Hailing from the Hoosier hills of Indiana, former congressman Joe Donnelly heads to the Senate with the intent of continuing his proud stance as a moderate. Indiana voters elected Donnelly by a 50 to 44 margin over opponent Republican Richard Mourdock in November. In an earlier, closely contested Republican primary, Mourdock had defeated the 36-year veteran, Senator Richard Lugar, while Donnelly faced no opposition in securing the nomination from the Democratic Party.
Serving in the House for six years beginning in January 2007, Donnelly aimed to bring what he calls “Hoosier common sense” legislation to Congress. He was part of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats that often split with leadership on key issues. Donnelly not only received substantial backing from the National Rifle Association but also was a pro-life congressman. He split from Democratic leadership in the 2008 budget negotiations and supported extensions of the Bush tax cuts.
Donnelly’s stances were often compromises. His pro-life stance was tempered by advocating exceptions for the cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is threatened. He voted against Paul Ryan’s budget plan but sided with the Republicans in efforts to pass a balanced budget amendment. The National Federation of Independent Business—a lobby for small and mid-sized businesses—said Donnelly took its side on 54 percent of votes in 2011, almost a perfect split down the middle. While an average House Democrat votes in line with their party 87 percent of the time—according to The Indianapolis Star—Donnelly voted with his party 71 percent of the time during his last term as a congressman.
Donnelly, however, has recently adjusted on some positions. In an interview with CNN following a moment of silence on the House floor for the Sandy Hook tragedy, he said, “You know, I’m a dad too … I think of when [my kids] were six and seven years old and I think we have a responsibility to make sure this never happens again.” He has backed off previous stances against gun control and says he remains open to discussion on Senator Dianne Feinstein’s proposal to ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition for the public.
When elected to the Senate, Donnelly stated a clear goal of establishing a moderate center in a partisan organization. The Senate, which saw unprecedented numbers of filibusters in recent years, has lost notable moderates. Former Maine senator Olympia Snowe retired at the end of the 2012 term; former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman, an independent, retired as well; and Donnelly’s predecessor Indiana senator Evan Bayh chose not to seek reelection in 2010. With relations between Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid rocky post-debt negotiations, party leadership has shown no more cooperation than the rank-and-file in settling longstanding disputes.
Donnelly asserts Indiana has a “tradition of being a state where the senators … are not extremists but are ones who are looked to by the entire nation to bring our country together.” His proposed group of moderates would also include fellow Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia—who established his support for gun control measures on the same day as Donnelly—and North Dakota senator Heidi Heitkamp. The senator did not mention any specific Republican lawmakers for his group, which he “just wants to be a reflection of how people think back home.”
Editor’s note: the article has been revised since it was first published.