Marlin Stutzman wins GOP Nomination to Replace Souder in IN-3

Remember that guy who every level headed issue oriented conservative endorsed for US Senate in Indiana? Well, he might be going to Washington after all! Marlin Stutzman won the endorsement of Indiana's 3rd Congressional District's Republican precinct committeemen and women pretty easily yesterday. There are still some Ron Paulers who are less than enthused with the nomination of Stutzman, but most of us have realized that there's no pleasing Ron Paulers unless you're running on a platform of subsidizing tin foil hats.

Mark Souder, you may remember, resigned his position as the Congressman from IN-3 after confessing to cheating on his wife, becoming the latest Republican involved in a sex scandal. Marlin Stutzman, being a social conservative and among the most trustworthy Republicans in the state, is the perfect candidate to replace Souder on the Republican ticket and restore Hoosier trust in the GOP in this part of the state.

As we've discussed before, Indiana's 3rd Congressional District is less Republican than one would think. A mixture of solid Republican campaigning and dumb luck kept this seat in GOP hands in 2006 and 2008, but as Fort Wayne grows and unemployment continues to rise, it's going to become increasingly difficult for Republicans to hold this seat.

Since I began KTracy.com in 2004, Indiana's 3rd Congressional District has been on our list of 'most crucial races' every two years. 2010 will be no exception. Unlike the past three election cycles, however, I'll actually be in Indiana to help out. (I was in California in 2004 and Virginia in 2006 and 2008). Sometime in August, I hope to spend at least a day following Stutzman on the campaign trail to give you a better idea of just who this great candidate is.

In the meantime, check out his campaign website at http://www.gomarlin.com/

Indiana's 2nd, 3rd, and 9th are among this year's crucial Congressional races. The Indiana Secretary of State race is also an important one for reasons that I'll discuss during the Republican convention later this week on Friday and Saturday. I'll be covering that live on this site.