Despite garnering 92 percent of the votes of Indiana’s African-Americans and despite a landslide win in Indiana’s largest city and largest African-American community, Sen. Barack Obama fell short in the popular vote in Tuesday’s Indiana primary.
Sen. Hillary Clinton beat Obama by 22,412 votes, 50.9 percent to 49.1 percent statewide. But in Indianapolis/Marion County, Obama won a landslide victory of some 61,000 votes, 67 percent to 33 percent, according to unofficial returns from the Marion County Election Board.
But the popular vote is just one measure of Tuesday’s primary. The real contest is delegates. And in the battle for Indiana’s 72 Democratic National Convention delegates, the party’s delegation allocation rules and the closeness of the election means Obama will capture nearly as many delegates as Clinton.
And that makes Obama’s loss a victory as Clinton needed to win decisively in order to gain on Obama’s lead in election delegates. Clinton didn’t do that. Her narrow Indiana win spells doom for her campaign’s chances.
Now, while the Obama/Clinton battle here captured the nation and world’s attention, several other contests Tuesday were just as important.
More than 230,000 voters went to the Indianapolis polls Tuesday, with four-in-five voting Democratic. Tuesday’s turnout in Indianapolis was possibly the largest primary turnout in the city’s history. It was 172 percent higher than two years ago; 114 percent higher than 2004 and 187 percent higher than 2002.
Compared to general (November) elections, Tuesday’s turnout was 12 percent higher than the November 2006 election.
In the Democratic primary for governor, Jill Long Thompson eked out a narrow 5,437 vote win over Jim Schellinger despite his winning Marion County, by a slim 3,700 votes.
African-American political newcomers scored decisive primary wins Tuesday.
In the race to replace retiring state Sen. Glenn Howard, Greg Taylor narrowly beat a challenge from former Indianapolis Star journalist James Patterson and Charles “Doc” Henderson. Taylor received 39 percent of the vote, followed by Patterson’s 32.5 percent and Henderson’s 23.9 percent. A fourth candidate, Peter Krempely got 4.6 percent.
Stephanie DeKemper beat Robin Olds three-to-one and she’ll face longtime incumbent Republican state Rep. Phil Hinkle.
Renowned surgeon Dr. Frank Lloyd Jr., son of the legendary community leader, crushed John Linehan in the Democratic coroner primary. Dr. Lloyd faces Dr. John Pless in November.
State Sen. Jean Breaux, despite her support for Sen. Clinton, beat David Nicholson three-to-one and faces Republican James Rainey. And state Rep. Bill Crawford crushed Abu Henderson four-to-one.
In another major upset, Washington Township Small Claims Court Judge Kimberly Brown, who wasn’t endorsed by the Democratic Party won a strong victory as one of the eight nominated for Democratic judge seats. Brown was the second highest vote getter with 76,623 votes behind Judge Tanya Walton Pratt, who received 89,058.
Losing a judge seat was endorsed candidate attorney Garland Graves.
Major upsets were recorded in the Indianapolis Public Schools Board at large seat where two-term incumbent Commissioner Clarke Campbell was defeated by community leader Elizabeth Gore 21,659 to 14,613. Dr. Ramon Batts and Karen Mahamadou lagged far behind.
In the other at large race, educator Leroy Robinson, appointed by the School Board in February to replace Deputy Mayor Olgen Williams, was defeated by retired IUPUI professor Michael Cohen by some 4,000 votes.
Three IPS incumbents were re-elected. Diane Arnold handily beat Barry Campbell and Ralph Adams and Dr. Mary Busch and Marianna Zaphirou were unopposed.
