Democrats claim victory in house

INDIANAPOLIS -- Democrats claimed victory and continued control of the Indiana House on Wednesday after preliminary results showed them winning two close races, one by 37 votes and another by 64 votes. But Republicans said they may seek recounts in those contests and possibly two others.\nDemocrats said the tallies gave them a 51-49 majority and power to select the next speaker, an internal fight they planned to resume in earnest on Thursday.\nBut after a day of disputed results and political maneuvering between the parties, Democrats acknowledged that the election battle probably was not settled.\n"Right now we're ahead, but who knows -- it's not over yet," Rep. Paul Robertson, D-Depauw, said of likely recounts.\nIf Republicans do request recounts, the races could take days, possibly weeks, to settle.\nDemocrats went into Tuesday's election with a 53-47 advantage. But unofficial vote tallies by The Associated Press indicated that voters were on the verge of sending 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats to the chamber.\nThat would mean that Republicans, who won the secretary of state race, would assume control under a tie-breaking law enacted in 1995.\nBut the results in an Indianapolis-area district were disputed Wednesday, and vote totals in a Fort Wayne district were extremely close.\nAfter Marion County election workers spent the day canvassing votes in one race, they announced an unofficial tally that showed Democrat David Orentlicher with 9,904 votes and Republican Rep. Jim Atterholt with 9,867 votes -- a difference of 37 votes.\nRepublicans went into Wednesday thinking they had won that race in House District 86, which covers parts of Marion and Hamilton counties, by 28 votes. That would have given the GOP a 50th seat.\nIn the House District 81 race in Fort Wayne, unofficial results showed Rep. Win Moses, D-Fort Wayne, with 4,718 votes to 4,654 votes for Republican Matthew Kelty, a margin of 64 votes. Because it was so close, Republicans were eyeing a possible recount in that contest.\nHouse Minority Leader Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said the GOP also was concerned about possible irregularities involving absentee ballots in the House District 45 race.\nPreliminary results showed Democrat Alan Chowning of Sullivan with 9,627 votes to 9,337 votes for Republican Bruce Borders of Jasonville, a difference of 290 votes. The seat was vacated by outgoing Speaker John Gregg, D-Sandborn.\nRepublicans also were reviewing results that showed Democratic Rep. Scott Reske of Pendleton defeating Republican Rob Steele of Lapel by 410 votes in House District 37.\nBosma called the turn of events disappointing.\n"If these election results hold strong, we will continue to move forward with a lack of leadership at the legislative level with a group of legislators that don't have a plan and do not have a vision, and that's what this election was about," Bosma said.\nIf Republicans gain control, they likely would elevate Bosma to be speaker.\nIf recount requests are filed within 10 days, Republican Secretary of State Sue Anne Gilroy would send them to a recount commission that includes herself, another Republican and one Democrat. The group would have until Dec. 19 to complete and present its findings to the full House.\nBut the House and Senate have legal authority to seat their own members, so the House would not be bound by the recount. The last general election recount in the House was in 1996, and representatives did accept a commission tally that gave Democrats a 50th seat and control of the chamber.\nIn 1994, however, the recount commission determined that Democratic Sen. Frank Mrvan of Hammond had won a narrow victory over Sandra Dempsey. Republicans who ruled the chamber opted for their own review and seated Dempsey instead.\nRep. Ed Mahern of Indianapolis, who led the caucus campaign effort for House Democrats, said they would proceed as if they had 51 members and a majority.\nTheir first task was to nominate the next speaker during a private meeting on Thursday. The leading contenders going into Tuesday's election were House Ways and Means Committee Chairman B. Patrick Bauer of South Bend, Speaker Pro Tem Chet Dobis of Merrillville, and Moses, the Rules Committee Chairman from Fort Wayne.\nHowever, Moses said he was dropping his bid because of his narrow margin of victory for re-election. And Mahern and some others have indicated a possible run.