UPDATE: Ellsworth, Donnelly give Democrats key wins in Congress

Democrats ousted Republican incumbents Tuesday in Indiana's 2nd and 8th Congressional Districts, giving the party two of the 15 seats it needed to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives.\nA third hotly contested race in southern Indiana's 9th District was a toss-up between Rep. Mike Sodrel and Democrat Baron Hill.\nDemocrat Joe Donnelly defeated Rep. Chris Chocola in northern Indiana's 2nd District, while Brad Ellsworth swept past Republican Rep. John Hostettler in southern Indiana's 8th District.\nDonnelly had 52 percent of the vote, compared with 47 percent for Chocola, with 83 percent of precincts reporting, according to unofficial results tabulated by The Associated Press.\nEllsworth, the Vanderburgh County sheriff, had 62 percent of the votes with 56 percent of precincts reporting. Hostettler, a staunch conservative seeking a 7th term, had 37 percent.\nDemocrats had targeted the three districts, hoping to capitalize on Washington scandals, the war in Iraq, President George W. Bush's low approval ratings and dissatisfaction with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.\nEllsworth, who watched returns from a hotel suite in downtown Evansville, joked with campaign workers about his acceptance speech but told everyone to remain calm until all votes were tallied.\n"I'm waiting for the last vote to come in before I claim anything," he said. "I'm still in the standby-to standby-mode."\nAt a Jeffersonville, Ind., banquet hall, Sodrel campaign workers taped up Sodrel signs while others watched election coverage on four flat-panel TVs. Sodrel was with about 400 supporters Tuesday evening and told them he hoped it would not be a long night.\n"Hope not, but it could be, it's a tight, tight race. ... I don't think we could've run any harder. I think we did everything we should've done," Sodrel said.\nSocial worker Cydney Pair, 37, voted for Hill at the Monroe County Courthouse Tuesday. She said the war and the economy affected her vote.\n"I just do not like the direction this country is going," she said.