2006 United States Senate election in Indiana

The 2006 United States Senate election in Indiana was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican United States Senator Richard Lugar was re-elected to his sixth six-year term with 87.3% of the vote. He did not have a Democratic opponent and only faced opposition from a Libertarian candidate; this was the only U.S. Senate race in 2006 in which Democrats did not field a candidate. This would be the last successful race of Lugar's decades long political career. This is also the last time that Lake, Marion, and Monroe counties have voted for a Republican candidate for Senate.

2006 United States Senate election in Indiana

← 2000 November 7, 2006 2012 →
 
Nominee Richard Lugar Steve Osborn
Party Republican Libertarian
Popular vote 1,171,553 168,820
Percentage 87.36% 12.59%

County results
Lugar:      70–80%      80–90%      >90%

U.S. senator before election

Richard Lugar
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Richard Lugar
Republican

Candidates

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Libertarian

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Republican

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Campaign

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Lugar faced no opposition from the Democratic Party, as they felt that he was unbeatable. The Indiana Senate race was the only one in 2006 in which the incumbent did not face a challenger from the other major party. Also running was Libertarian Steve Osborn. Osborn was from La Porte, Indiana and was an amateur radio operator. Exit polls projected a landslide victory for Lugar which was borne out by the result.

Predictions

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Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[1] Solid R November 6, 2006
Sabato's Crystal Ball[2] Safe R November 6, 2006
Rothenberg Political Report[3] Safe R November 6, 2006
Real Clear Politics[4] Safe R November 6, 2006

Results

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The election was not close as Lugar faced only a Libertarian candidate, as no Democrat filed to run. Osborn's best performance was in Starke County, receiving just 23.7% of the vote. This is one of the best statewide showings for a third-party candidate in Indiana.

2006 United States Senate election in Indiana[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Richard Lugar (incumbent) 1,171,553 87.36%
Libertarian Steve Osborn 168,820 12.59%
Write-in 738 0.06%
Total votes 1,341,111 100.0%
Republican hold

By county

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Lugar won all 92 of Indiana's counties by varying margins.[6]

