for public office.

The Republican challenger had campaigned on making English the official language of Indiana, repealing retirement benefits for state lawmakers, and having lawmakers' pay set by referendum.

Lewis said he wants to press for health-care coverage for the 860,000 uninsured residents of the state, to provide property-tax relief and to deliver a solid budget plan.

In District 46, Sipes won a third full term by defeating New Albany Republican Ryan Bergman. Sipes, a 57-year-old retired elementary school principal who was first appointed to the Senate in 1997, has said she wants to fight to strengthen property rights through the legislature.

Bergman, a 44-year-old UPS pilot, had favored the elimination of property taxes. This was his third unsuccessful run for public office, having previously lost twice to Rep. Bill Cochran, D-New Albany.

Read more on the State House Races at the Courier-Journal.com