UPDATE: Hill, Ellsworth, Donnelly give Democrats key wins in Congress

Baron Hill squeaked past Rep. Mike Sodrel in southern Indiana's 9th District.\nMeanwhile, Democrats ousted Republican incumbents Tuesday in Indiana's 2nd and 8th Congressional Districts as well, giving the party three of the 15 seats it needs to take control of the U.S. House.\nJoe Donnelly topped Rep. Chris Chocola in northern Indiana's 2nd District, and Brad Ellsworth swept past Republican Rep. John Hostettler in southern Indiana's 8th District.\nHill, a former representative who lost to Sodrel by about 1,400 votes in 2004, had 48.5 percent of the vote with 77 percent of precincts reporting, according to unofficial results tabulated by The Associated Press. Sodrel had 46.9 percent.\nChocola, a self-made millionaire who captured 47 percent of the vote to Donnelly's 52 percent, said this year's election was a "tough environment," in part because of the war in Iraq and Indiana voters' displeasure with Gov. Mitch Daniels.\n"I think we're going to see a tough environment across the country," Chocola said in congratulating Donnelly on the victory. "I don't know what we could've done differently to overcome the environment."\nEllsworth, the Vanderburgh County sheriff, capitalized on a low-key campaign by Hostettler in the district known as the "Bloody 8th" for its history of close, contentious races.\nEllsworth, who campaigned as a conservative Democrat, had 62 percent of the votes with 56 percent of precincts reporting. Hostettler, a conservative seeking a seventh term, conceded the race about 9:30 p.m., said Jay Howser, Hostettler's campaign manager.\nMarine Reserve Lance Cpl. Nolan Schemel, 20, of Evansville, came to Ellsworth's headquarters to show his support for Democrats trying to wrest control from Republicans and steer the country out of Iraq.\n"Politics has everything to do with what's going on in Iraq," said Schemel, who returned in October from a seven-month deployment in Fallujah, Iraq. "It's like a stalemate, and somebody needs to make a decision."\nDemocrats tapped into that sentiment as they tried to sway voters unhappy with the war, Washington scandals, President George W. Bush's low approval ratings and Daniels' decisions to approve statewide daylight-saving time and lease the Indiana Toll Road to a foreign company for 75 years.\nThe National Republican Congressional Committee spent more than $5.5 million on the three Indiana congressional races, with more than $3 million going to Sodrel. Hostettler, a traditionally weak fundraiser, received more than $1.8 million.\nBoth parties also brought in political heavy hitters.\nPresident Bush and first lady Laura Bush attended fundraisers for Chocola and Sodrel, but Hostettler, who broke with the president on using force in Iraq, said he did not want Bush to stump for him. Hostettler has never received more than 53 percent of the vote in six elections.\nDemocrats got help from former President Clinton and Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who campaigned for Hill, and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who attended a fundraiser last month to benefit Hill, Donnelly and Ellsworth.