Ellsworth may struggle to win the seat

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Indiana Senate candidate Brad Ellsworth is a national symbol for the struggles faced by Democratic candidates this year. That's the case being made by the Washington Post Monday.

It's because Ellsworth voted for health care reform and the stimulus. They are votes that are currently unpopular and may be difficult to overcome.

Republican Senate candidate Dan Coats, who campaigned in a Fort Wayne hardware store today, may be the year's most unlikely Senate front runner' according to the Washington Post. He got there by talking about health care and the stimulus. "I'm running against a Congressman who has voted for and supported the stimulus which didn't stimulate, the health care bill which everybody says is almost a disaster in the making," said Coats in Fort Wayne.

The Post questions how Democrat Brad Ellsworth has gone from rising star four years ago to a little known candidate facing formidable challenges today. Ellsworth released an internal poll last week showing that he trails Coats by 11 points. The poll was a topic on the Garrison show on WIBC this morning. "When you're releasing that, you're struggling to get money," said 24 Hour News 8's Jim Shella. "And what he runs into is what you just pointed out, he can't run from that record," responded host Greg Garrison.

Democrats contend that Ellsworth still has time to turn things around but they know it's a challenge and that it goes back to the votes on health care and the stimulus. "Those may not be popular votes," says State Democratic Chairman Dan Parker, "but in time people will understand they were necessary to do to move our country forward."

Brad Ellsworth has little more than 9 weeks to convince them. And Ellsworth's challenge is shared here in Indiana by Democratic Congressmen Baron Hill and Joe Donnelly who also voted for health care reform and the stimulus.

To a lesser degree it could also be a problem for Democratic candidate Trent Van Haaften, who is hoping to replace Ellsworth in Congress.