Tagged: Congressman Joe Donnelly

A conservative super PAC largely funded by the billionaire Koch brothers has pulled television ads in Indiana's Senate race attacking Democrat Joe Donnelly, but political strategists with the group will continue their plans to target the race.

Americans for Prosperity reserved airtime to assist Republican Richard Mourdock in the closely watched contest, where polling has shown it is a statistical tie. Last month, the group launched a website against Donnelly, highlighting his votes in Congress but reports say the super PAC has a disagreement over how to target the congressman.

In the Indiana Senate race, Democratic Congressman Joe Donnelly has released a poll showing a statistical tie with Republican State Treasurer Richard Mourdock in the fall election.

The internal survey of 601 likely voters shows Donnelly leading by 1 percentage point with 44 percent over Mourdock at 40 percent and Libertarian Andrew Horning with 4 percent. Indiana is leaning Republican in the presidential race and will likely go to Mitt Romney in the presidential race, but the Senate contest is gaining national attention for its competitiveness.

Donnelly says the race will be competitive and close until November, but that his polling shows voters are exhausted with partisan bickering in Congress.

"You know it is about as close to a tie ballgame as you can get. And what that’s about is the people of Indiana just want solutions. They don’t want people fighting or being extremely partisan. We want more jobs and more opportunity, and people to work together," he says. "And that’s why I think we’ve been successful to this point because we’re talking about issues."

In the Indiana Senate race, polling has shown Republican Richard Mourdock is having trouble gaining traction with moderate voters in his battle with Democratic Congressman Joe Donnelly and a fundraising letter may indicate why.

It was Mourdock's ties to the Tea Party that helped him upset longtime Sen. Dick Lugar in the GOP primary, but days after his victory a message to voters continued to attack Lugar as a traitor to the conservative movement.

From Howey Politics Indiana:

"Conservatives scored a tremendous victory in Indiana just a few weeks ago," the Mourdock letter read. "Against all odds and with the establishment working day and night to defeat me, we retired a 36-year entrenched incumbent senator, who routinely betrayed conservative voters to push through some of the most radical aspects of President Obama's agenda."

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is scheduled to make a stop in Indiana to campaign for GOP Senate contender Richard Mourdock at a fundraiser.

From the Evansville Courier & Press:

Indiana Democratic Senate candidate Joe Donnelly released a new television ad Wednesday that once again lampooned Republican Richard Mourdock as a heckler.

Last month, the Donnelly camp ran a spot with a Mourdock impersonator jeering the congressman from the bleachers. In the latest 30-second ad, Donnelly touts his small business background and advocates for cuts to government spending.

Donnelly also criticizes his GOP opponent for filing a lawsuit against the auto bailout and the commercial features a Mourdock impersonator driving by in a car yelling, "it's my way or the highway."

Check it out:

In the Indiana Senate race, Republican Richard Mourdock launched his first television ad of the general election on Wednesday, attacking Democrat Joe Donnelly for supporting health care reform.

The 30-second spot features Mourdock looking directly at the camera and promising to vote for a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The state treasurer goes on to say that President Obama's  overhaul will hurt small businesses, raise taxes and cuts Medicare by $500 billion.

Check it out: