Garton Expected to Concede Defeat

9:01 p.m. - Sources close to the campaign of Senate President Bob Garton expect he will concede to Columbus accountant Greg Walker shortly. Sources say he was trailing Walker in both Bartholomew by around 100 votes, but by more than 500 votes in Johnson County. The defeat will trigger a frantic move to succeed the man who ran the Indiana Senate since 1980.

http://www.howeypolitics.com/

9:01 p.m. - Senate President Robert D. Garton has conceded defeat to Columbus accountant Greg Walker, the second stunning defeat of a Senate Republican leader in two years. In May 2004, Senate Finance Chairman Larry Borst lost to Brent Waltz. Walker rolled up a big margin in Johnson County and lead by a narrow margin in Bartholomew County. The defeat will trigger a frantic move to succeed the man who ran the Indiana Senate since 1980.

http://www.howeypolitics.com/

This is even bigger than the upset of Borst.

Walker, among other things, believes in public floggings. He is extreme. I bet you that he was not elected due to his extremism, but due to his not being Mitch's lap dog per Major Moves and DLS. If this is the sign that I think it is - November elections are going to be very, very intersting in Indiana.

Dems should be able to easily retake the Indiana House. Plus we may win back the 2nd, 8th and 9th...it all could happen and would happen today, i'm convinced of it. Look at the results in the primaries. The D's have way more votes than the R's in each one of those districts.

There is hope!

very upfront as to where he stood. I hope you are right, otherwise an even harder right turn has been made.

See his lame concession call on TV last night? What a poor loser; not even gracious in defeat.
As everything in the Senate passed through him, he had a lot of control.
So who's the next Senate leader? Any wagers?
This was a BIG loss for the Republicans, and I KNOW we can beat Walker in the fall!
The take-back of our state has begun, folks!

asked him what he thought happened.

He said that he didn't see (the upset) coming. That he had wondered why, just prior to the election Garton was suddenly running campaign ads. That the winner was a (his words) "whacko". That he hoped it was a wake up call to Mitch (per governing in a way that has completely lost touch with constituents).

When I asked what he thought about the Hill/Soderel race (he is in the same district as my mother - and as I used to be in - but from the firmly GOP part of the district) - he said that he thought Hill would win due to the discontent with Bush and Daniels.

He then said in hushed tones... that I (avowed liberal that I am) might not know it, but that many conservatives are unhappy with bush and think that he is anything but conservative ( *snicker*... ya think, bro?)

It was an interesting conversation. He didn't even sound 'bothered' by stating that he thought Baron Hill would win (just two years ago he was playing blind vitriolic partisan repub, mind you...)

When I asked what he thought would happen in the State Senate race for Garton's seat (remember he thinks that the repub is a "whacko") - he said that he doesn't know who the dem is who is running, and that he hopes that voters realize it is important to learn all they can about the two candidates before voting (that is, rather than simply voting for the whacko because he has an "r" by his name... er.. bro - shouldn't folks *always* do that? - but hey, even if it is late - welcome to the dance of informed voters).

All in all an interesting conversation, and one that is indicative of some of this shifts in political sentiments occuring across the Hoosier state, imo.