Republican Candidate Erin Houchin defeated Harrison County attorney Tad Whitis in Tuesday’s primary election, 5,608 to 4,174; giving her the nod to run against incumbent Richard Young for the District 47 Indiana State Senate seat in November.
Houchin was a legislative assistant to Senator Dan Coats and is married to Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Dustin Houchin.
In Crawford County, Houchin edged Whitis, 539 to 386.
In Dubois County, Houchin defeated Whitis, 347 to 144.
Whitis defeated Houchin in his home county (Harrison) with 1,934 total votes to 802.
Houchin won in the remaining two counties in the district — Perry (261 to 124) and Washington (1453 to 557).
Houchin will face Young in the General Election this November.
Young entered the State Senate in 1988 when he was appointed to complete the unexpired term of then-Senator Frank O’Bannon. Young was elected to a full-term in 1990 and has been re-elected to six consecutive terms in the Senate. Young served as the Senate’s Democratic Leader for twelve years from 1996 to 2008. In 2008 he was appointed to serve as Democratic Leader Emeritus.
