Indiana – 8th District

Democrat Republican

Candidate Brad Ellsworth John Hostettler

Funds On Hand $676,000 $195,000
Recent Poll 44% 41%
Indiana’s 8th District is always home to competitive races, and this year is no exception. Incumbent John Hostettler, one
the House’s most conservative members, is running for his seventh term, and Brad Ellsworth is running a very strong
campaign to unseat him. The Cook Political Report ranks this race a “Toss-Up.”

The District
The 8th covers southwestern Indiana, including the cities of
Terre Haute, Vincennes and Evansville. It covers some or all
of 18 counties, and much of the district is rural. The district
has acquired the nickname of the “Bloody 8th,” as it’s played
host to extremely close races over in past decades – in the
1970s it elected four Congressmen in as many elections. The
district supported Bush in 2000 and 2004.

About Brad Ellsworth

“Washington stopped listening,” claims Ellsworth, a lifelong
Indiana resident, and he intends to change that. He has spent
25 years in law enforcement, as a police officer, a deputy sheriff, and, since 1998, the elected sheriff of Vandenburgh
County. He has been elected twice by large margins. His primary concern will be ethics and accountability in
Washington; he’s also looking to ensure fair trade, pensions, education, community crime prevention, and the preservation
of Social Security. www.ellsworthforcongress.com

About John Hostettler

One of a handful of members of Congress with a perfect rating from the American Conservative Union, Hostettler has
always avoided traditional campaign styles, relying on his extremely socially conservative views to turn out his
supporters. This has contributed to his frequently close elections: 53% in 2004, 51% in 2002, and 53% in 2000. He is
well-known for his idiosyncratic positions on church-state separation (which he calls a “fallacy”), the judiciary (he
advocates stripping federal courts of jurisdiction over many issues), and the federal budget (he voted against a relief
package after Hurricane Katrina last September). Hostettler came into office as past of the Republican wave of 1994, and
the reverse tide may end his time in office. www.johnhostettler.com

Fundraising and Polling

Hostettler has never been a substantial fundraiser, and this year is no exception. His small-scale campaign has raised
$287,000 and retains $195,000 on hand. Ellsworth, on the other hand, is raising funds in a serious way: He has brought in
over $1 million and has $676,000 on hand.

Ellsworth’s internal polling last year showed him with a 44-41 lead, making this one of the closest races in the nation. No
polling has been done this year.

Sources: www.washingtonpost.com, www.centerforpolitics.org, www.in.gov/sos/elections, www.ourcongress.com,

www.acuratings.com, www.fec.gov

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION http://political.moveon.org

Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.