2006 United States Senate election in Indiana


The 2006 United States Senate election in Indiana was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican United States Senator Richard Lugar was re-elected to his sixth six-year term with 87.3% of the vote. He did not have a Democratic opponent and only faced opposition from a Libertarian candidate; this was the only U.S. Senate race in 2006 in which Democrats did not field a candidate. This would be the last successful race of Lugar's decades long political career. This is also the last time that Lake, Marion, Monroe, and Porter counties have voted for a Republican candidate for Senate.

Candidates

Libertarian

Lugar faced no opposition from the Democratic Party, as they felt that he was unbeatable. The Indiana Senate race was the only one in 2006 in which the incumbent did not face a challenger from the other major party. Also running was Libertarian Steve Osborn. Osborn was from La Porte, Indiana and was an amateur radio operator. Exit polls projected a landslide victory for Lugar which was borne out by the result.

Results

Overall

The election was not close as Lugar faced only a Libertarian candidate, as no Democrat filed to run. Osborn's best performance was in Switzerland County where he received just over 22% of the vote. This is one of the best statewide showings for a third party candidate in Indiana.

By county

Lugar won all 92 of Indiana's counties by varying margins.
CountyLugarVotesOsbornVotesOtherVotesTotal
Adams90.6%7,1439.4%7430.0%37,889
Allen89.3%65,78210.6%7,8380.1%3873,658
Bartholomew90.0%16,54410.0%1,8340.0%918,387
Benton87.1%2,08612.9%3100.0%02,396
Blackford85.7%2,90214.3%4830.0%03,385
Boone91.5%11,4288.5%1,0580.0%012,486
Brown84.9%4,18115.1%7430.0%14,925
Carroll86.3%4,85913.6%7680.1%35,630
Cass88.1%8,06611.9%1,0940.1%19,161
Clark86.6%21,69013.4%3,3580.0%025,048
Clay86.9%6,59713.0%9870.1%47,588
Clinton87.6%6,07612.3%8560.1%76,939
Crawford82.6%2,31817.4%4880.0%02,806
Daviess91.4%6,1938.6%5860.0%16,780
Dearborn83.7%9,09116.2%1,7590.1%1110,861
Decatur89.7%5,57510.3%6600.0%06,415
DeKalb86.4%7,96713.6%1,2580.0%09,225
Delaware88.7%21,57111.3%2,7400.0%024,311
Dubois90.4%9,4329.6%1,0070.0%010,439
Elkhart89.9%34,3429.9%3,7980.2%7438,214
Fayette83.2%4,70416.8%9510.0%05,655
Floyd88.0%16,94112.0%2,3000.0%019,241
Fountain86.4%4,26713.6%6710.0%04,938
Franklin83.6%5,06116.3%9890.1%76,057
Fulton88.7%5,49311.3%6970.1%16,191
Gibson92.3%8,3957.7%9690.0%29,094
Grant89.4%13,75810.6%1,6380.0%015,396
Greene88.0%7,75711.7%1,0310.3%288,788
Hamilton92.0%49,0777.9%4,2260.1%4753,350
Hancock89.6%13,81010.4%1,6050.0%015,415
Harrison85.4%9,48414.6%1,6250.0%011,109
Hendricks89.8%25,21610.1%2,8410.1%1528,072
Henry85.4%10,37514.6%1,7760.0%012,151
Howard86.2%17,66013.7%2,8040.1%2520,489
Huntington87.0%7,39213.0%1,1040.0%08,496
Jackson89.1%9,88710.8%1,2030.0%511,095
Jasper85.3%5,12214.6%8760.1%76,005
Jay85.9%4,85014.1%7950.0%05,645
Jefferson85.6%6,83814.4%1,1500.0%07,988
Jennings87.7%6,75112.3%9480.0%07,699
Johnson90.8%24,3339.1%2,4340.1%3626,803
Knox87.2%8,76412.8%1,2900.0%010,054
Kosciusko88.3%15,23111.5%1,9830.2%3217,246
LaGrange87.4%5,06312.6%7300.0%05,793
Lake81.8%47,86818.1%10,5750.1%6158,504
LaPorte79.9%18,96720.1%4,7730.0%023,740
Lawrence87.3%9,40412.4%1,3350.3%3610,775
Madison85.8%25,96314.2%4,2940.0%1130,268
Marion89.0%127,89811.0%15,8660.0%0143,764
Marshall89.7%10,95810.3%1,2530.0%012,211
Martin86.4%2,76513.6%4350.0%03,200
Miami84.8%6,77114.9%1,1920.3%217,984
Monroe83.2%21,99816.8%4,4510.0%026,449
Montgomery88.9%7,63911.1%9480.0%48,591
Morgan87.7%12,25412.3%1,7200.0%013,974
Newton81.8%2,91518.2%6470.0%03,562
Noble87.9%8,80012.1%1,2090.0%010,009
Ohio80.1%1,52319.9%3780.0%01,901
Orange88.2%4,50311.8%6050.0%05,108
Owen87.2%4,41812.8%6500.0%05,068
Parke89.1%4,18210.9%5120.0%14,695
Perry85.9%3,91614.1%6400.0%04,556
Pike87.6%3,64912.3%5110.1%34,163
Porter81.5%25,38518.2%5,6580.3%9031,133
Posey89.7%7,63610.3%8770.0%08,513
Pulaski85.9%3,62514.1%5950.0%24,222
Putnam89.8%7,35210.1%8260.1%88,186
Randolph87.5%5,58712.5%7990.0%26,388
Ripley84.7%6,22415.2%1,1170.1%77,348
Rush89.5%4,34010.5%5060.0%24,848
Saint Joseph88.8%52,43711.2%6,5870.0%059,024
Scott84.3%4,26715.4%7780.3%145,059
Shelby89.5%9,07010.2%1,0350.3%2610,131
Spencer92.8%5,4837.1%6990.1%89,777
Starke76.3%4,56023.7%1,4150.0%05,975
Steuben83.6%6,72816.4%1,3140.0%28,044
Sullivan85.1%4,48914.9%7830.0%05,272
Switzerland77.7%1,61522.3%4630.0%02,078
Tippecanoe84.9%25,70715.0%4,5350.1%3930,281
Tipton88.1%4,55411.9%6160.0%05,170
Union85.1%1,91314.9%3360.0%02,249
Vanderburgh87.9%39,89812.1%5,4740.0%045,372
Vermillion82.9%3,38017.1%6960.0%04,076
Vigo86.4%19,24213.6%3,0250.0%1022,277
Wabash86.9%5,65313.1%8550.0%06,508
Warren87.2%2,22112.7%3250.0%02546
Warrick89.5%15,03810.4%1,7480.1%1116,797
Washington85.7%6,49414.0%1,0600.3%197,575
Wayne80.5%10,84619.5%2,6310.0%013,477
Wells87.9%7,38912.1%1,0110.0%28,402
White86.4%5,93013.6%9350.0%06,865
Whitley87.5%7,85512.5%1,1230.0%08,978