Hoosiers split tickets: Gov. Mitch Daniels wins second term easily
By Richard Gootee, November 7, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mitch Daniels won his re-election bid against Democratic challenger Jill Long Thompson Tuesday night. Several media outlets projected Daniels the winner just after 7 p.m. and the Republican incumbent gave his victory speech about 9:30 p.m. at Conseco Fieldhouse, the Indiana Republicans’ headquarters for Election Night.
Though he proclaimed victory in his 12-minute speech, Daniels sounded like he was already throwing down the gauntlet for himself and the others elected to the Statehouse.
“This is less a victory than an assignment. What the people of Indiana have said is they want us to press forward with change and improvement and reform,” said Daniels, who added the state must tackle education, tax reform and small business issues.
Playing off a comment he made four years ago when he won his first term, Daniels told the Indiana General Assembly to re-check their seatbelts.
“The movement of change is moving ahead,” Daniels told the cheering crowd.
Daniels beat Long Thompson by about 18 percentage points.
Though the race was called just minutes after some of the state’s polls closed, the Daniels’ campaign was not surprised by the results, just the speed said spokesman Cam Savage.
Long Thompson a former congresswoman, would have became the state’s first female governor if elected. She conceded the race just after 9 p.m.
“I have called Daniels to wish him well over the next four years,” Long Thompson said in her concession speech. “I am very sincere when I say that. We fought a battle against the odds but won a primary [in May] nobody thought we could win.”
Long Thompson told WFYI, the Indianapolis’ public broadcasting radio affiliate, she felt she accomplished a lot even though it did not lead to victory Tuesday.
“[I] believe that I was successful, certainly at putting another crack in the glass ceiling as the first women nominated to run for governor of the state of Indiana,” she said. “And I was able to raise some issues and issues of very important regarding the economy and privatization and such.”
Daniels outspent his Democratic opponent by at least $10 million, which Long Thompson indicated was a major obstacle.
Though Daniels warned of future hardships, he promised the crowd Indiana will come out as a leader.
“My fellow citizens, we will get through this tough period and we will come out the other end one of the great states of this country,” he said.
Daniels assured the crowd that Indiana was at the forefront of change, an election theme pushed hardest by a Democrat, president-elect Barack Obama.
“Indiana has announced in the last four year and emphatically tonight, we not only accept change, we are prepared to lead change,” Daniels said. “Let the rest of America follow us.” 
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