Results of the Nov. 3 election in Indiana, and across the country, may not be known for days. The counting of ballots continues after election night most years. This year’s expected surge in mailed ballots means election offices may need extra time to tally all the votes. As that occurs, some candidates may call for the counting to end and for themselves to be declared the winner. However, winners will be decided when all the votes are counted — that’s the American election system at work. WFIU/WTIU's journalists will cover that process, and WFIU/WTIU will rely on The Associated Press and NPR to call races for the winner based on the AP’s rigorous, time-tested method.
Shelli Yoder knew she was going to win her District 40 race for the Indiana State Senate well before Election Day Tuesday.
The Bloomington resident was running unopposed for the seat fellow Democrat Mark Stoops had held since 2012. Stoops announced his retirement last year.
“I knew that we were unopposed, but we've been working with other candidates,” Yoder said. “We’ve been out here thanking voters and moving from polling sites to polling sites, because, while I'm unopposed, we certainly want a rich, active democracy.
“And I think it's important even though I am unopposed, I want I want people to know that I am honored to go to the state senate and represent them. This is who I am.“
Yoder ran for Indiana’s ninth congressional district seat in 2012 and 2016, but lost both times to Republican opponents, first to Todd Young, then to Trey Hollingsworth.
Now, she’s headed to the statehouse to represent District 40, which includes Bloomington and Ellettsville. As a Democrat, she’ll be in the minority. Heading into election day, the Republicans held 40 of the 50 seats in the state senate.
“It's certainly going to be a motivator for me, because what we know is things get done through relationship building," Yoder said. "And one of the priorities that I'm going to have is to make sure that I get to know my colleagues and to make sure that I am hearing the needs of the residents. And then, taking those needs and working together with those relationships that I will build and get some positive things done for the people of Indiana.”
Yoder is a lecturer at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
