Indiana Senate debate

Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly, Republican Mike Braun and Libertarian Lucy Brenton went head to head on key issues that Hoosiers care about in Monday night’s first debate in the U.S. Senate campaign.Between 1900 and 2016, Indiana cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 70 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Indiana supported Republican candidates more often than Democratic candidates, 83.33 to 16.67 percent, making it one of the most reliably Republican states in the country. Indiana favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016 except for 2008, when Barack Obama (D) narrowly carried the state with 49.9 percent of the vote.Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) described the late John McCain as his “hero in politics” during Monday’s senatorial debate at Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, IN.“I’ve been with President Trump 62 percent of the time,” he said. “That’s what we’re supposed to do. I don’t think it’s about party.”Braun challenged that Donnelly gets his “marching orders” from Democratic leadership.Bugs Bunny as a candidate was even brought up. Donnelly said that if the cartoon rabbit were to be nominated by President Trump, Braun would follow blindly.ndiana favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016 except for 2008, when Barack Obama (D) narrowly carried the state with 49.9 percent of the vote.WAVE3 News