Laesch fell to Foster by 398 votes out of more than 75,000 cast in that primary, even though Foster easily won the special election primary. Laesch had asked for a recount the day before the special election.
In Indiana, party leaders selected Andre Carson in a process that left many would-be nominees unsatisfied.
State Reps. Carolene Mays and David Orentlicher, along with Myers, lead the field against Carson and have wasted no time getting started.
Mays’s campaign released a poll in mid-February suggesting Carson is not popular and faced a tough race against Elrod. Myers is planning to launch his first television ads the day after the special election and will be up on radio about a week later.
Myers said the race isn’t a marathon or a sprint, but instead more of a 440-yard dash, “which my track friends tell me is the hardest race to run, because you really have to pace yourself appropriately for that one big lap around the track.”
Whatever happens Tuesday, the winner won’t be listed as an incumbent in the primary, because Indiana does not denote incumbency on its ballots.
The Carson name is still an asset, but the late congresswoman’s grandson has been attacked for his lack of experience during his first competitive campaign. He was appointed last year to the city-county council and ran unopposed in November.
The Indianapolis Star endorsed Elrod by citing his superior experience. But, in doing so, it also suggested the best option might well emerge in the Democratic primary in May.
Elrod faced what were probably his best odds against Julia Carson, who died in December. The national GOP hasn’t invested much in the race, even though a Republican took 46 percent in the district in 2006.
The district voted 58 percent for Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in 2004, but Indianapolis unexpectedly ousted a Democratic mayor in favor of a Republican in 2006.
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