Indiana Governor's Race Going Down To The Wires

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (AllPolitics, Nov. 5) -- Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and Lt. Gov. Frank L. O'Bannon are set for a tense night of poll watching, with their race for Indiana governor too close to call as the vote count begins. Republican Goldsmith appeared to have the race in the bag earlier in the year, but questions about an Indianapolis police brawl and ads attacking his Democratic opponent, criticized by the media as inaccurate, gradually eroded his support.

Turnout across the state was heavy, as voters had to pick a replacement for Democratic Gov. Evan Bayh, who was barred from seeking a third term by law. O'Bannon rode on the coattails of the popular Bayh, while Goldsmith's campaign stumbled over the summer, costing the Republican a double-digit lead.

A police brawl in Indianapolis August 27 -- drunken city police officers verbally accosted and beat citizens -- cast doubts on Goldsmith's management of the city. And a series of campaign ads attacking O'Bannon for supporting tax increases while he served in the state Senate were widely criticized as inaccurate.

Exit polls shows that nine out of 10 voters believed those ads were unfair, but Goldsmith was not necessarily held responsible for them.

Leaving the polls, moderate voters and those who said they were better off now than four years ago said theyfavored O'Bannon, while Goldsmith appeared to get heavy support from conservative religious voters and those who want to see government doing less.

On the eve of the election, both candidates said they were counting on voter turnout to sway the election their way.

"I'm confident we have run a strong campaign, a positive campaign, one to get the message out," O'Bannon -- with Bayh at his side -- said Monday night in Indianapolis. "I feel fairly confident we are going to win."

Goldsmith said that his polling showed the race close, but with a Republican victory.

"There is an enormous effort being used against us and if our voters come out to vote, we should have a pretty good victory," he said at his Indianapolis campaign headquarters.