Democrats looking to end their Indiana Legislature futility

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana Democrats are looking to chip away at large Republican majorities in the General Assembly that left them largely powerless over the past four years.

Democrats are optimistic about gaining the five seats in the 100-member House needed to break the two-thirds supermajority that allows Republicans to act even if no Democrats are present. Republicans are trying in the Nov. 8 election to protect several seats in Democratic areas that they've won in recent years.

Republicans appear likely to keep their supermajority in the Senate, where half the 50 seats are up for election.

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LEGISLATIVE IMPACT

Democrats say their candidates are helped by the close gubernatorial campaign and an increased presence in the Legislature would give more policy leverage to Democratic candidate John Gregg if he defeats Republican Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb.

"What we can't permit is to win the chief executive's office and then have a recalcitrant Legislature simply undo every decision that the governor makes because they have unchecked power," said House Democratic leader Scott Pelath of Michigan City.

Republicans hold 71-29 House and 40-10 Senate majorities, which Democrats maintain allowed GOP leaders to push through contentious measures on abortion restrictions and repealing the law that often led to union wage scales for public construction projects even though numerous Republican legislators opposed them.

Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma calls such arguments "a good pre-election talking point" and said most issues are decided with bipartisan support. "We've worked closely with our Democrat colleagues even when we don't agree," he said.

An end to the GOP supermajority would return the threat of boycotts that both parties have used in the past in attempts to force compromises. The most prominent recent instance was the five-week boycott to Illinois by House Democrats in 2011 as they tried to block adoption of the GOP-backed state right-to-work law.

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HOUSE RACES

The greatest concentration of competitive House races is in northwestern Indiana, a heavily Democratic area where Republicans have grabbed several seats in recent elections.

Two races are Lake County rematches where Republican lawmakers are challenged by the Democratic legislators they unseated in 2014 - Republican Rep. William Fine against Democrat Mara Candelaria Reardon and GOP Rep. Julie Olthoff facing Democrat Shelli VanDenburgh.

Republicans are working to protect veteran GOP Rep. Ed Soliday of Valparaiso in his re-election bid again Democrat Pamela Fish, CEO of a Valparaiso recycling company. Soliday is chairman of the House transportation committee and pushed an unsuccessful House GOP plan this year to boost highway funding by raising cigarette and gasoline taxes.

Other key races include one for an open West Lafayette-area seat now held by the GOP between Democrat Victoria Woeste, a research professor at the American Bar Foundation, and Republican Sally Siegrist, a Tippecanoe County Council member. Republican Rep. Alan Morrison faces a challenge from former Democratic state Sen. Tim Skinner for a Terre Haute-area seat.

Republicans have a large fundraising advantage for legislative races and have pumped more than $500,000 into supporting Olthoff and better than $350,000 to boost Soliday.

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SENATE RACES

At least nine of the 25 Senate seats up for election will have new senators because of incumbent retirements or primary defeats. Both parties are spending heavily on two open Indianapolis-area seats held by Republicans.

The nearly $500,000 raised by Republican John Ruckelshaus and the more than $350,000 collected by Democrat Pamela Hickman have enabled both to air frequent television commercials for the district covering part of Indianapolis' north side and its northern suburbs. Republican Aaron Freeman, an Indianapolis City-County Council member, is facing an active campaign from Democrat Sara Wiley, a middle school teacher, for a longtime-GOP seat on the city's southeast side.

Republicans are looking to win a now-Democratic open seat in northern Indiana, where Republican LaPorte County Commissioner Mike Bohacek faces Democrat Maxine Spenner, a retired teacher who defeated the party-backed candidate in the primary and has raised little money.