County Lugar Votes Osborn Votes Other Votes Total
Adams 90.6% 7,143 9.4% 743 0.0% 3 7,889
Allen 89.3% 65,782 10.6% 7,838 0.1% 38 73,658
Bartholomew 90.0% 16,544 10.0% 1,834 0.0% 9 18,387
Benton 87.1% 2,086 12.9% 310 0.0% 0 2,396
Blackford 85.7% 2,902 14.3% 483 0.0% 0 3,385
Boone 91.5% 11,428 8.5% 1,058 0.0% 0 12,486
Brown 84.9% 4,181 15.1% 743 0.0% 1 4,925
Carroll 86.3% 4,859 13.6% 768 0.1% 3 5,630
Cass 88.1% 8,066 11.9% 1,094 0.1% 1 9,161
Clark 86.6% 21,690 13.4% 3,358 0.0% 0 25,048
Clay 86.9% 6,597 13.0% 987 0.1% 4 7,588
Clinton 87.6% 6,076 12.3% 856 0.1% 7 6,939
Crawford 82.6% 2,318 17.4% 488 0.0% 0 2,806
Daviess 91.4% 6,193 8.6% 586 0.0% 1 6,780
Dearborn 83.7% 9,091 16.2% 1,759 0.1% 11 10,861
Decatur 89.7% 5,575 10.3% 660 0.0% 0 6,415
DeKalb 86.4% 7,967 13.6% 1,258 0.0% 0 9,225
Delaware 88.7% 21,571 11.3% 2,740 0.0% 0 24,311
Dubois 90.4% 9,432 9.6% 1,007 0.0% 0 10,439
Elkhart 89.9% 34,342 9.9% 3,798 0.2% 74 38,214
Fayette 83.2% 4,704 16.8% 951 0.0% 0 5,655
Floyd 88.0% 16,941 12.0% 2,300 0.0% 0 19,241
Fountain 86.4% 4,267 13.6% 671 0.0% 0 4,938
Franklin 83.6% 5,061 16.3% 989 0.1% 7 6,057
Fulton 88.7% 5,493 11.3% 697 0.1% 1 6,191
Gibson 92.3% 8,395 7.7% 969 0.0% 2 9,094
Grant 89.4% 13,758 10.6% 1,638 0.0% 0 15,396
Greene 88.0% 7,757 11.7% 1,031 0.3% 28 8,788
Hamilton 92.0% 49,077 7.9% 4,226 0.1% 47 53,350
Hancock 89.6% 13,810 10.4% 1,605 0.0% 0 15,415
Harrison 85.4% 9,484 14.6% 1,625 0.0% 0 11,109
Hendricks 89.8% 25,216 10.1% 2,841 0.1% 15 28,072
Henry 85.4% 10,375 14.6% 1,776 0.0% 0 12,151
Howard 86.2% 17,660 13.7% 2,804 0.1% 25 20,489
Huntington 87.0% 7,392 13.0% 1,104 0.0% 0 8,496
Jackson 89.1% 9,887 10.8% 1,203 0.0% 5 11,095
Jasper 85.3% 5,122 14.6% 876 0.1% 7 6,005
Jay 85.9% 4,850 14.1% 795 0.0% 0 5,645
Jefferson 85.6% 6,838 14.4% 1,150 0.0% 0 7,988
Jennings 87.7% 6,751 12.3% 948 0.0% 0 7,699
Johnson 90.8% 24,333 9.1% 2,434 0.1% 36 26,803
Knox 87.2% 8,764 12.8% 1,290 0.0% 0 10,054
Kosciusko 88.3% 15,231 11.5% 1,983 0.2% 32 17,246
LaGrange 87.4% 5,063 12.6% 730 0.0% 0 5,793
Lake 81.8% 47,868 18.1% 10,575 0.1% 61 58,504
LaPorte 79.9% 18,967 20.1% 4,773 0.0% 0 23,740
Lawrence 87.3% 9,404 12.4% 1,335 0.3% 36 10,775
Madison 85.8% 25,963 14.2% 4,294 0.0% 11 30,268
Marion 89.0% 127,898 11.0% 15,866 0.0% 0 143,764
Marshall 89.7% 10,958 10.3% 1,253 0.0% 0 12,211
Martin 86.4% 2,765 13.6% 435 0.0% 0 3,200
Miami 84.8% 6,771 14.9% 1,192 0.3% 21 7,984
Monroe 83.2% 21,998 16.8% 4,451 0.0% 0 26,449
Montgomery 88.9% 7,639 11.1% 948 0.0% 4 8,591
Morgan 87.7% 12,254 12.3% 1,720 0.0% 0 13,974
Newton 81.8% 2,915 18.2% 647 0.0% 0 3,562
Noble 87.9% 8,800 12.1% 1,209 0.0% 0 10,009
Ohio 80.1% 1,523 19.9% 378 0.0% 0 1,901
Orange 88.2% 4,503 11.8% 605 0.0% 0 5,108
Owen 87.2% 4,418 12.8% 650 0.0% 0 5,068
Parke 89.1% 4,182 10.9% 512 0.0% 1 4,695
Perry 85.9% 3,916 14.1% 640 0.0% 0 4,556
Pike 87.6% 3,649 12.3% 511 0.1% 3 4,163
Porter 81.5% 25,385 18.2% 5,658 0.3% 90 31,133
Posey 89.7% 7,636 10.3% 877 0.0% 0 8,513
Pulaski 85.9% 3,625 14.1% 595 0.0% 2 4,222
Putnam 89.8% 7,352 10.1% 826 0.1% 8 8,186
Randolph 87.5% 5,587 12.5% 799 0.0% 2 6,388
Ripley 84.7% 6,224 15.2% 1,117 0.1% 7 7,348
Rush 89.5% 4,340 10.5% 506 0.0% 2 4,848
Saint Joseph 88.8% 52,437 11.2% 6,587 0.0% 0 59,024
Scott 84.3% 4,267 15.4% 778 0.3% 14 5,059
Shelby 89.5% 9,070 10.2% 1,035 0.3% 26 10,131
Spencer 92.8% 5,483 7.1% 699 0.1% 8 9,777
Starke 76.3% 4,560 23.7% 1,415 0.0% 0 5,975
Steuben 83.6% 6,728 16.4% 1,314 0.0% 2 8,044
Sullivan 85.1% 4,489 14.9% 783 0.0% 0 5,272
Switzerland 77.7% 1,615 22.3% 463 0.0% 0 2,078
Tippecanoe 84.9% 25,707 15.0% 4,535 0.1% 39 30,281
Tipton 88.1% 4,554 11.9% 616 0.0% 0 5,170
Union 85.1% 1,913 14.9% 336 0.0% 0 2,249
Vanderburgh 87.9% 39,898 12.1% 5,474 0.0% 0 45,372
Vermillion 82.9% 3,380 17.1% 696 0.0% 0 4,076
Vigo 86.4% 19,242 13.6% 3,025 0.0% 10 22,277
Wabash 86.9% 5,653 13.1% 855 0.0% 0 6,508
Warren 87.2% 2,221 12.7% 325 0.0% 0 2546
Warrick 89.5% 15,038 10.4% 1,748 0.1% 11 16,797
Washington 85.7% 6,494 14.0% 1,060 0.3% 19 7,575
Wayne 80.5% 10,846 19.5% 2,631 0.0% 0 13,477
Wells 87.9% 7,389 12.1% 1,011 0.0% 2 8,402
White 86.4% 5,930 13.6% 935 0.0% 0 6,865
Whitley 87.5% 7,855 12.5% 1,123 0.0% 0 8,978

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "2006 Senate Race Ratings for November 6, 2006" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 5, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  2. ^ "Election Eve 2006: THE FINAL PREDICTIONS". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "2006 Senate Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  4. ^ "Election 2006". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  5. ^ "United States Senator". Indiana of Secretary of State. November 7, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  6. ^ "United States Senator by County". Indiana Secretary of State. November 7, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2008.